The Best Fried Chicken

This is sure to be THE best fried chicken you’ve ever made. I’ve made it very, very fancy by adding fried herbs and caviar, but even without it, it’s truly spectacular. Brining the chicken thigh fillets overnight seasons them from the inside out and makes them nice and juicy. As for the coating, I’ve nailed down the perfect ratio of flour to cornstarch, seasoned with just the right amount of spices, resulting in the crispiest, most delicious coating. Finally, borrowing from the fried chicken connoisseur himself, Carl Clarke, this recipe uses a unique dry-wet-dry dredging technique that makes the coating light and crispy instead of thick and dense, which can be a real problem in fried chicken recipes.

Table of Contents

• Ingredient Breakdown
• Let’s Talk Brining
• The Perfect Ratio of Flour to Cornstarch
• How To Coat The Chicken
• How To Fry The Chicken
• Serving Suggestions
• Can I Bake or Air Fry This Chicken Instead?

Ingredient Breakdown

• Chicken Thigh Fillets: Juicy and tender, these fillets are ideal for frying due to their higher fat content, which ensures they stay moist and flavourful.
• Salt and Water: These are the simple yet powerful components of the brine. Brining the chicken overnight seasons it from the inside out. It also locks in the moisture, ensuring the chicken is nice and juicy.
• Plain Flour and Cornstarch: The dry mix. This dynamic duo is the secret to the perfect crispy coating. Flour provides structure while cornstarch (or cornflour) ensures a light, crispy texture. The balance between the two creates a coating that’s crispy yet light, not dense.
• Spices: Garlic granules, onion granules, and cayenne pepper. These spices add depth and a touch of heat to the coating, ensuring every bite is packed with flavour.
• Eggs and Whole Milk: The wet mix. This combination acts as the glue, helping the dry mix adhere to the chicken, resulting in a beautifully crispy crust.
• Vegetable Oil: A neutral oil perfect for frying, ensuring the chicken’s flavour shines through without being overpowered by the oil.
• Optional Toppings: Fried herbs and caviar add a touch of luxury, but even without them, this fried chicken is truly sensational!

Let’s Talk Brining

Brining is an essential step in creating perfectly juicy and flavourful fried chicken. But what exactly is brining, and why is it so important?

What is Brining?

Brining is the process of soaking meat in a saltwater solution before cooking. The salt in the brine helps to break down some of the muscle proteins, which allows the meat to absorb and retain some of the brine. This results in juicier, more tender and more flavourful meat.

Wet Brining vs. Dry Brining

• Wet Brining: This method involves soaking the meat in a liquid brine, which in this recipe is a simple mixture of water and salt. Wet brining is particularly effective for chicken and lean meats because it helps the meat absorb additional moisture, making it extra juicy and flavourful. This particular brine needs at least 12 hours to work its magic, but if you can give it 24 hours, that’s even better. I wouldn’t recommend going any longer than 24 hours as the chicken might become overly salty.
• Dry Brining: This method involves sprinkling the meat with a salt mixture and leaving it to rest. Because the salt mixture is applied directly to the chicken, it begins to work its magic almost instantly, meaning you can achieve great results with just a few hours of brining. It works wonderfully with chicken, particularly bigger, skin-on pieces intended for roasting as the salt mixture draws the moisture out from the chicken. This dries out the surface of the chicken, which makes it crisp up beautifully in the oven.

Why Wet Brining Works So Well for This Recipe

• Moisture Retention: The salt in the brine dissolves the chicken’s muscle proteins, allowing it to retain more moisture during cooking. This results in juicier chicken.
• Enhanced Flavour: The brine not only adds moisture but also infuses the chicken with salt, ensuring every bite is well-seasoned from the inside out.

The Perfect Ratio of Flour to Cornstarch

When it comes to achieving the perfect crispy coating for fried chicken, striking the balance between plain flour and cornstarch is crucial. Plain flour provides the necessary structure and bulk for the coating. Cornstarch, on the other hand, adds lightness and crispiness to the coating. Cornstarch has a lower gluten content than flour, which means it helps create a crispy, craggy texture without becoming too dense.

