The One Ingredient that Makes Fried Chicken So Much Crispier (2024)

FAQs

The One Ingredient that Makes Fried Chicken So Much Crispier? ›

The Perks of Potato Starch

Interestingly, cornstarch contains 25 to 28 percent amylose, which is higher than the amount in wheat or potato starch (which are 20 to 22 percent amylose), and this is why cornstarch works the best for making crispy coatings on fried foods.

The perfect temperature for frying foods is 375°F (190°C). This temperature provides the ideal combination of heat and oil saturation to achieve a crispy, golden-brown texture. However, some recipes may require higher or lower temperatures depending on the type of food being fried.

To keep fried chicken crispy once you've prepared it, place it in the oven at an extremely low temperature until you're ready to serve. If you'd like to reheat fried leftover chicken, you just need to heat it in an oven to an extremely high temperature. This will allow the coating to dry while the chicken is warming.

“Put a little schmear of vegetable oil and because there is no water in it, the heat from the oven immediately begins to crisp up the skin and you don't end up with steam coming off the skin,” he says. Slow and steady when roasting.

Submerge the chicken in the egg wash. Remove the chicken from the egg wash and dredge it in the flour a second time. Shake off the excess flour and place the chicken skin-side down in the hot oil.

Lard is a great choice for frying chicken because it gives your chicken an excellent flavor and unparalleled crispy crust.

Use Cornstarch or Rice Flour

Michael says that cornstarch or rice flour in combo with flour will give you the crunchiest batter. Even cake four will cook up crunchier than all-purpose flour because it doesn't have a high gluten level.

If your oil temp is too high, your fried chicken will be scorched on the outside with meat that is undercooked. If the oil is too cool, your chicken will be greasy and will lack the golden-brown crispy exterior you want.

The restaurant uses a wet batter instead of a breading, like in our crispy fried chicken recipe. It keeps the chicken moist as it cooks and protects the crispy exterior from falling off as you eat it.

How does KFC get their chicken so crispy? ›

KFC deep fries its chicken for 15 minutes and then drains the oil off for another five minutes – 20 minutes in total. If you don't have a deep fryer, heat up plenty of oil in a large saucepan and do it that way.

The wire rack helps hot air circulate to crisp up the underside of the chicken. If you don't have a rack, a foil-lined baking sheet will do. Bake until the inside is warm (around 120°F) and the outside is crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes. The exact bake time will depend on the size of each piece.

Acidic buttermilk tenderizes the chicken without making it too tough. Also, it helps the flour mixture stick to the chicken. All-purpose flour gives the buttermilk and seasonings something to stick to, while ensuring a wonderfully crispy crust.

When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color! (It has to do with prevention of gluten development.) The baking powder reacts with the oil and creates tiny air bubbles, which also helps form a crispy coating.

If your oil temp is too high, your fried chicken will be scorched on the outside with meat that is undercooked. If the oil is too cool, your chicken will be greasy and will lack the golden-brown crispy exterior you want.