Crushed Ramen Noodles Make For Next-Level Crispy Fried Chicken

These days, we know that ramen noodles are good for more than just the classic dorm room meal. We bake them in the oven, turn them into impromptu carbonara, and use them as a salad topper to boot. The latter may sound a little strange, but it doesn't involve preparing the soup and dumping it on your salad. Creative cooks have discovered that when crushed, dry ramen noodles give a dish the ultimate crunchy topping — and this doesn't just apply to salads. If you're looking for a unique way to upgrade your fried chicken, let this affordable ingredient give your poultry maximum crispiness.

As we know from the TikTok air fryer pasta chip trend, dry, fried noodles produce an ultra-satisfying crunch. While you will be crushing your ramen when making this dish, you won't be pulverizing it all the way into a powder, which means it'll give you plenty of crispiness in each bite. Unlike other types of pasta, these noodles are deep-fried before they even make it into the package; so when you cook them with your chicken, you're essentially frying them for the second time. They're also dehydrated ahead of time, which is ideal in this case, since moisture is the enemy of crispiness. And we can't forget the flavor benefits you'll get here, as these noodles come with a variety of seasoning packets that can add all kinds of unique tastes to your fried chicken.

Like we mentioned, you won't want to completely pulverize your ramen noodles before making your fried chicken, but you will want to break them up so that they're small enough to completely coat your poultry. Then dip your wings or tenders in a base layer of flour or cornstarch, followed by a binder like an egg. Finally, roll your chicken around in the crushed up ramen noodles until every inch is covered. Then you can fry it with your preferred method until everything is cooked and crispy.

Aside from the dry noodle coating, use the seasoning packet that comes with the ramen to add major flavor to your poultry. While chicken-flavored versions are an obvious choice here, you can also select from options like soy sauce, chili, hot and spicy, teriyaki chicken, corn, habanero lime, cream carbonara, and so much more. To deploy your packet, all you need to do is mix it into the dry coating of flour or cornstarch. As an alternative, you can rub it straight onto your tenders right after patting them dry. If you purchase an instant ramen bowl that comes with a sauce packet, you have the perfect dipping sauce for your finished product.