Big Mama's Fried Chicken Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What makes fried chicken taste better? ›

Brining helps tenderize and flavor the meat. You can use a simple mix of salt and water (three quarts of water to one tablespoon of salt) or buttermilk. An eight-hour soak is ideal. Be sure to drain and rinse the brine when you're ready to fry to prevent overly salty chicken.

However, there's a trick to warming 2-3 portions without making the chicken soggy. Cover the chicken pieces with a slightly damp paper towel and microwave on low heat for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. This method prevents the coating from getting soggy and helps retain some of the crispy texture.

Using egg whites to adhere the coating to the chicken ensures that the crust stays put, even if your chicken sticks to the bottom of the frying pan. The last bit of atypical preparation is sprinkling the hot chicken with the Bromberg's Fried Chicken Seasoning once it comes out of the fryer.

The secret to making the perfect fried chicken is the use of buttermilk, as it helps tenderize each piece while leaving each bite juicy and crispy. After marinating, dredge your chicken pieces in the flour mixture and get to frying!

Canola Oil

Benefits: With a high smoke point and neutral flavor, canola oil is excellent for frying chicken. As an added bonus, it has high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which makes it healthier than other options.

Soy sauce & fish sauce: Both of these ingredients add a solid amount of umami-richness and a savoriness to the fried chicken wings. Sesame oil: Adds a fragrant, rich nutty flavor…so good! Eggs: One full egg and one egg yolk contributes to the light batter.

Oil too old

Old oil is often full of particulate matter, which lends the chicken a darker color and, worse, a rancid flavor. The best way to tell if your oil is too old is to give it a big sniff before you pour it into your pot.

Buttermilk Is More Than A Better Coating

This acidic nature also helps lightly tenderize the meat, creating an even juicier, more succulent texture. Even a few minutes of soaking in buttermilk (or resting after breading) can make a big difference.

This usually equates to around 10 minutes for wings and 12 minutes for breasts, thighs and legs. For the best tasting fried chicken with a beautifully even golden crumb, turn your chicken pieces with tongs (being careful not to splash yourself with hot oil) every 1 – 2 minutes.

Why do you put cornstarch on chicken before frying? ›

When paired with all-purpose flour, cornstarch helps prevent gluten development, which makes the flour coating crispier, and absorb moisture (from the frying and the chicken), which also means a crispier coating. If you already have a favorite fried chicken recipe, try replacing a quarter of the flour with cornstarch.

If you soak the chicken in an ice water bath prior to the dredging and breading process, the cold liquid will firm the meat and keep it moist — it's basically like brining the chicken first. The ice-cold skin will also make sure your breading of choice will stay on the poultry during the frying process.

Always dip your chicken in beaten egg before coating

Dipping your chicken in egg helps the breadcrumbs, or whatever coating you use, adhere evenly to the outside of the cutlet. You should start with a thin layer of flour, which gives the egg a better surface to cling to, then the egg, then the coating.

Coating food protects it from direct heat in high temperature frying. The flour helps the egg to stick to the food, and the egg helps the crumbs to stick. Skip a step and your coating is likely to peel off as you fry whatever it is you're frying.

It helps flavor the meat. When brining a chicken, you allow the taste of the solution to penetrate through the surface and penetrate the deeper recesses of the chicken with flavor. It means the flesh is already flavorful without breading. It helps keep the meat moist.

Tenderness: The lactic acid in milk helps to break down the proteins in the chicken, resulting in a tender and moist texture. Flavor Infusion: Milk can act as a carrier for other flavors, such as herbs and spices, allowing them to penetrate the chicken and create a delicious taste profile.