How to Cook Crispy Fried Chicken
Master the technique for ultra-crispy, juicy fried chicken featuring flavorful seasoning, a crunchy cornstarch-flour crust, and precise deep-frying temperature control.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Deep heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or skillet
- ✓ Deep-fry candy thermometer
- ✓ Instant-read meat thermometer
- ✓ Wire cooling rack set over baking sheet
- ✓ Long stainless steel tongs
- ✓ Large mixing bowls
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks and thighs
- ✓ 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ✓ 1/2 cup cornstarch
- ✓ 1 tbsp garlic powder
- ✓ 1 tbsp onion powder
- ✓ 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper
- ✓ 4 cups neutral high-smoke-point oil (peanut or canola)
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Never fill the frying pot more than halfway with oil to prevent violent boil-overs.
- • Keep water, wet utensils, and excess liquid completely away from hot oil to prevent explosive splattering.
- • Always verify chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) before serving.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (5 Steps)
Season and Marinate Chicken
Pat the chicken pieces thoroughly dry using paper towels. Place chicken in a large bowl, add salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, then toss aggressively until every piece is evenly coated. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes at room temperature to absorb seasonings.
- • Chicken skin looks matte and dry before seasoning, then uniformly speckled with spices.
- • No pooled moisture at the bottom of the bowl.
- • Seasoning wet chicken, which prevents salt and spices from adhering to the meat.
Mix the Dredge and Heat the Oil
Whisk flour, cornstarch, remaining garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt together in a shallow dish. Pour cooking oil into the Dutch oven until it is 2 to 3 inches deep. Attach the deep-fry thermometer and heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 350°F (175°C).
- • Dry coating mixture is uniform in color with no clumps of cornstarch.
- • Thermometer needle sits steadily at 350°F (175°C).
- • Using 100% flour without starch, yielding a thick and chewy rather than glass-crisp crust.
- • Dropping chicken into cold oil below 325°F.
Dredge and Coat the Chicken
Press each chicken piece firmly into the flour-cornstarch mixture, coating every fold and crease. Shake off excess loose flour, then dip briefly in cold water and roll a second time in the dry dredge for an extra-craggy crust. Lay coated pieces on a clean plate and fry immediately.
- • Chicken is covered in a thick, dry, craggy coating of flour with no bald, pink patches visible.
- • Allowing coated chicken to sit too long before frying, causing the flour to turn gummy and paste-like.
Fry the Chicken Pieces
Carefully lower chicken pieces into the 350°F oil using tongs, placing them away from you to prevent splashing. Fry in small batches of 3 to 4 pieces to prevent the oil temperature from dropping below 325°F. Cook drumsticks and thighs for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping every 3 to 4 minutes for even browning.
- • Steady, vigorous bubbling around each piece of chicken in the oil.
- • Crust transitions from pale beige to an even, deep golden brown.
- • Crowding the pot, which crashes the oil temperature and produces greasy, soggy chicken.
Drain, Rest, and Check Internal Temp
Lift cooked chicken from the oil using tongs and transfer immediately onto a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone. Confirm the temperature reads at least 165°F (74°C) and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- • Thermometer displays 165°F (74°C) or higher.
- • Deep golden-brown crust resting on wire rack with clear juices draining slightly.
- • Draining chicken directly on flat paper towels, which traps steam underneath and makes the bottom soggy.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Panlasang Pinoy — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Cornstarch? Potato starch or rice flour in equal parts
- No Wire cooling rack? Brown paper grocery bag or crumpled paper towels over a wide tray
- No Deep-fry candy thermometer? Wooden spoon test: insert handle into oil; steady bubbling indicates ~350°F