Everyone is looking for that perfect fried chicken recipe that delivers a crispy outer layer and a juicy inside. One way to achieve this is to coat your fried chicken with a crunchy snack like Kettle Chips or use a salt brine to marinate it. Another popular approach is to fry the chicken twice, also known as the double-fry method. Even though double frying sounds straightforward, there’s still plenty that can go wrong, which is why Food Republic spoke to Maricel Gentile, chef and owner of Maricel’s Kitchen and author of “Maricel’s Simply Asian Cookbook,” about the best way to get your chicken as crispy as possible.
Chef Gentile’s biggest tip is to make sure you allow the chicken to rest between the first and second fry. “That pause lets the moisture inside the chicken redistribute, and the crust has time to set and dry slightly. This makes the second fry more effective, because instead of battling steam, the oil can crisp the outer layer quickly and evenly,” she explains. This is similar to celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson’s method for double-fried chicken. Samuelsson lets the chicken rest for 10 minutes before frying it a second time.
Like chef Samuelsson, chef Gentile recommends increasing the oil temperature for the second round of frying. She suggests “a moderate temperature at about 325 [degrees Fahrenheit], so the chicken cooks through without browning too fast,” for the first fry. “For the second fry, go hotter,” she says, “around 375 [degrees Fahrenheit] to crisp up the outside without drying out the meat.”
Common mistakes that will compromise your chicken
There are common pitfalls everyone falls into, but chef Maricel Gentile emphasizes taking your time when it comes to double frying. Often, people think making the oil as hot as possible will cook things faster, but that’s not the case. When the oil temperature is too high, it can make your chicken dark on the outside and raw on the inside.
Sometimes home cooks try to fry too many pieces at once, which leads to overcrowding. “That drops the oil temperature, causing the crust to soak in oil instead of crisping up,” Gentile warns. Her advice for avoiding soggy chicken is to “use a thermometer and fry in batches.”
Another frequent error is placing items from the fryer directly on a paper towel — especially when resting chicken between the first and second fry. Chef Gentile suggests using a wire rack “so air can circulate and the crust stays crisp even before the second fry.”
Finally, one mistake people make when double frying is not using the resting time as an opportunity to re-season the chicken. “That second round is a chance to build layers of flavor,” Gentile reminds. “Think garlic powder, ground pepper, or even a little spice rub just before the second dip.”
