Not Letting Your Fried Chicken Rest Is The Mistake You Need To Stop Making

Once you've gone to all the effort of making fried chicken at home — breading and frying the poultry in hot oil — you may be tempted to carve it with a knife or take a quick bite. But not letting your fried chicken rest after cooking it is among the biggest mistakes you're making with fried chicken. If you cut into a piece of fried chicken when it's fresh from the fryer, you'll quickly notice its juices will leak onto the cutting board or plate. Well, the hotter the meat, the more quickly its juices are released when you cut into it. This can result in dry fried chicken that's lost a lot of its juicy potential. Further, those drippings hold a lot of flavor and the seeped liquid can quickly make the chicken's crisp outer crust soggy. This is especially true if you fried chicken right away then place it on a plate for serving. 

To prevent the loss of juices (i.e. major moisture and flavor) and a subsequent damp coating, patience is key. The meat needs time to rest after removing from the fryer, so the internal liquids can distribute and settle. If you're worried about your fried chicken getting cold, don't sweat it. 10 minutes of resting will provide that sweet spot between a scorching hot bite and one that's pleasantly warm, juicy, and full of flavor.

Fried chicken is a meal worth putting time and care into — whether you're making fried chicken traditionally in hot oil, an air fryer, or plan on seasoning or marinating it for homemade Korean-style or Nashville-style hot chicken. To rest fried chicken for full flavor and moisture potential, simply place it straight from the fryer on wire cookie rack with holes so it has a chance to cool. Place a paper towel underneath the tray to catch any excess frying oil and let your fried chicken rest for 10 minutes. Some recommend resting larger cuts or whole chicken up to 15 minutes before serving it. But if you are concerned about the meat getting cold, to keep fried chicken hot and crispy, you can always transfer it to a preheated oven on low.

Making fried chicken with the perfect balance of a tender interior and crispy exterior largely comes down to time and temperature. Beyond making sure your oil is hot enough (around 350 to 365 degrees Fahrenheit), there's the matter of frying your chicken so it cooks fully throughout. If you usually cut into hot fried chicken to check it for doneness, this is not only an unreliable method but it also risks those juices leaking. Instead, use a meat thermometer to check that fried chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, then let it rest.