The ideal ratio in this recipe is 225g of plain flour to 75g of cornstarch. This combination ensures that the coating is thick enough to adhere well but light enough to be crispy and not overly dense. The cornstarch lightens the flour mixture, resulting in a perfect golden crust that shatters beautifully with each bite.

How To Coat The Chicken

This dry-wet-dry dredging technique, which I learned from fried chicken master Carl Clarke, is what makes this fried chicken exceptionally crispy and delicious.

• First Dredge (Dry): Begin by coating the brined chicken in the dry mix. This initial coating creates a base layer that the wet mix can cling to.
• Second Dredge (Wet): Dip the chicken into the egg and milk mixture. This step adds a layer of moisture, allowing the final dry mix to adhere better and ensuring a cohesive coating.
• Third Dredge (Dry): Finally, coat the chicken once more in the dry mix. This final layer creates the crispy crust that is the hallmark of great fried chicken.

The wet mix is intentionally kept thin to prevent the coating from becoming too thick and heavy. The egg and milk mixture should be well-blended to create a smooth, light coating that helps the dry mix adhere without adding unnecessary bulk.

How To Fry The Chicken

Frying the chicken at the correct temperature is crucial for achieving the perfect crispy coating. Here’s how to do it right:

• Heat the Oil: Fill a large, deep Dutch oven halfway with vegetable oil and heat it to 180°C.
• Prepare a Wire Rack: Place a wire rack over a large baking tray. This will be used to drain the fried chicken. It allows the air to circulate around the chicken, keeping it nice and crispy.
• Fry in Batches: Fry the chicken in batches for 5 to 6 minutes, or until deeply golden and crispy. Overcrowding the pan can lower the oil temperature and result in soggy chicken.
• Keep Warm: Transfer the fried chicken to the wire rack and keep warm in a low oven (100°C to 120°C) while you fry the rest.

Serving Suggestions

This fried chicken is versatile and can be served in many ways:

• Plain: Enjoy the fried chicken as is, with its deliciously seasoned and crispy coating.
• With Fried Herbs: Add a gourmet touch by topping the chicken with fried herbs such as sage, basil, parsley and mint. Ensure the herbs are thoroughly dried before frying to prevent excessive splattering.
• With Caviar: For an extra special experience, serve the fried chicken with a dollop of caviar. The salty, briny caviar complements the rich, crispy chicken beautifully.
• Drizzled with Hot Honey: For a sweet and spicy kick, drizzle the fried chicken with hot honey before serving.
• With Condiments: Serve the chicken alongside your favourite condiments such as ketchup, mustard or BBQ sauce.

Can I Bake or Air Fry This Chicken Instead?

Many food bloggers suggest that you can bake or air fry fried chicken for a healthier alternative. However, for this particular recipe, I wouldn’t recommend it. I’ve tried baking and air frying, but the results didn’t match the crispy perfection achieved by frying. Fried chicken is a treat, and if you’re treating yourself, you might as well fully indulge!

However, if you’re looking for a healthier chicken recipe that is also delicious, here are some of my favourites:

• Simple Lemon Chicken: A refreshing and easy recipe featuring chicken breasts marinated in lemon juice and herbs, then grilled to perfection. It’s light, tangy and perfect for a quick meal.
• Spiced Grilled Chicken with Caramelised Onion Hummus: This recipe features chicken thigh fillets marinated in a blend of spices, grilled to juicy perfection, and served with rich, caramelised onion hummus.
• Grilled Chicken and Mango Guacamole Lettuce Cups: A light and refreshing dish with grilled chicken, fresh mango guacamole, all wrapped in crisp lettuce cups. Perfect for a healthy, flavour-packed meal.
• Harissa Chicken Tray Bake: An easy and flavourful traybake with chicken pieces marinated in spicy harissa paste, baked with vegetables for a complete meal.
• Coconut Coriander Chicken: A fragrant and creamy dish featuring chicken cooked in a coconut and coriander sauce, perfect for a comforting yet healthy dinner.