Mustard, chili oil, and vodka — these are just some of the spectacular ingredients that
will give your fried chicken a real kick. Fried chicken experts know it's not southern fried if there's no buttermilk in the batter
Buttermilk gives any recipe a little bite and is a rich alternative to milk. It's used
to drench the chicken before coating it in whatever breading you're using. Unless you
use buttermilk regularly, you might not have it stocked in the refrigerator on fried chicken
night. No worries, there are some substitutes you can use for buttermilk that you're more
likely to already have. Two of the most common options are vinegar and milk or lemon juice and
milk. Either one helps to sour the milk and make it taste like buttermilk. You can also try yogurt
or sour cream. Just thin them out a little with water and you'll have a concoction similar to the
real thing. If you're usually in a hurry to make dinner, as many of us are, consider keeping
powdered buttermilk in your pantry for such emergencies. It's super handy and you'll be
more likely to try your hand at some new recipes when it's always available
Here up, Mr. Buttermilk. If you like an extra crunchy piece of fried chicken, then you'll enjoy adding a secret
ingredient to the recipe. With the simple addition of cornstarch mixed into your flour
not only will your chicken don a beautiful brown color when fried, but you'll also enjoy
an unapologetic crunch that you can't get with only flour. Use a 50-50 ratio of flour and cornstarch
then add your other ingredients as usual. Don't confuse cornstarch with corn flour and
accidentally add the wrong thing. There are many types of flours out there to keep track of
Corn flour is simply ground corn, and the result is a yellow flavorful flour
Corn starch, on the other hand, is ground corn with the proteins removed, leaving the starchy part of the corn to be finely ground into a white flavorless powder
The lack of flavor allows the chicken to shine without interruption. Corn flour works just fine for your chicken, but it will alter the taste
and prevent you from getting the crunchy result of corn starch. No cornstarch on hand? No problem. You can substitute cornstarch with arrowroot
rice flour, and even tapioca. However, you may not get the brownness that you would with actual
cornstarch. The corn gives the chicken an extra bit of color that other flours and starches can't
provide. Chicken is usually fried in oil because it works well. However, oil doesn't taste all that
great. Invite some butter to the skillet and watch the flavor explode. Butter brings salty
goodness to everything it touches and is simply irreplaceable. Feel free to use a fancy butter brand if you're feeling adventurous, or just grab your regular
old butter when using it to fry chicken Now that you on board with using butter let discuss how to go about doing so when frying chicken One of the biggest mistakes people make when using butter is forgetting that it has a low smoke point meaning it burns when overheated
That's why combining butter with oil works perfectly. The oil doesn't burn as easily and protects the butter from burning
Still, keep the heat low and always keep butter moving around in the skillet to help prevent
a smoky mess. Butter will not only add flavor, but it will also give your fried chicken a beautiful golden
brown coating. don't need anything fancy here. When it's time to buy Parmesan for frying chicken, grab the grated
stuff in a green can that you would use to shake on top of your spaghetti. Fresh Parmesan will melt
and won't give you the crispy skin you're looking for when frying chicken. Instead, you'll have a
gooey mess. Tasty, sure, but gooey. Using Parmesan to create a crunchy coating isn't anything new
You've probably enjoyed Parmesan-crusted tilapia or semen before. Parmesan does the same thing to
chicken, providing a crunchy coating with a slightly sharp flavor. Toss some Parmesan into
your flour mixture along with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Use the mixture to coat the chicken
after you've dipped it in the milk, buttermilk, or whatever you're using to drench it. You can also
sprinkle some parmesan on the chicken immediately after frying so it sticks nicely and adds an even
stronger parmesan flavor. You're frying anyway, so why not throw in some onion rings? Even if you
don't want to eat them, adding sliced onions to the oil while it's frying only gives the chicken
more flavor. With so many kinds to choose from, make sure you use the right type of onion when
cooking your fried chicken. Some varieties are sweeter, milder, or more pungent than others
and you'll want something that can complement the chicken without overwhelming it. A good
Vidalia or yellow onion should do the trick. Slice your onion into rings and fry them up
alongside the chicken. Be sure to add them closer to the end of fry time if you like a little snap
to your onions, as prolonged cooking will make them soft. Oil helps caramelize the onions
so they'll turn out absolutely delicious. This requires very little effort aside from moving
them around in the pan so they don't burn. Serve your onions on top of the chicken, on the side
or simply enjoy the flavor they've given to the meat. Onion god, thank you for these onions
Vodka has a secret. It knows how to make crispy, crunchy fried chicken. Due to the alcohol in
vodka, it evaporates quickly, unlike other moisture used to marinate or dredge the chicken before it
fries. The quick evaporation results in fried chicken that isn't soggy. The vodka batter loses
moisture at a faster rate than water, and you're left with a bubbly, crunchy, browned piece of
