We all know the magic of air fryers. From their conception in 2005 to their explosion in prominence in 2017 to their ubiquity in cooking circles today, air fryers have a very special place in the current culinary landscape, capable of cooking eggs and even a delightful way to turn Girl Scout Cookies into a whole new dessert. But some meals are best left to the traditional cooking equipment, and one of them, according to Clayton Allen, executive chef at Mineral Springs Ranch, is fried chicken.
“People might swear by their tabletop air fryers, or they might even have an oven that has an air fry setting, but they are all no match for a deep fryer,” Chef Allen exclaims. His reasoning is that these cooking devices are less able to provide a balanced cooking process between the crust and the meat itself. “An oven can’t cook the flour in the breading enough, and they cook too hot,” he says. “You run the risk of drying your chicken out before the inside is even safe to eat.”
While air fryers are capable of creating some impressively crispy skin, the lack of oil interacting with the meat as it cooks leaves it drier and lacking the signature fried chicken juiciness. After all, there’s such a thing as too crunchy.
The best way to fry chicken
When frying chicken, there’s no substitute for the real thing, according to chef Clayton Allen. His simple mantra of, “If I’m making fried chicken, I’m going to deep fry,” can brook no argument. However, within that directive lie different options for how to proceed.
The primary decision when it comes to home-frying chicken is whether to use a Dutch oven or a deep fryer. A large part of this choice will likely come down to what equipment you already own or are willing to purchase. “I might attempt a shallower fry in a large Dutch oven, but the chicken will be covered no less than 75% of the way with oil,” says Chef Allen, whose own preference is using a deep fryer.
While deep fryers might seem intimidating to those who haven’t used them before or consider them exclusively the realm of restaurants, the rise of consumer models, like this 4.5 liter Hamilton Beach electric deep fryer, make restaurant-quality fried foods more accessible than ever. “Plus, a tabletop unit can be used outside so it won’t make your house smell like a Bojangles,” Allen adds.
There is one arena in which the air fryer can come in especially handy when it comes to fried chicken, though. It’s the perfect device to reheat fried chicken and keep it as crunchy as when it came out of the oil. Let the chicken come to room temperature, then cook it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 to 20 minutes.
