The quest for perfect fried chicken is not for the faint of heart. You need evenly golden brown skin, tender, juicy meat, and a combination of crisp and crunch that would make the Colonel quake in his cowboy boots. To complete the journey to fried chicken nirvana, I went through 5 whole chickens, 3 gallons of peanut oil, and over 20 iterations of the recipe so that you won’t have to. The final result is a simple formula: a seasoned buttermilk brine + a dip in batter + a shake in flour + a dunk into a pot of hot oil = the only fried chicken recipe you’ll ever need. Read on for my top tips to ace this extra-crispy recipe:
Go for the full marination.
To get the most flavorful, tender chicken possible, let the meat marinate at least overnight for up to 24 hours. I know, I know: You want the crispy fried chicken right now. But trust me, the extra time in the buttermilk brine brings much-needed tenderization and flavor to each bite (especially the breast pieces!). Do it for your future fried-chicken-eating self.
Vodka??
Believe it or not, yes—vodka. Water gave the batter the right consistency, but vodka evaporates much faster than water, allowing the crust to crisp quickly rather than getting crunchy. You won’t be able to taste it, and just about all the alcohol cooks off. If you absolutely don’t want to use vodka, you can use water, but shorten your second fry by a minute.
