Crunchy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside fried chicken is a beautiful thing. There’s a secret to getting it right every time, and it’s simpler than you think!
While the classic bone-in chicken part makes up a great dish, fried chicken also covers iterations of the classic: fried chicken fingers made with breast fillets or golden fried chicken nuggets made with thigh fillets. Understandably, chicken fillets have the tendency to dry out quickly compared to bone-in chicken cuts.
The secret to keeping chicken meat juicy, even when deep-fried and boneless, is to let it sit overnight in a lightly acidic marinade. These include: buttermilk, yogurt, and canned pineapple juice. Buttermilk and yogurt have enzymes that are able to break down protein to tenderize, while pineapple juice is a light enough acid to tenderize without crossing the point of toughening up the meat from too much acid.
Remember to pat your chicken dry after marinating before dipping it into flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs to get that perfectly golden and crisp crust. Here are a few video tutorials you can watch to make perfect fried chicken:
