I made Fried Chicken - breading fell off - any tips?

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scottv

Assistant Cook
Joined
Aug 17, 2007
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5
Glad I found this website! Here is my dilema -

I made fried chicken last night according to this recipe - Southern Fried Chicken Recipe: Recipes: Food Network

I initially had the chicken sit in a brine solution while I was at work.

The chicken was frying fine and the breading was sticking with no problem while I turned it. However, when it was time to take the chicken out of the pan most of the breading fell off. Any tips to make it stay on?

Thanks!
 
I soak mine in buttermilk and toss in some salt and dried chiles. Don't know if that helps the breading stay on or not, but it might.

My recipe states that to keep the breading from coming off you need to let the chicken sit for about 15 minutes after you coat it and before you put it in the frying pan. It works for me, I've never had the breading fall off. Try that one out and see if it works for you.
 
I second what Alix says. After you have battered the chicken, place it in the fridge for about 15 minutes before you actually fry it. It yields a better crust this way.
 
Thanks a lot for the quick replies! I will try that next time.

They were boneless, skinless breasts as well - would that matter?
 
scottv said:
Glad I found this website! Here is my dilema -

I made fried chicken last night according to this recipe - Southern Fried Chicken Recipe: Recipes: Food Network

I initially had the chicken sit in a brine solution while I was at work.

The chicken was frying fine and the breading was sticking with no problem while I turned it. However, when it was time to take the chicken out of the pan most of the breading fell off. Any tips to make it stay on?

Thanks!

My fried chicken recipe just includes seasoned flour and skips the egg and more flour part. Never had a problem with the coating falling off and the chicken comes out crispy and delicious :chef:

Is it just me, or does 12 minutes seem like not enough time to cook bone-in chicken thoroughly?
 
Although I have never made fried chicken I have fried other things. The breading has fallen off but found (as stated by others) to let it set or dry before frying.
 
Alix said:
Nope. Just the time to let the breading "set".

Yeah, I had to leave it in there for about 10-12 minutes per side turning twice.
 
scottv said:
Thanks a lot for the quick replies! I will try that next time.

They were boneless, skinless breasts as well - would that matter?

Looks like we overlapped on the replies :) The recipe said use a whole chicken, cut up, so I thought that's what you were using.
 
Alix said:
Nope. Just the time to let the breading "set".

I'm not sure my question was clear :) The recipe called for a whole chicken, cut up, and said to cook each side for 6 minutes, or 12 minutes total. That seems like not enough time to cook it through. I haven't fried chicken in a long time, but I'm sure I cooked it for at least 30 minutes total.
 
I agree with you. Twelve minutes isn’t long enough to do bone-in chicken IMO. But, there is that little bit of wording:

Turn the chicken over and continue to cook for 6 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and the chicken is completely cooked.

You can read that two different ways. One way means less than 6 minutes (no way) and the other way means more than 6 minutes (yep!). I’d say at least 15 minutes, but usually around 20 minutes at 375˚ F.
 
Cooking bone-in chicken for 6 minutes or less is no good unless it's in a large bonfire, which case, it's probably charred. I like to make a cut in a piece of chicken, which will be my piece. If it's cooked thouroughly, the others probably are also. For bone in, I make a cut closer to the bone. It's not a huge one, just a tiny one.

As for the breading, I also let it sit. If I'm making some large meal, I make the chicken first, let it sit. Depending what it is, about 15 minutes has passed. If the other plates aren't terribly long to make, I make the chicken first, then the rest then watch some TV.
 
First, use three pans, not two, to bread the chicken. Fist pan is plain flour, which is going to ensure a dry piece of chicken. Second pan is egg, which is going to be the glue that holds the breading to the chicken. Third pan is seasoned flour, which is the breading that is going to crisp up in the fryer and what you are going to taste when you eat the chicken.

