The Simple Mistake Keeping You From The Crispiest Fried Chicken

A crispy, juicy plate of fried chicken is pretty hard to resist. As one of the ultimate comfort foods, it's the kind of dish that can make or break a home cook. When you're frying chicken, there are a lot of things you want to get right, but there is one simple mistake that could be keeping from getting its crispiest.

Like many foods, fried chicken needs the right tools for the job. To be more specific, you've got to use the right pot for the best results. If you think the pot simply needs to be big enough to give the chicken plenty of space, you aren't exactly wrong (overcrowding the chicken while it cooks is a problem in and of itself), but the bigger issue is actually related to the temperature. The oil needs to be hot enough to cook the meat and get the outside nice and crispy. Since the chicken itself will drop the temp once it's added, it's important to create a frying environment that fluctuates as little as possible.

You don't have to use a Dutch oven (if you aren't familiar with Dutch ovens, you should be!), but they are a great option because they are sturdy with deep sides. They'll give you a deep enough oil bath to achieve a consistent temperature. You also want that pot to be made from a nice, thick material — no thin, flimsy metal — a thin pot won't hold heat very well so your temperature is more likely to fluctuate. Another great option is cast iron cookware. Made from thick iron, these pots are great at maintaining hot, even temperatures. 

As long as your pot is big enough and thick enough to give your oil the heat it needs to get your chicken nice and crispy, you can focus on the other details that can make or break your meal. Choosing the right oil is a smart move so your chicken gets the golden crunch you are looking for without being overly greasy. Pick an oil with a high smoke point, meaning the temperature the oil has to reach before it starts to break down and smoke, which gives food a burnt flavor. Great options are sunflower oil, soybean oil, and peanut oil (all of which have a smoke point of 450 degrees Fahrenheit). With these oils and a nice thick, heavy pot to fry your chicken in, you can cook it long enough to get golden brown and cook the meat before it burns.

Be sure to give your chicken plenty of space. Just like you probably don't like being in crowded spaces, chicken needs room to do its thing while its frying. Overcrowd the pot, and it won't matter how perfect your pot is or what temperature your oil is. If the oil isn't able to get all the way around the individual pieces, they won't cook evenly. You could not only end up with pieces that don't get completely crispy, but you'll run the risk of pieces that are both too dry and undercooked.