The BEST Crispy Oven Fried Chicken Recipe. Ever. (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to keeping fried chicken crispy? ›

To keep fried chicken crispy once you've prepared it, place it in the oven at an extremely low temperature until you're ready to serve. If you'd like to reheat fried leftover chicken, you just need to heat it in an oven to an extremely high temperature. This will allow the coating to dry while the chicken is warming.

High heat equals a crispy bird. Set your oven to 450°F with the rack in the lower third and preheat your skillet, which helps keep pan contents from sticking.

“Put a little schmear of vegetable oil and because there is no water in it, the heat from the oven immediately begins to crisp up the skin and you don't end up with steam coming off the skin,” he says. Slow and steady when roasting.

Ingredient Tips

My not-so-secret tip to the best fried chicken is a combination of FLOUR, CORNSTARCH, and BAKING POWDER. 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.)

We like using a rack instead of simply plopping the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet because the rack allows the oven's hot air to reach and crisp-up every single nook and cranny in the chicken skin. A quick word on whether or not you should cover the chicken in foil.

KFC deep fries its chicken for 15 minutes and then drains the oil off for another five minutes – 20 minutes in total. If you don't have a deep fryer, heat up plenty of oil in a large saucepan and do it that way.

Chicken skin needs to be dry in order for it to crisp when cooked. Whether or not you rinse the chicken before prepping, you need to make sure the skin is as dry as possible. After removing the chicken from the package (and washing it, if that is your preferred method) pat each piece dry with paper towels.

Lard. Benefits: Similar to vegetable shortening, lard is a traditional frying medium in the South. Lard is a great choice for frying chicken because it gives your chicken an excellent flavor and unparalleled crispy crust.

Acidic buttermilk tenderizes the chicken without making it too tough. Also, it helps the flour mixture stick to the chicken. All-purpose flour gives the buttermilk and seasonings something to stick to, while ensuring a wonderfully crispy crust.

If your oil temp is too high, your fried chicken will be scorched on the outside with meat that is undercooked. If the oil is too cool, your chicken will be greasy and will lack the golden-brown crispy exterior you want.

Why is my oven fried chicken soggy? ›

Although paper towels are commonly used to absorb the excess oil, placing the hot, cooked chicken on a paper towel will cause the crust to steam and turn soggy. Instead, let the chicken rest on a wire cooling rack set over a paper towel or baking sheet to collect the grease.

That trick is a sprinkling of baking powder, and it'll get you the crispiest, crackliest bites of fatty, salty skin imaginable, whether you're cooking just one thigh, a plate of wings, or an entire bird.

If your oil temp is too high, your fried chicken will be scorched on the outside with meat that is undercooked. If the oil is too cool, your chicken will be greasy and will lack the golden-brown crispy exterior you want.

Interestingly, cornstarch contains 25 to 28 percent amylose, which is higher than the amount in wheat or potato starch (which are 20 to 22 percent amylose), and this is why cornstarch works the best for making crispy coatings on fried foods.