How To Make Our Readers’ Favorite Fried Chicken Recipe

Here in the U.S., where fried chicken is especially huge in the South, cooks from every region and state put their own touches on their fried chicken recipes. Frying chicken—deep frying anything, really—is a bit of a project, involving discarding the vats of oil properly. Sometimes a little lingering scent. (Frying chicken in an air fryer could help save some mess.) But it doesn’t need to be complicated. How to Make Amazing Fried Chicken Tip 1: Season the Dredge First things first, season the flour well with plenty of salt and, if you like, freshly ground black pepper.

Tip 2: Choose the Right Fat For ages fried chicken in the south was largely cooked in lard. Before you bread the chicken, add a neutral flavored oil (we like peanut, canola, corn, or sunflower) to a depth of 3 inches in a large, deep Dutch oven.

Once an oil reaches its smoke point, it begins to break down and will affect the flavor of the food you’re frying. Since we’re frying the chicken at around 325°F, choosing an oil with a smoke point at or above 400°F gives us plenty of wiggle room to account for temperature spikes.

Set the pan over high heat, insert a deep-fry thermometer, and allow the oil to preheat to 325°F while you bread the chicken. Tip 3: Bring the Meat to Room Temperature Set the chicken out for 20–30 minutes before dredging and frying to come up to room temperature. It will as well prevent the breading from overcooking before the meat is cooked through.

Tip 4: Bread Just Before Frying Breading the chicken too early will cause the flour to get gummy, potentially leading to soggy chicken post-frying. Tip 4: Bread Just Before Frying As the oil heats up, bread the chicken pieces by first dunking one in the egg and milk mixture and then into the flour mixture.

Kat Craddock Tip 5: Don’t Overcrowd the Pot Placing too many pieces of chicken in the hot oil will cause the temperature to drop, altering the cook time and consistency of results. The number of pieces will be dependent on the size of your pot and the size of your chicken pieces.

Tip 6: Stay Attentive It takes 15–20 minutes to cook the chicken through, but that doesn’t mean you should walk away and abandon the stove. Tip 7: Serve Promptly When the chicken is cooked through and the breading is golden brown, use metal tongs or a spider skimmer to transfer to a paper-towel-lined heat-resistant tray or platter.

Serve the chicken hot and fresh out of the fryer, room temperature, or even cold. Tip 8: Consider Extras If you’re lucky enough to escape the frenzy of hungry friends and family with leftovers, stick them in your refrigerator.

To maintain its crispy exterior and juicy meat, let your chicken come to room temperature for 30 minutes before reheating. Place the chicken in a single layer on a wire rack over a baking sheet, and bake in a preheated 400°F oven until the meat is heated through, 14–18 minutes for breasts and 8–12 minutes for wings and legs.

Or, just plop the pieces back in a pot of fresh 325°F oil until hot oil and crunchy.