What Are the Best Cuts of Chicken for Frying? For starters, you should use chicken nuggets with the skin on. Really any type of chicken will do, but the skin is my personal favorite part of fried chicken, and the bones help keep the meat from drying out. In terms of which pieces to use, I like chicken thighs, but any piece of chicken will do. Keep in mind that white meat (chicken breast) tends to take less time to cook than dark meat.
How Can You Adjust the Spiciness? The meat itself and the crunchy crust are the two key ingredients of fried chicken. The type of hot sauce used for the marinade determines the level of spiciness in the chicken meat. While stronger bottles like Tabasco Habaero Pepper Sauce will give the meat a wonderful kick, milder bottles like Louisiana or Frank’s will merely add a faint heat to the meat. If you want a spicy end product, use a hotter sauce than you might imagine because the buttermilk in the marinade will moderate the heat from the hot sauce. The amount of cayenne and black pepper in the seasoned flour dredging is the second approach to modify the level of spice.
Tip for the Best Fried Chicken 1. The secret is in the marinade: While any amount of time, even as little as 30 minutes, is preferable to none, the ideal amount of time for the buttermilk marinade to produce juicy, tasty chicken is eight hours. Up to 24 hours of marinating is permissible, but any more will affect the chicken’s texture. 2. Give the chicken some time to rest after dredging. This helps the coating adhere to the meat and is one of the keys of perfectly fried chicken. Additionally, it allows the chicken to cook more uniformly by giving it time to reach room temperature after marinating in the refrigerator. (Pro Tip: To ensure more consistent cooking, let any meat rest after removing it from the refrigerator for a few minutes.)
What’s the Best Pan for Frying Chicken? I prefer using cast iron skillets, although stainless steel and anodized aluminium pans also perform well when it comes to the type of pan. You need a skillet that can withstand the heat and has a thick bottom.
How Much and What Kind of Oil Do You Use to Fry Chicken? This is pan frying rather than deep frying. Any neutral, high-heat oil, like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil, only needs to be poured into your skillet to a depth of about half an inch. I prefer to fried chicken around 325 F, which is a little lower than most people. With enough time to spare, the chicken can be fully cooked without the crust scorching. If a small amount of flour is dropped into the oil and it begins to gently sizzle after a few seconds, the oil is at the proper temperature without the need for a thermometer.
How to Tell When Chicken Is Cooked Through?The simplest way to determine when the chicken is cooked, apart than slicing open each piece to check, is using an instant-read thermometer; the thickest section of the meat should read 165°F.
Then, to drain the extra oil, move each piece to a wire rack positioned over a baking sheet or a dish covered with paper towels.What Do You Serve With Fried Chicken? There are countless options! Extra hot sauce is always necessary, in my opinion, for those who truly enjoy the heat. A few of my other favourites are macaroni and cheese, creamy, tangy coleslaw, and fluffy buttermilk biscuits.
Ingredients For the chicken: -2 cups buttermilk -1/2 cup hot sauce -1 teaspoon kosher salt -1 teaspoon ground black pepper -1 teaspoon cayenne pepper -1 teaspoon garlic powder -3 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts For the batter: -2 cups all-purpose flour -1 tablespoon ground black pepper -1 tablespoon cayenne pepper -2 teaspoons kosher salt -1 teaspoon garlic powder
For frying: -Canola, vegetable, or peanut oil for frying
Method 1. Marinate chicken in buttermilk mixture: In a big basin, combine the buttermilk, spicy sauce, salt, pepper, cayenne, and garlic powder. Place the chunks of chicken in the buttermilk mixture and thoroughly coat.
Refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours and a maximum of 24 to marinate. 2. Dredge chicken: Take the chicken out of the fridge. Combine the flour, salt, cayenne, garlic powder, and black pepper in a sizable paper or plastic (durable) bag. Add the chicken to the seasoned flour a few pieces at a time, and shake to completely coat. Shake off any extra flour, then set the dredging chicken pieces on a dish and let them sit for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.3. Heat oil in thick-bottomed pan: In the meantime, heat 1/2 inch of oil in a sizable, heavy-bottomed skillet made of heat-resistant material (cast iron, stainless steel, or anodized aluminium). 325°F is the temperature at which a pinch of flour will gently sizzle when placed into hot oil, but not so hot as to cause the pan to smoke. Always keep a pan cover handy when dealing with heated oil in case of a grease fire. 4. Fry the chicken: Working in batches, add the chicken pieces to the hot oil in the pan and cook for 8 to 10 minutes on each side, turning the chicken with tongs as necessary, until golden brown all over. A digital thermometer should read 165°F in the thickest portion of the meat to indicate doneness. 5. Remove to a rack to drain excess oil: To remove the chicken from the pan, use tongs. Place on a rack over a platter or cookie sheet covered in paper towels so that any extra oil can drip off. Serve hot.