Fried chicken is the ultimate comfort food. It is perfect for every occasion, most people would eat it every day if they could, and it comes in so many varieties that you can never get bored of it. But, unfortunately, it is not the easiest food to get right when you make it at home.
If you frequently cook fried chicken, you know that sometimes it can be better than the stuff you get at your local fast-food place or a restaurant. Other times, it can turn out far less enjoyable than you would want it to be. The reason for this might be that you are making some of the common mistakes that prevent you from having finger-licking fried chicken. Learn more about them below and make sure you don’t repeat them next time.
You Don’t Brine the Chicken Meat
Brining chicken meat is a big secret behind any great chicken dish. The same goes for fried chicken. If you want it to be flavorful and juicy, let it sit in buttermilk, a blend of spices and water, or even pickle juice.
You Choose the Wrong Oil
Fried chicken doesn’t handle oil experiments very well. Don’t even think about olive oil or some other oil with a low smoke point. Instead, stick with vegetable or canola oil, which has a high smoke point and neutral taste.
You Fry it Straight Out of the Fridge
One of the more common mistakes people make is dipping the chicken meat in oil as soon as they get it out of the fridge. Since the chicken is cold, it will lower the temperature of the oil, and you won’t get an evenly fried piece. So, make sure to let the chicken meat sit on the counter for half an hour before starting to fry.
You Skip Seasoning and/or Breading
If you don’t season your chicken meat properly, you will end up with bland fried food, and you don’t want that. Make sure to properly season the chicken, using salt, pepper, and other spices, and rub them all in nicely. Also, don’t skip the breading for any reason, as it will rob you of that signature crunch we all love so much.
You Don’t Pay Attention to Temperature
To have crispy and evenly-cooked fried chicken, you need to be precise about the temperature. Start at 350F and keep it that way until you have finished frying the entire batch.
