How A Simple Gas Station Snack Can Elevate Your Fried Chicken Game

For the ideal comfort food, fried chicken or simple pan-fried chicken breasts are certainly at the top of the list. And you can take either one to the next level with some tips you need for the perfect fried chicken, like brining ahead of time, seasoning your flour, and maintaining the correct oil temperature. For extra amazing flavor, you may think about swapping in duck fat for oil when frying your chicken. But you usually can't just go get some duck fat around the corner. This is a breaded chicken trick with a main ingredient that can be found at just about any gas station or convenience store, and it doesn't technically involve "breading" at all.

Elevate your fried chicken game with pork rinds for a super crispy, crunchy, flavor-filled fried chicken. It works great with whole, deep-fried pieces or a simple pan-fried cutlet. To the uninitiated, packaged pork rinds may seem kind of weird or, shall we say, "rustic." But they're actually deliciously crispy and packed with salty, umami flavor. Plus, their slightly sticky, melt-in-your-mouth quality makes them an exemplary breading agent. Coating your chicken with pork rinds will give you an incredibly flavorful exterior and seal in the juices for a wonderfully tender bite every time. So, even if you don't think you're a fan of the rind, grab a bag and trust the process.

This recipe isn't just out of the box, it's right out of the gas station snack bag, and we promise you'll be impressed. To properly elevate your fried chicken, just be sure to use the fully-dried pork rinds. They don't necessarily have to be from a gas station or convenience store, but if you're getting them fresh from a deli or specialty store, ensure that they're dried, crunchy, and easy to grind or smash into a "pork flour." You can use a food processor or blender, or simply put them in a resealable bag and roll a rolling pin over them to crush them up.

From there, you can add some grated Parmesan to give an even more nicely browned, crispy texture. The mix of dried herbs found in Italian seasoning always goes well with fried chicken breading, or simply thyme or oregano. Garlic and/or onion powder will give it more of a pungent aromatic kick; paprika adds some nice smokiness, and you can even give it a little spice with cayenne pepper. If you're working with whole pieces of bone-in chicken, you'll definitely want to run them through a beaten egg before coating them with your breading, to be sure it properly sticks on the skin. However, if you're working with skinless breasts or cutlets, you can simply press the mixture firmly to the exterior.

Then, just cook the chicken as you normally would. It'll come out crispy and perfectly browned on the outside and super juicy inside, with some salty, rich, and flavorful cooked pork flavor. Even if you're on the fence about snacking on pork rinds straight out of the bag, you're going to love them on your fried chicken.