Marinades, on the other hand, are all about adding flavor and may or may not be salty or acidic. Another plus: buttermilk helps the breading stick better. It imparts a tangy flavor to the chicken and is also acidic, acting as a tenderizer. Most fried-chicken cooks tend to use a buttermilk brine. What is brining, and how is it different from marinating?īrining is essentially soaking chicken in a large bowl in a solution of kosher salt or table salt and liquid, which locks in moisture, making the chicken more forgiving of overcooking.

Depending on the recipe, consider frying up a mix of dark and white pieces to satisfy everyone. When it comes to chicken, dark meat such as thighs and drumsticks tends to stay more tender and juicy than white meat (breast and wings) and has more nutrients, though its higher fat content (which gives it a deeper flavor) means it takes longer to cook. Here are some tips for making your own fried chicken, whatever version you choose. Healthy-ish fried chicken recipes > Tips for the best fried chicken Today it’s enjoyed coast-to-coast and around the globe.Īmerican classic fried chicken recipes > as a dish that both traveled well and was affordable. After the abolition of slavery and on through when segregation still kept Blacks from eating in most restaurants, fried chicken made its way across the U.S. Did we include your favorite method and flavors? Read on.įried chicken actually traces its origins back to Scotland, but in the U.S., the oh-so-tender and flavorful delicacy is more associated with the American South, where locals added spices passed down through the American slave trade and West African cuisine. All the world loves fried chicken, as it turns out, and we're going to take a big bite as we explore it straight-up and crusty, slathered in hot sauce, simmered in spices and then fried, single-dredged, double-dredged, and just for kicks, air-fried and oven-fried.

It seems like a straightforward dish - soak cuts of poultry in buttermilk, bread them in all-purpose flour, and dunk them into vats of bubbling oil - but there are as many ways to make fried chicken as there are days in the month, and then some. Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning if you follow the link and make a purchase, Yummly makes a commission.

What does dredge mean in cooking terms