The Canned Ingredient You Need For The Juiciest Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is delicious in any form. Whether you prefer chicken tenders with honey mustard, saucy Buffalo wings, or a buttermilk fried chicken thighs, there's no such thing as the wrong choice. And if you're interested in making fried chicken at home, it's easier than it looks — especially when the batter comes together with just one main ingredient: cream of chicken soup.

There are numerous ways to make fried chicken, one of which coats all of the pieces in batter, then slowly lowers them into a pan of hot oil. But instead of using that method and having to create your own batter mixture, pop open a can of that creamy chicken soup, whisk in an egg, and your batter mixture is ready to go. Just coat the chicken in seasoned flour and cornstarch after battering it to make sure it all stays together and gets extra crispy — don't fry it with just the chicken soup because it won't crisp up properly.

This method results in all the best things about battered frying methods but without having to make your own batter. The cream of chicken soup has the same consistency as batter, however since it's made with different ingredients, it won't react to the fryer the same way batter does. As a result, you need some kind of breading or flour layer on top of it that will create that crispy exterior coating while also keeping the chicken soup close to the dish.

AllRecipes suggests combining the soup with an egg; since egg acts as a natural binder, it's one more element that will hold the recipe together. The end result is a piece of chicken that's perfectly crispy on the outside and not dried out on the inside. The fried chicken's breading can be bread crumbs, flour, or corn starch — anything that will become crispy and crunchy when it makes contact with oil. Make sure you season the breading with salt and pepper, plus any other desired seasonings (garlic powder is great, and paprika will give it a smoky, spicy flavor). Once the chicken is dredged and coated, let it sit until the exterior coating resembles a dough-like consistency before frying.

Whether you're battering or breading the chicken, soaking it in a marinade mixture before dredging and coating will make it more flavorful and also prevent the chicken from getting too dry. Buttermilk seasoned with things like salt, pepper, and paprika is a great option since the buttermilk is acidic, which will help the meat tenderize and the exterior crisp up. Some recipes say to marinate the chicken for an hour and others recommend overnight.

When it's time to fry the chicken, make sure you add enough oil to a heavy, straight-sided pan. Use enough oil to completely submerge the chicken so that both sides of the meat cook at once, and heat the oil to around 375 degrees Fahrenheit. It's hard to argue that you shouldn't use oil for the most flavorful fried chicken, but it's important to choose one with a high smoke point, such as canola or peanut oil. Olive oil's smoke point is a bit lower, meaning it could burn easily and mess with the flavor. 

Keep a close eye on the chicken while it cooks. Since wings, thighs, and tenders are all different sizes, they all require different cooking times. Try to keep similarly-sized pieces together, or make sure to remove small pieces sooner than the thicker pieces. AllRecipes says to fry chicken between seven and 10 minutes, but use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit at its thickest part.