“Covering the chicken keeps the heat even and helps the chicken cook through,” Corriher said. “But you'll want to uncover it toward the end, to crisp it. Covering the skillet does make a racket, though — it's the drops of condensed moisture dropping into the oil that create all that carrying-on.”
The heat is too high or too low.
The skin won't be crispy, and it won't be a memorable eating experience. To make sure that your oil's temperature remains steady at around 350 degrees F, keep an instant-read kitchen thermometer nearby so you can continually monitor the oil's temperature.
The last, and easiest, way to make sure your chicken cooks faster is to cover it while it's cooking. Even if you've browned the outside of the chicken already, you should still cover the pan or grill while it's cooking.
Dip chicken in egg mixture, then place in flour mixture, a few pieces at a time. Turn to coat. In a deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry chicken, several pieces at a time, until chicken is golden brown and juices run clear, 7-8 minutes on each side.
It's a basic technique—simply use your spoon or spatula to pick up hot oil or butter from the pan, then pour it over the meat as it cooks. This helps distribute the fat and juices, keeps moisture intact as the meat cooks, enhances flavor, and results in a more even cook.
If you need more than can comfortably fit in the pan, you'll have to cook the chicken in batches. I've found that it helps to cover the skillet if you have a lid available. Covering the pan help trap the heat inside and keeps the grease for splattering all over the stove.
Once the skillet is hot, place flour coated chicken breasts in the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, turning once between cooking, about 8-10 minutes.
The cover keeps the heat and the heated steam trapped within the pot, swirling around the part of the meat not under water and helping in the tenderizing process. The pressure builds up inside, especially if the lid fits securely, raises the boiling point of water and brings a bit of the benefit of pressure cooking.
It is recommended to prick the surface of the meat with a fork or score it so that the marinade penetrates the meat as deeply as possible resulting in a more moist meat, but you don't have to. You can still marinate your chicken even if you don't poke holes in it and it will still turn out delicious.
Here's Why Cooking Chicken in Milk Makes Sense
The calcium in milk is thought to kick-start a natural enzyme in the chicken that helps it tenderize. It also breaks up the acidity and heat. (That's true for non-dairy milk, like coconut milk, too.)
The cold will shock your chicken and help keep some of the juices in during the frying process.
Poke the meat to see if juices are red or clear
This method applies to chicken specifically. For properly cooked chicken, if you cut into it and the juices run clear, then the chicken is fully cooked. If the juices are red or have a pinkish color, your chicken may need to be cooked a bit longer.
Advantages to Dredging
You dredge chicken or any other food before pan-frying to help give it an enticing brown crust. Food dredged in flour or another coating will also gain flavor and texture and get an extra punch from the oil or butter you use to cook the food.
Use this quick guide on how many minutes to cook fried chicken, depending on the chicken part you want to cook: for chicken breasts: 8 minutes to 15 minutes. for chicken legs and thighs: 10 minutes to 12 minutes. for wings: 6 minutes to 12 minutes.
Starting With Cold Chicken Breasts
And while this might sound obvious, the best way to avoid overcooking a chicken breast is to cook it for as short a time as possible. When you start with cold chicken breast straight from the fridge, it's going to take longer for the middle to heat all the way through.
A 15-minute sit at room temperature will make the chicken cook more evenly, helping you avoid a brown outside with a raw, undercooked inside.
Overall, if you want a juicier, moist whole chicken you may choose to cover the chicken when baking it. To do this, use aluminum foil to make a tent over the top of the whole chicken to keep the moisture that the chicken will release as it cooks trapped inside.
In addition, chicken breast has less fat and can become dry (chewy or rubbery) if cooked for too long. Without moisture, the protein fibers in the chicken become elastic.
Frying and moisture really do not like each other. Keeping a lid on a heating pan or pot traps moisture and steam, and that's not what you want if you're trying to get a crispy coating on fried foods, explains Home Cook World.
Back to Top Best Oil Choice by Foods Below are the best oils to use when frying these popular foods to deep fry: Best Oil to Fry Chicken The best oils to fry chicken are vegetable oil, canola oil, and peanut oil. Their high smoke points and neutral tastes make these oils best for frying chicken.
According to Serious Eats, frying works by drawing out moisture. Less moisture equals a crispy texture, which is exactly what you want in fried chicken. But, because chicken breast already has very little moisture, the frying process can easily render it dry on the inside.