Boxed Potato Flakes Are The Simple Hack For Super Crispy Fried Chicken
Instant mashed potatoes are good for more than just a quick side dish. They're a secret ingredient used to thicken soups and make easy homemade chips. They can also be a creative ingredient for cake, bread, and even gnocchi.
With their tendency to take on whatever flavors are introduced, boxed potato flakes are a great base for any kind of fried chicken. Combine them with your own homemade seasoning blend of garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper or go online for niche seasonings, like The Spice Lab's Nashville Hot Chicken Seasoning or Gilbert's Fried Chicken Seasoning from Chef Kenny's Spice Blends. Make spicy wings or a sweet and crunchy honey mustard version. Serve with a side of coleslaw in Alabama White BBQ sauce and a 4-Ingredient Corona Sunrise for a summery backyard barbecue vibe.
How to use potato flakes for extra crispy fried chicken
There are dozens of tips for making the perfect fried chicken, including buying a whole bird to break down yourself and tenderizing the meat before coating. You could make use of brining, wet or dry coating, double frying, or a mixture of egg whites, alcohol, and corn starch. Jacques Pepin's extra crispy fried chicken hinges on Wondra Flour, and Gordon Ramsay's secret to fried chicken incorporates buttermilk. Combine some of these tried-and-true tricks to build your own secret recipe. Just add instant mashed potatoes or potato flakes to the mix for super crispy fried chicken.
Sometimes the instant potatoes are combined with flour in equal parts in a coating mixture. Other recipes call for an all-potato flake coating along with egg, water, and oil to help make it stick. You can soak your chicken overnight in citrus or yogurt to tenderize before coating in potato flakes. Try different methods and see what works for you in achieving a crunchy and textured layer of potato fried over already crispy skin — a combination that makes your fried chicken really stand out.