Have you ever wondered what is the best way to fry chicken? Yes, fried chicken is amazing, no matter how you make it. But, just like every other food, there are ways to improve it.
Your local fast food joint probably can’t do this as well as your grandma used to back in the day. Luckily, we’ve learned a thing or two from those who make the tastiest fried chicken. And we’re willing to share our knowledge!
In this blog, we’ve gathered all the most essential tips for frying chicken, along with a few mistakes that you should avoid. So, if you want to take your chicken frying skills to the next level, keep reading.
And, to try the best fried chicken ever, visit Root & Bone Miami. We put a twist on traditional Southern cuisine, and the results will have you licking your fingers.
Chicken breasts are many people’s favorite part of the bird. However, cooking them in one piece isn’t the best idea if you wish to get the tastiest results. So, of all the fried chicken tips we have prepared, the first is to cut the bird properly.
Buying the whole chicken will satisfy your hunger for white and dark meat, but properly cutting it is the only way to ensure all of the meat is cooked correctly.
So, there’s work to do before you put anything into the oil.
Remember that full chicken breasts can get crispy and golden on the outside without being fully cooked on the inside. Cutting each breast into two or three smaller pieces will decrease the cooking time and allow the meat to be finished in line with the thighs and legs.
Juicy meat is what we all expect to get after learning the fried chicken tips from this blog. And there’s no juice without a marinade or a brine. So, we’ll have to start doing that if we wish to make the best fried chicken ever.
Most folks you know probably use a buttermilk marinade as their go-to when it comes to preparing fried chicken. Those who don’t believe marinating is the best way to fry chicken go the brine route. A brine is a mixture of sugar, salt, and spices dissolved into water.
We’re not here to tell you to follow one of these examples, but up the ante and make a buttermilk brine.
The right way to do this is:
Get a bowl, and into it, add 1 cup of water. Then, stir in 1/4 cup kosher salt and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Add spices like smoked paprika and keep stirring until everything dissolves. Finally, add 3 to 4 cups of buttermilk.
You’ll have to soak and refrigerate the chicken overnight to get the desired results.
We understand you need something to eat right away. Many of us don’t have time to wait for the best meal. However, some things are worth the wait.
And, if you want to have the best fried chicken ever, you’ll need to be patient. Once you’re done with the brine or marinade, you’ll need to refrigerate the meat. This process requires at least a day. Our recommendation is to wait between 24 and 48 hours and cook the meat after.
This way, you won’t need a jar of fried chicken seasoning for a tasty piece of meat.
Yes, we’ll get a lot of flavor with the brine. But there’s no reason to stop there. Our tips for frying chicken may be a bit more complex than expected.
First of all, you should add salt to your chicken at every step of the way. That means before, during, and after the brine. That is one of the keys to avoiding bland meat no one wants to try.
Of course, other spices are a perfect solution to boost the flavor even further and add your signature twist to any recipe.
During the breading phase, add chile powder, garlic, cayenne, pepper, and salt to the flour dredge. It will give the skin a taste you can’t get just anywhere.
On top of that, feel free to add a wet condiment to the milk. Sriracha, or your favorite hot sauce, is a perfect addition for those who love hot wings and a way to make any other piece of chicken a tad hotter.
All the kitchen appliances in the world won’t help you if you don’t know the best way to fry chicken. A deep fryer is fantastic to have but isn’t a necessary part of this process. You’ll be able to make the best meat of your life with cast iron and a few inches of oil.
The type of oil and its temperature, however – will be crucial. Canola and peanut oil have a high smoke point, so those should be your go-to options if you have the opportunity to choose.
Let them heat up to about 335 degrees F, and then add the chicken. This temperature will give the skin a golden brown color but allow the meat to stay tasty and juicy.
Determining the temperature is easiest if you have a thermometer. But if you don’t, there are ways to avoid that. Flick a piece of flour into the pan to check if the oil is ready to take in the chicken. If it starts sizzling – it’s go time.
All of our fried chicken tips will be useless if you ruin everything you’ve done at the end.
We know it’s tempting. You’ve just prepared the juiciest pieces of meat ever; normally, you wish to try them as soon as possible. The easiest way is to let them rest on a few paper towels.
However, this action may undo all of our previous tips for frying chicken. Even a short time among paper towels can turn the best fired chicken into a pile of soggy, tasteless garbage.
To avoid that, cover a baking sheet with a wire rack. Transfer the cooked pieces from the pan to the wire rack and give them a few minutes to drip there.
Here’s a quick reminder of the mistakes you need to avoid if you wish to make the tastiest chicken ever:
One thing is certain – our chefs know better than to make any of these mistakes. We’ve been making comfort food for years, and if there’s one thing that’s always on the comfort food menu – it’s fried chicken.
Visit Root & Bone to try the best chicken Florida has to offer.