fried chicken. Yum! There are plenty of other culinary uses for vodka as well, such as flaky
pie crusts and creamy pasta sauces For chicken though just add some vodka to the mixture that you using to drench the meat or you can use it as the liquid in your marinade Coat with the breading as usual and fry it up During the cooking and evaporation process the flavor of the vodka mellows dramatically
so you aren't left with a piece of chicken that tastes like vodka. Keep a bottle in your refrigerator or freezer so it's cold and ready to go
in any recipes that require flakiness or crunch. Fresh herbs add a little color, beautiful aromas, and fantastic flavors to your fried chicken
Mix them in with the batter before frying or sprinkle them on at the end. Some great options for fried chicken are thyme, rosemary, oregano, and basil
Be sure to refrigerate your herbs for maximum flavor when not using them. Herbs look lovely on the counter, but it's frustrating if you're in the middle of cooking
and grab a handful of wilted greens. You can also substitute fresh herbs with dried ones, which are far easier to store
and keep for much longer. You may just need to add a little extra since the flavor isn't as strong
For a subtle hint of herbs, sprinkle your favorites into the flour mixture so they coat the chicken
For a stronger taste near the end of frying, sprinkle each piece with your herbs after the
chicken is nice and greasy so you really taste them when you bite into it
Paprika not only adds beautiful color to everything it touches, but it's hard to get such a flavor from anything else. It can be sweet or hot
depending on which type you choose, and it always has the perfect amount of subtle, smoky flavor. It also looks pretty, but there's so much more to know about paprika
For example, did you know paprika is good for you? According to WebMD, it's rich in calcium
potassium, and phosphorus, along with other vitamins and minerals. Sure, paprika won't turn fried chicken into the next health craze, but it certainly won't hurt it either
It's important to remember that paprika's flavor intensifies when it's heated in oil
making it the perfect companion when frying. As with most spices used for fried chicken
you can sprinkle it in the skillet with the oil or add paprika to your flour mixture to
coat the chicken pieces. Enjoy richly colored, flavorful fried chicken with this gorgeous spice
Lemon juice tenderizes meat and adds a wonderful lemony flavor to any dish. Your fried chicken
will thank you when you let it soak in some lemon juice and seasoning before frying. Of course
it's best to use fresh lemon for the ultimate lemon flavor. Whatever form your lemon juice takes
if you're using it for a marinade, soak your chicken pieces for a couple of hours before
coating them in flour and frying them. According to Livestrong, any longer than two hours will ruin
the chicken's texture. The lemon's acid tenderizes the meat, but it can break it down too much
if it's soaked too long. You can also zest a lemon into your flour mixture for crunchy, lemony fried chicken
or sprinkle some zest onto the chicken when it hot and greasy out of the fryer Mmm That is good Is that lemon zest Mustard tends to play second fiddle to ketchup getting lost in the condiment mix But it time for ketchup to step aside Sure it great on a hot dog but it can do to chicken
what the powerful little mustard seed can. Once you add mustard to your fried chicken recipe, you'll never go without it. It adds
an extra layer for the flour to cling to, as well as that tangy flavor that only mustard
can provide. And it's a simple, additional step to the process. brown mustard and yellow mustard are good choices for this, though just about any mustard will work
You can even add a dash of garlic powder. Mustard not only adds a wonderful tang to the chicken
but it also serves as a helpful aid in getting more of the flour added to the chicken
More flour means more crunch, and that's always a good thing. Kentucky Fried Chicken fans, stand back! Karaage Fried Chicken is the chicken to try when you want
a superior crunch and intense flavor. You can experience this unique fried chicken at home
with a few ingredients, which create a yummy Asian marinade and a starch for coating
It's the potato or cornstarch that makes Karaage Fried Chicken so unique. You can't get the same
impeccable crunch when using only flour. The reason is that starch slows the development of
gluten, which in turn makes a crispier coating, per ruby. Plus, because of its Japanese influence
Karaage Chicken is drenched in fabulous ingredients like ginger, soy sauce, and sake
Sometimes egg yolk is even included. You may be used to American fast food fried chicken and
consider it your go-to, but once you taste Karaage, you'll want it again and again
Are you the spicy type? If so, you need to head to Nashville for some Nashville-style hot chicken
Or, better yet, make your own hot chicken ride at home. Line dancing and cowboy boots are optional
but two things aren't — pickles and chili oil. The chili oil is for drizzling and dipping when
the chicken is done, and the pickles are a tasty addition that get placed on top of each piece of
deep-fried goodness. You only need six ingredients to make chili oil at home — garlic, dried chilies
habanero pepper, canola oil, Spanish paprika, and sea salt. The result is a deep red, spicy oil
In a saucepan or deep skillet, you'll throw in all the ingredients, and on high heat
the oil will shimmer. When this happens, lower the heat and let simmer for roughly 10 minutes
Remove the spicy oil and allow it to cool for 30 minutes, then pour the mixture minus
the solids into an airtight glass container. You can keep this in the fridge for two weeks