Home Fried Chicken

If you’ve ever had a piece of crispy outside, juicy inside fried chicken, you know how blissful it can be! Learn how to make fried chicken at home with these tips and tricks for creating fried chicken that will have everyone wanting to steal your secrets.

Did you know fried chicken can be controversial? There are debates over brining the meat. People argue over what starch is used to coat the chicken, the fat frying it, and the cooking temperature. Follow these instructions to make the best 5-star fried chicken at home.

Chicken

You can cut a whole chicken into parts for frying or buy it pre-butchered. A 3 to 4-pound whole chicken can be cut into ten pieces for frying: two drumsticks, two thighs, two wings, and two breasts, each cut in two, with the backbone discarded. You’ll get a nice white and dark meat assortment when using a whole chicken.

If buying pre-cut chicken breasts, cut them into two pieces so they will have a cooking time similar to legs and thighs. The breasts will also be less prone to overcooking, as large chicken breasts tend to get golden and crispy on the outside before being fully cooked on the inside.

Brine

To brine a chicken means to submerge it in a solution of salt and water, sometimes flavored with other ingredients, to add moisture and flavor to the meat.

Basic Brine

For a basic chicken brine, dissolve 4 tablespoons kosher salt in 4 cups of lukewarm water. Add the chicken to the solution, cover, and place in the refrigerator for a few hours and up to overnight. If desired, add a few tablespoons of sugar, along with some fresh herbs or chopped garlic.

Buttermilk Brine

To make this brine, dissolve 2 tablespoons kosher salt in 4 cups of fresh buttermilk, along with some black pepper. Add the chicken to it, cover, and place in the refrigerator for a few hours and up to overnight.

Pickle Brine

Put 2 cups of pickle juice into a large bowl and add the chicken. Cover and place in the refrigerator for a few hours and up to overnight, turning a few times along the way.

Cola Brine

Combine 2 cups cola in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 4 cloves chopped garlic, 8 sprigs fresh thyme, and 1 tablespoon or more of hot sauce. Add the chicken, cover, and place in the refrigerator for a few hours, turning a few times along the way. The cola adds a caramel hue and distinctive sweetness to the meat, but after more than a few hours, it begins to degrade it, too.

Cider Brine

Dissolve 4 tablespoons kosher salt in 2 cups apple cider. Add the chicken to the solution, cover, and place in the refrigerator for a few hours and up to overnight.

Regardless of how you brine, making sure your chicken isn’t sopping wet when you start is essential. Dry it beforehand with a paper towel.

Warm the Chicken

Before frying the chicken, let the meat sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. The cold chicken will drop the oil temperature when you put it in, making it very hard to regulate.

Coating

A crisp crust is characteristic of great fried chicken. You achieve that by covering the meat’s exterior and skin with starch before cooking.

The easiest method for dredging chicken is to place the parts in a large baggie filled with flour that has been seasoned with salt, pepper, and occasionally paprika or hot pepper. Close the bag, shake it a few times, then carefully remove each piece and shake off the excess flour before frying. You can also use a large bowl in place of the baggie.

Wait to dredge the chicken right before frying it. Leaving the chicken to rest in its coating will make it gummy, reducing its chances of crisping up during frying.

Alternative starches include gluten-free flours, bread crumbs, cereal, chip, or cracker crumbs, cornstarch, and potato starch.

Fat

Chicken is usually fried in shortening, lard, oil, or a combination of fats. Try a neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point, like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil.

Deep fry the chicken in a lot of oil or less. If you prefer to shallow fry, the fat should come halfway up the pieces to ensure even frying.

Temperature

The ideal temperature to fry chicken is a steady 350 - 375°F. Monitor that temperature by using a deep-fry or candy thermometer. Ensure you’ve brought the oil temperature to at least 350°F between batches.

Don’t Crowd the Pan

You’ll need a heavy, wide, high-sided skillet or Dutch oven with a lid. Many cooks prefer cast iron for the even heat it provides and retains. Cook in small batches. One of the most common frying mistakes is overcrowding the pan. When you add too many chicken pieces at once, the oil temperature drops causing the coating to absorb oil.

Cooking

Turn the chicken a few times while it cooks with tongs. Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the chicken’s internal temperature is at least 165°F. It’s perfectly normal for the cooked chicken to still be slightly pink at 165°F.

Resting

After removing the chicken from the skillet, let it rest before serving. Place the chicken on a wire rack set on top of a baking sheet and sprinkle with a little salt when it’s hot for extra flavor. Keep it in a 250°F oven!

Fried chicken can seem tricky, troublesome, and not worth the effort to make at home. Believe me, it’s worth it and not that hard! Now you have the secrets for crisp, juicy fried chicken!

(Sources: cooking.nytimes.com; http://www.thedailymeal.com; http://www.thrillist.com; usda.gov)