Make Fast Food Fried Chicken With This Easy Trick
Ordering fried chicken to go is one of my favorite treats. I love to cook, as you can probably tell from my line of work, but the thick, crispy breaded shells that come out of Popeyes and KFC are a precious work of art. I’m not saying you shouldn’t patronize these fine establishments anymore, but once you learn this trick, you won’t have to. You can get the same flaky, crispy, layered coating on fried food—just add a little marinade to the dry dredge.
While scrolling through my favorite Australian cookbook Nagi Maehashi ‘s Instagram account, I saw how she intentionally added some of the buttermilk chicken marinade to the flour and spice mixture. This is weird. In most cases, professional chefs strongly advise shaking off excess moisture before breading to avoid clumping the dredge, to the point of holding separate utensils or assigning your right hand to one and your left hand to the other to keep it wet and dry. I won’t interact too much.
This is because excess marinade drips off the chicken or fish and spreads into the flour, creating lumps of breading with nothing inside. Yet here she was, pouring in the marinade and stirring it into the flour. I soon realized; she was making the crunchy cereal that I love from fried takeout.
Adding marinade makes flakes
When you add a little marinade to the dry ingredients and combine everything together, you’re essentially making little pieces of flaky, savory dough. When you dip pork or shrimp in the mixture, these flakes will stick to the marinade along with the rest of the flour mixture.
The food is added to hot frying oil and these flakes create an extra crunchy surface. Also, when the food cools, some crispy flakes stick out here and there; they are not exposed to the same moisture and humidity as the breading applied to the meat. You create crispy bites that retain their texture longer. This is different from double frying , but creates an incredible crispy texture in a different way.
How to make puff fried breading at home
You can use any marinade and flour recipe you like (here’s a Nagi Fried Chicken Burger recipe if you need a place to start), and this method works for anything worth breading and frying. I made this with chicken and shrimp, but you can also use tofu, pork, or firm fish pieces.
1. Marinate the protein
Prepare a flavorful marinade and immerse the protein in it for the required time, usually from 30 minutes to 24 hours.
2. Pinch off the dry mixture
Once you’ve mixed the dry mixture and you’re close to frying, add a tablespoon or two of the marinade mixture to the dry mixture. Use a fork to stir the mixture for a few seconds before you get your hands dirty. Pour marinade into dry mixture; this is important for creating flakes. If you simply stir the marinade with a fork, the dough will turn out to be soggy balls that won’t stick well to the egg whites and won’t cook well. Continue until the flakes are the size of split lentils. The dredge will still be 60% to 75% powdered dry ingredients – you don’t want to replace them, just add a little extra flair.
3. Dig up the squirrels
Shake the excess marinade off the egg white (still a good practice) and add it to the flake mixture. Cover the white with dry lumps and press. Gently pick up the coated piece (don’t shake it, but you can shake off any excess flour) and gently place it on a wire rack to dry.
4. Fry
Roast as usual for the specific dish you are preparing, usually at 350 to 375°F, until golden brown and cooked through. Carefully scoop the freshly fried items out of the oil (do not break off the nice flakes) and cool on a wire rack. Serve with your favorite sauce. Don’t burn your mouth, but I insist you enjoy the crispy fried treasures as soon as possible.