10 Best Fried Chicken Copycat Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to the best fried chicken? ›

Kentucky Fried Chicken is undoubtedly the most well-known fried chicken restaurant, with over 25,000 KFC outlets in more than 145 countries and territories around the world.

Cornstarch will make your fried chicken better. A 50-50 split of all-purpose flour and cornstarch in your batter will leave you with an audibly crunchy, beautiful browned exterior. The corn adds a bit of golden color that all-purpose flour can't quite get to.

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.

Leave the chicken in too long, and you'll end up with an extra-crispy crust, but dry, overcooked meat. By frying once, allowing the chicken to chill completely, then frying again a second time, you end up with extra-crunchy crust and meat that's still plenty juicy.

Place the breaded chicken on a cooling rack (or a platter) and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This cooling time will help the layers of breading ingredients solidify and adhere better after the chicken cooks. Once you start cooking the chicken, be patient and don't flip it over too early.

They're super flavorful from a simple marination process that includes spices, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, and Shaoxing wine.

Today the poulet de Bresse has the reputation of being the best quality table chicken in the world.

First, fried chicken is bone-in chicken pieces from all parts of the bird that are coated in flour. Chicken-fried chicken, however, is a flattened chicken breast that is dredged in flour, then dunked into an egg and buttermilk wash, and then back into the flour again.

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.

Should you let chicken sit in flour before frying? ›

Then dip the chicken back into the flour mixture. Allow the battered chicken to sit for about 10 minutes before dropping into the hot grease to fry. This should be a standard when battering anything to fry.

So now you've got a nice floury coating on the chicken: Time to dip it in eggs. Eggs are sticky, and when they mingle with the flour, they make a gluey paste for the breadcrumbs to stick to. If you're looking to create a nice, thick coating on the chicken, this is the way to go.

Here's why it works. Baking soda is alkaline, so it raises the pH level of chicken skin, breaking down the peptide bonds and jumpstarting the browning process, meaning the wings got browner and crispier faster than they would on their own.

The specialized baking powder for frying can be used in the production of fried chicken, tempura, and other fried batter-coated products, with an addition rate of 0.5-3.0% of the flour quantity.

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.

It's all about that crunch

Done properly, deep-frying creates a satisfying contrast between the crispy-crunchy coating and tender chicken. Beyond that simple textural enjoyment, the crispness actually sends our brain a message that the food itself is in good condition.

Submerging chicken in a brine bath seasons it inside out. Aside from injecting flavor, the brine breaks down the proteins of the poultry, retaining moisture in the cells. In 24 hours or less, the muscle fibers in the meat begin to separate and swell, resulting in a tender, juicy and flavorful meat.

This is typical of southern style American fried chicken, to marinade the chicken in sour milk. Makes for really tender and juicy chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinade for at least 4 hours. Overnight, for best results.