Crispiest Fried Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sprinkle chicken with rice flour; season generously with kosher salt and pepper, tossing to coat. Pour oil into a large pot to a depth of 2 inches. Place over medium-high heat until a thermometer registers 350 degrees.
• Whisk together both flours, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in 3/4 cup water until a smooth, thin batter forms.
• Working in batches, dip pieces of chicken into batter, allowing excess to drip off. Transfer to oil and fry until pale golden, 6 minutes. Remove and shake lightly in a colander to drain; transfer to paper towels. Bring oil temperature back to 350 degrees, then return chicken to oil and fry a second time until golden brown and a thermometer inserted into thickest parts (avoiding bones) registers 160 degrees, about 6 minutes for small pieces, about 8 minutes for large. Transfer to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet; season with flaky salt. Serve warm or room temperature.

Steps:

• Mix cold water and kosher salt together in a large bowl until salt dissolves. Add chicken legs. Cover entire bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Remove bowl from the refrigerator; drain and pat chicken dry with paper towels.
• Place chicken legs in a plastic bag with 1 cup all-purpose flour and shake to coat.
• Pour buttermilk into a bowl. Mix remaining flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne in another bowl. Dip each chicken leg in buttermilk; move to flour mixture and coat well.
• Heat canola oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Fry chicken legs in hot oil in batches until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Steps:

• In one medium bowl, mix together 3 cups of flour, garlic salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, paprika and poultry seasoning. In a separate bowl, stir together 1 1/3 cups flour, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, egg yolks and beer. You may need to thin with additional beer if the batter is too thick.
• Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Moisten each piece of chicken with a little water, then dip in the dry mix. Shake off excess and dip in the wet mix, then dip in the dry mix once more.
• Carefully place the chicken pieces in the hot oil. Fry for 15 to 18 minutes, or until well browned. Smaller pieces will not take as long. Large pieces may take longer. Remove and drain on paper towels before serving.

Steps:

• Place chicken drumsticks and thighs in a bowl and pour enough buttermilk over chicken to cover. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
• Combine flour, cornmeal, granulated onion, granulated garlic, thyme, salt, paprika, monosodium glutamate, baking powder, and cayenne pepper in a large, wide bowl.
• Remove chicken from buttermilk and shake off excess. Discard buttermilk. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
• Dip chicken into egg whites and press into flour mixture. Allow coated chicken to rest on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Fill a cast-iron skillet or deep fryer with vegetable oil about 1/3 full. Heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Fry chicken in hot oil in batches until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Thighs may take longer to fry than drumsticks. Transfer fried chicken to a wire rack or a paper towel-lined tray to drain. Keep chicken warm in preheated oven while frying remaining pieces.

Steps:

• In a large shallow dish, combine 2-2/3 cups flour, garlic salt, paprika, 2-1/2 teaspoons pepper and teaspoons poultry seasoning. In another shallow dish, beat eggs and 1-1/2 cups water; add 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1-1/3 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then place in flour mixture, a few pieces at a time. Turn to coat., In a deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Working in batches, fry chicken, several pieces at a time, until skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into chicken reads 165°, about 7-8 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.

Steps:

• Dry brine the chicken: In a small bowl, mix together the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon zest.
• Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and season with the salt mixture, evenly coating each piece.
• Line a large resealable container with paper towels and add the seasoned chicken. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
• 30 minutes before frying, remove the chicken from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature.
• Add the canola oil to a large Dutch oven and heat over medium heat until the temperature reaches 350°F (180°C). Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and set nearby.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt.
• In a separate large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg whites, and vodka.
• Working with one piece at a time, coat the dry-brined chicken in the flour mixture, then in the buttermilk mixture, then again in the flour, shaking off any excess.
• Add 2-3 pieces of chicken to the hot oil and fry for 7-10 minutes, flipping once, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C) and the exterior is golden brown and crispy. Remove from oil, transfer to the wire rack, and season with salt. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Pour the buttermilk into a wide shallow dish and stir in the garlic. Slice the chicken into chunky slices, about 9.5cm long x 3-4cm wide. Lay the chicken in the dish and turn it over in the buttermilk so it is well coated. Leave in the fridge for 1-2 hrs, or preferably overnight.
• Meanwhile, heat a large, non-stick frying pan and tip in the panko crumbs and flour. Toast them in the pan for 2-3 mins, stirring regularly so they brown evenly and don't burn. Tip the crumb mix into a bowl and stir in the paprika, mustard, thyme, chilli powder, pepper and a pinch of fine sea salt. Set aside.
• When ready to cook, heat oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Line a baking tin with foil and sit a wire rack (preferably non-stick) on top. Transfer half the crumb mix to a medium-large plastic bag. Lift half the chicken from the buttermilk, leaving the marinade clinging to it. Transfer it to the bag of seasoned crumbs. Seal the end of the bag and give it a good shake so the chicken gets well covered (you could do all the crumbs and chicken together if you prefer, but it's easier to coat evenly in 2 batches).
• Remove the chicken from the bag. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan, then add the chicken pieces and fry for 1½ mins without moving them. Turn the chicken over, pour in another ½ tbsp of the oil to cover the base of the pan and fry for 1 min more, so both sides are becoming golden. Using tongs, transfer to the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining seasoned crumbs, oil and chicken.
• Bake all the chicken on the rack for 15 mins until cooked and crisp, then serve with the Crunchy coleslaw (see 'Goes well with', below right).