How to Get a Thick Coating on Fried Chicken

Coat your chicken prior to frying for a thick and cripsy crunch.

While there are many ways to bread and fry a chicken, there are a few essential tips for obtaining a thick coating that delivers a pleasant crunch when biting into it. There are two steps to coating fried chicken: soaking and dredging. Experimenting with different ingredients in the soaking and dredging phases lets you concoct the perfect fried chicken coating. Does this Spark an idea?

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Flour
Eggs
Buttermilk
Mayonnaise
Bowl
Breadcrumbs
Plastic bag

Instructions

- 1
  
  Lightly coat your chicken in flour and then shake it off. Doing so allows the chicken to retain more of the liquid that you soak it in.
- 2
  
  Soak your chicken in a liquid prior to dredging it. Soaking the chicken helps it cling to the breading while cooking. When soaking the chicken, dunk it in and quickly remove it, or allow it to marinate in the mixture for several hours. Soaking the chicken in an egg wash liquid gives you a lighter crust while soaking the chicken in buttermilk gives you a thicker crust. Alternatively, soak the chicken in a mixture of mayonnaise and milk for an even thicker crust.
- 3
  
  Dip the chicken in the breading of your choice. This is called dredging. Rub the chicken in the breading, or place the chicken and breading in a bag and shake it to coat. Use flour for a lighter crust or try breadcrumbs for a thicker crust. Season the breading with salt, pepper and other spices for added flavor.