Just A Few Tablespoons Of This Pantry Staple Makes Fried Chicken Crispier

Whether it's a restaurant favorite or a homemade Sunday dinner, texture is king when it comes to fried chicken. A truly elite piece of chicken reveals itself from the very first bite, so if you're on the serving end, perfecting your method is of the utmost importance. Fried chicken lives and dies by the dredge — the flour mixture that coats each piece before going into the fryer. Though this step may seem simple, errors in dredge technique account for some of the most common mistakes made while cooking fried chicken. Your coating routine may follow the double dredging method, or perhaps the creative alternative that incorporates cornflakes. However, with just a few tablespoons of cornmeal, you'll find yourself with a level of crispy goodness you never thought possible.

Cornmeal is made by grinding dried corn, essentially turning it into a type of flour, where it serves as the base for savory recipes including old-fashioned cornbread and the Venezuelan delicacy, arepas. Cornmeal typically has a coarser texture than the standard all-purpose flour you would use for dredging, and that's exactly what makes it a favorable complement. When cooked in hot oil, these corn-based granules crisp up beautifully, working with the wheat flour to give your chicken a ridiculously satisfying breading. But the key is to use cornmeal sparingly; just a little bit does a lot.

To achieve a dredge that serves up maximum crunch with minimal mess, you're going to want to prepare your dredging station with two shallow bowls. In the first bowl, pour your buttermilk, which will help tenderize your chicken and allow the dry coating to stick. In the second bowl, mix together your flour and cornmeal. Don't forget to season your dry mixture, as this will help deliver a punchy flavor in every bite. You can adjust the ratio of flour and cornmeal to your liking, but three parts flour to one part cornmeal is a good place to start. If you're using one cup of flour, that equals out to about five tablespoons of cornmeal. Even though you're going for the ultimate crunch, your dredge should not be more than half cornmeal. Not only does cornmeal have a more difficult time sticking to your chicken, but it's also prone to creating a gritty end product when used excessively.

Once you've dipped your raw chicken into both bowls, you're ready to fry. Keep in mind, coarse cornmeal cooks more slowly than flour, so keep a watchful eye if you're used to cooking with a traditional flour dredge. For more useful tips, check out our secrets for the best fried chicken to help you create poultry perfection.