The Breading Tricks To Keep Fried Chicken Crispy For Longer

Fried chicken is a delicacy of the highest order, a protein that requires time, patience, and no small degree of know-how to get it super crispy. You can double-dredge your chicken so that the oil creates a super thick and crunchy shell, dunk it in chicken fat, or fry it in a cast iron skillet for a darker crust. These are excellent suggestions for getting your chicken crispy, but can you prepare it in such a way that it stays crispy long after it's been fried?

If you were hoping to get dinner made a little bit ahead of time but don't want to risk soggy fried chicken, there are a few breading tricks you can follow. According to Art Smith, celebrity chef and owner of Chef Art Smith's Reunion at the Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois, "Using cornstarch in the breading mix is a tried-and-true method for enhancing crispness." This is thanks to both the cornstarch's penchant for gelatinization when it comes into contact with the liquid content on the surface of the meat as well as how the hot oil then removes all the moisture from the breading, which is how you get a nice crust.

Smith also recommends, "Skipping dairy in the dredge and using water instead helps create a lighter, crunchier coating that stays crispy for longer periods. This technique is particularly useful when the chicken needs to sit for a while before being served."

How you prepare your breading is just one part of the solution; there is also what you do after you have fried the chicken that can make or break the crispiness of the skin over time. Obviously, after pulling it out of the hot oil, you'll want to rest the fried chicken somewhere; just make sure that somewhere is a wire rack, so the meat stays elevated off flat, solid surfaces. Failure to do this can result in soggy skin where the chicken made contact with your countertop or cutting board, particularly if it was sitting there for a while.

You can also use your oven to help keep things crisp over a certain length of time. Place the temperature to no higher than 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and put in the chicken on a baking sheet with a wire rack set in it. This will keep your chicken both warm and crunchy for up to 20 extra minutes. If your fried chicken actually sits so long before serving that it gets cold, you can not only heat it up, but you can also give it a last-minute texture boost by popping it in your air fryer for a few minutes.