How To Keep Breading From Falling Off Fried Chicken

When it comes to making fried chicken, how do you create the perfect coating that doesn't fall off? That's what one of our viewers wants to know.

Q: The coating always comes off when you take the first bite. What am I doing wrong?

To answer, Rachael explains how she makes fried chicken, taking it from the package (or brine!) to golden-brown and juicy in seven steps.

Step 1: Remove chicken from either brine or package and pat completely dry.
"Whether you're making the chicken straight from the butcher shop or you've put it into a brine, you need to get the chicken dry," Rach stresses.

Step 2: Dredge the chicken in flour.
"I use seasoned flour — you can put a couple of spices or the whole pantry of them, that's up to you," she continues.

Step 3: Dip into a bowl of beaten eggs.
"You can turn that into batter; you can add beer or milk, flavored stocks, iced tea. You can add something to cut with the egg, but you go from flour into the egg," according to Rach.

Step 4: Then, either dip back into more seasoned flour or into breadcrumbs (your choice, Rach says).

Step 5: Chill for about 30 minutes on a rack.

Step 6: Get your oil hot but not too hot.
"I do about 350°F - 355°F," Rach says.

Step 7: For boneless chicken, fry for 12 minutes.
For bone-in, skin-on chicken, Rach fries in oil for about 10 minutes, "until it's nice and brown," and then finishes in a high-heat oven on a rack.

"That's my best advice. Sometimes the coating will fall off. It's still mighty tasty!" Rach says.