In fried chicken, I like to look for a shatteringly crisp exterior and unbelievably tender, juicy meat is pure culinary bliss. But often, the thought of deep-frying and using a vat of oil can be daunting.
That’s where a technique inspired by Japanese Karaage comes in, offering a way to achieve that incredible texture and flavour with significantly less oil using just a shallow pan! This particular style of fried chicken is designed, tried, and tested for pan-frying, ensuring you don’t compromise on quality or crunch. There are a couple of key steps that make all the difference:
The Brine is Key: Don’t skip the brining process! Allowing the chicken to soak in a seasoned liquid before frying is essential. This step works wonders, helping to break down muscle fibres and infuse the meat with flavour, resulting in chicken that is exceptionally juicy and tender on the inside.
The Perfect Flour Blend: The coating is crucial for that signature crispy shell. Using a carefully selected mix of flours – specifically corn flour and tapioca flour – creates a coating that is light, delicate, and, most importantly, helps to retain its crispiness long after it comes out of the pan.
By paying attention to these simple details, you can unlock a fantastic fried chicken experience that’s easier to make at home and uses less oil than traditional deep-frying.
Crispy Pan Fried Chicken
Crispy fried chicken cooked in a pan using a starch-based batter and a two-stage frying process.
Ingredients
Brine
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1 cup water
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1 tbsp salt
Chicken and Frying
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Chicken (trimmed and cut into pieces)
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oil (for frying. not much needed, just enough to cover the base of the pan)
Batter Mix
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1 egg
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150 g cornstarch
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100 g tapioca starch
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10 g salt
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white pepper (to taste)
Coating
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50 g cornstarch
Equipment
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Frying Pan
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Mixing bowls
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Wire rack
Instructions
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Trim and cut the chicken into pieces.
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Make a brine to cover the chicken with a ratio of 1 tbsp salt to 1 cup water.
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Brine the chicken pieces for at least 1 hour or overnight.
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Prepare the batter mix by combining the egg, 150g cornstarch, tapioca starch, 10g salt, and white pepper.
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Coat the brined chicken pieces thoroughly in the prepared batter.
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Pour oil into the pan and heat it for frying.
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Before frying, coat the battered chicken again in the extra 50g of cornstarch for a drier coating.
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Place the coated chicken in the pan and begin cooking on low heat to ensure it cooks through, turning the chicken until it's slightly golden on both sides (first fry).
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Turn up the heat (second fry) to cook the chicken until it becomes fully golden brown and crispy.
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Place the finished chicken pieces on a wire rack to drain excess oil and cool.
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Repeat the frying process until all the chicken is cooked.
Notes
The two-stage frying (low heat then high heat) is key to a crispy exterior and a fully cooked interior.
Tapioca flour helps to retain the crispyness.
Use the wire rack for maximum crispiness.
Brine makes the chicken soft and juicy.
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