Second, make sure you have dried the brined chicken with paper towels, and make sure the first flour dunking has completely covered the chicken with no bare spots. Breading does not stick to wet chicken.

Third, leave the milk out of the egg. You are counting on the egg to make the second four dunking stick to the chicken, and the milk just dilutes the adhesiveness (big word, huh?) of the egg.
 
What a great Cooking Secret!
Let the breading sit!

Golly gee whiz that is exciting, because it might
just have solved one of the Reasons I Do Not Fry!

:) excellent! Thanks! :)
 
The Lee Brothers Southern Cookbook (which won a James Beard award) prescribes a basic dredge for all their fried food (chicken, fish, okra) that works perfectly for me. It's 1/2 cup flour, 3 tbs cornmeal, 2 tsp salt, and 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. I just throw the pieces in a bag and coat them with it. No egg, no buttermilk, nothing. For fish, they recommend adding some breadcrumbs, but I haven't tried that yet. When I do, I'm going to try using panko.

If you make double this recipe, it keeps in the fridge until you're ready to use it again.

They recommend, if you want more crusty chicken, dredging it once, then dipping it in a mixture of 1 egg and 1 cup buttermilk, then dredging it again. I haven't tried that, because I like it the other way. If you do try it, though, they recommend cooking it at a lower temperature (275 to 300, rather than 350) and turning it more frequently (every 3 minutes).

I don't mean to sound like an ad for Williams Sonoma, but if you use that three dish breading method somebody else recommended, they make a set of three nesting metal pans -- the perfect size for a piece of chicken or a porkchop -- with a little projecting lip on one side so you can interlock them side by side. They store easily, clean up easily, and I can't believe how easy they make breading pork chops -- which I do by coating them in flour, then in egg, then in breadcrumbs. Flour pan, egg pan, breadcrumbs pan. A-B-C.
 
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I don't mean to sound like an ad for Williams Sonoma, but if you use that three dish breading method somebody else recommended, they make a set of three nesting metal pans -- the perfect size for a piece of chicken or a porkchop -- with a little projecting lip on one side so you can interlock them side by side. They store easily, clean up easily, and I can't believe how easy they make breading pork chops -- which I do by coating them in flour, then in egg, then in breadcrumbs. Flour pan, egg pan, breadcrumbs pan. A-B-C.

Excellent idea except for one thing. Once you've purchased the pans from Williams Sanoma, you can't afford to buy chicken!

ETA: I use three Marie Callender pie tins!
 
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breading trays

I just looked it up and the price is $34.95 (look under "breading trays"). I suppose that could be lower, but they quickly became one of my favorite kitchen items, so I think it was well worth it. As I said, they nest (and they're small), so they store really well. And they hook together, side by side. I have an apartment kitchen, so three pie tins side by side would be a lot of counter space for me.
 
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I know its going to sound odd, but I have seen this work too. Instead of dealing with frying fresh chicken parts, sometimes I twice cook them. Supposing I have a marinade/brine, I put it all, marinade and chicken into a pot and let it reduce under the heat. Maybe in high heat for a few minutes, you dont really want to cook this through. Then I fry them again, with batter or without. Here I can focus a little more on browning since I know that the chicken is already cooked/cooked halfway.

I do this especially when I get pressed for time, but mostly when I want chicken. The flavor seeps into the chicken and it takes care of bone-in situations. When the chicken is hot from reducing, flour sticks more.


Ha-ha just sharing. Letting you know quirky ways can work for other people. : )
 
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It doesn't sound odd at all, it sounds like barbecuing. You should always parboil chicken or ribs before putting them on the barbecue. So yes, I'm sure this does work.
 
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You should always parboil chicken or ribs before putting them on the barbecue. So yes, I'm sure this does work.

I am here to politely agree to disagree :LOL: I NEVER parboil before grilling. I control my heat source so they cook slower - but that is all.

mmmmmm.........it's about time for some fried chicken and I'm looking forward to putting these tips to work!
 

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