How to Get the Skin to Stay on Fried Chicken

Maintaining a consistent oil temperature can ensure a quality final product.

Keeping the breaded skin on fried chicken can be challenging. While the flavor of the meat will significantly benefit from being soaked overnight in a salty buttermilk marinade, attempting to batter wet meat can result in a slippery coating. Treating the chicken gently by handling the meat with tongs during the breading process can maintain the integrity of the coating. Avoid poking or slicing the meat with a fork or knife, except to take an internal temperature for food safety purposes. Does this Spark an idea?

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Colander
Tongs
Thermometer
Metal Racks
Oil

Instructions

- 1
  
  Drain any excess liquid from the raw meat before cooking in a colander, after the marinading process is complete. Attempting to fry saturated meat can lead to the skin slipping off during the breading. Roughly patting the meat dry can unnecessarily separate the skin from the meat.
- 2
  
  Avoid using your hands during the breading and frying processes. Tongs will protect your hands from bacteria and prevent the skin and batter from being disrupted. Avoid unnecessary motion during the cooking process, particularly poking or slicing into the meat while cooking as this can lead to excess liquid pushing off the skin.
- 3
  
  Preheat the oil to a consistent temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring the temperature remains constant with a thermometer. While oil that is too hot can lead to scorched chicken, the skin tends to not stay on chicken which has been cooked in cool oil. Prevent oil-saturated, heavy skin by maintaining a steady temperature during cooking.
- 4
  
  Cool the meat on a metal rack, with paper towels underneath to protect counters from oil drippings. Placing the chicken directly on the towels can lead to inferior draining, resulting in heavy, easily-removed skin. Similarly, avoid covering the meat before serving as this can disrupt the coating.