Getting breading to stick to cooked chicken can be tricky. The high heat of cooking often causes breading to separate and fall off. However, with the right techniques and ingredients, you can get a perfect crunchy and crispy breading that adheres nicely to chicken, even after cooking.
Why Does Breading Fall Off Cooked Chicken?
There are a few reasons why breading tends to fall off chicken during cooking:
- Moisture from the chicken causes the breading to separate.
- The breading gets soggy from the chicken juices.
- The chicken skin contracts during cooking.
- Steam building up under the breading causes it to detach.
- Too-thick breading separates and slides off.
As the chicken cooks, moisture is released from the meat and skin. This moisture saturates the breading, making it slippery and causing it to lose adhesion. The hot oil or oven heat also rapidly dries out the exterior of the breading, resulting in a hardened shell that falls right off the softer, contracting chicken meat.
Tips to Make Breading Stick to Cooked Chicken
Luckily, there are several tricks you can use to get your breading to adhere perfectly, even after cooking:
Use Buttermilk
Soaking chicken in buttermilk before breading helps the breading stick in a few ways. The buttermilk marinade adds moisture to the meat, allowing the breading to adhere better. It also breaks down proteins on the surface of the chicken skin, creating a tacky texture that grabs onto the breading. Finally, the lactic acid in buttermilk helps break down the chicken flesh, allowing seasonings to penetrate better.
Double Dip
Double dredging, or double dipping, involves dipping chicken twice into the breading mixture. First dredge the buttermilk soaked chicken in the breading. Then dip it back into the buttermilk. Coat with breading again. This double layer helps seal in moisture and creates a thicker crust.
Use Egg Wash
Using an egg wash is similar to buttermilk. Whisking the egg with a bit of water or milk, then brushing it onto the chicken helps the breading adhere. The egg proteins bind the breading to the chicken securely.
Press Breading In
After coating chicken with breading, press it in firmly so it compacts and sticks. Pay extra attention to edges and ends, which are prone to peeling off. Let it sit 5-10 minutes before frying or baking so the breading can hydrate and adhere.
Choose Appropriate Breading
The best breadings for fried chicken are dry and coarse, like panko breadcrumbs or cornmeal. Avoid very fine, powdery breadcrumbs that will slide right off. Store-bought fried chicken blends or Japanese panko are ideal.
Let Chicken Rest After Cooking
After breading and frying or baking chicken, let it rest 5 minutes before serving. This allows the bubbling juices to settle down so they don’t saturate and separate the breading. The short steam also helps further set the breading.
Blot Fried Chicken
After frying and resting breaded chicken, gently blot it with paper towels. This soaks up any excess grease or moisture that could ruin the crispy breading shell.
Best Breading Ingredients
While plain breadcrumbs work for breading chicken, you can add lots of flavors and textures by using these crunchy coatings:
| Breading | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Panko breadcrumbs | Light, crispy crumbs that stay crunchy after frying |
| Seasoned flour | Flour blended with spices and herbs adds flavor |
| Cornflake crumbs | Sweet crunch and crispy texture |
| Pork rinds | Super crunchy and delicious coating |
| Potato chips | Salty, robust crunch |
Get creative with the coating by using a blend of textures like panko, cornflakes, potato chips and spices for delicious crunch and flavor.
Frying Tips
Properly frying breaded chicken is the key to crispy, flavorful results:
- Use plenty of oil so chicken is submerged while frying
- Heat oil to 350°F for even cooking
- Work in batches to avoid lowering oil temp
- Allow oil to recover between batches
- Flip chicken halfway during cooking
- Fry until deep golden brown, about 8-12 minutes for bone-in pieces
Choose the Right Oil
The best oils for frying chicken have a high smoke point and neutral flavor. Refined vegetable oils like canola and peanut work well. Lard or shortening are also excellent choices.
Use a Deep Fryer
Cooking breaded chicken in a countertop deep fryer makes the process easier and safer. The ample room prevents splattering and allows cooking more pieces at once.
Baking Crispy Chicken
For a lower-fat alternative, you can bake breaded chicken and still achieve a deliciously crispy crust:
- Coat chicken evenly with nonstick spray
- Place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet
- Bake at 450°F for 20-25 minutes
- Flip chicken halfway during baking
- Brush with oil or nonstick spray midway for extra crisping
The wire rack allows hot air to circulate all around the chicken for even browning. Brushing the chicken with a little oil gives added crunch, but you get a lower-fat result than deep frying.
Troubleshooting
If you still end up with breading that falls off your chicken, look at these common issues and solutions:
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Breading won’t stick before cooking | Use buttermilk soak or egg wash. Press breading onto chicken firmly. Let sit 5-10 minutes before cooking. |
| Breading falls off while frying | Breading is too thick. Use a thinner, even coating. Make sure oil is hot enough, around 350°F. |
| Burnt coating but raw chicken | Oil is too hot. Lower temperature slightly. Fry smaller batches. Let oil reheat fully between batches. |
| Soggy breading | Pat chicken dry before breading. Let rest 5 minutes after frying. Blot with paper towels after cooking. |
Conclusion
Getting a perfect crunchy breading that adheres to chicken, even after cooking, takes a few simple tricks. Soaking in buttermilk, double dredging in the coating, and using very crunchy breadcrumbs like panko are key. Frying at the proper oil temperature and letting chicken rest before serving also ensures crispy results. Follow these tips and you’ll never have to deal with sad, fallen breading again.