Here's How To Get Perfectly Crispy Fried Chicken, No Deep Frying Required

It's a universal truth that we love our chicken when it's fried to crispy perfection, as indicated by the many styles of fried chicken around the globe. In the United States, deep-fried southern-style chicken is by far the favorite; there's even a National Fried Chicken Day every year on July 6, so the love Americans have for this dish is unquestionable. But deep frying can be quite the hassle when you're attempting it at home — you have to drain the food, dispose of the leftover oil ... it's a very hands-on, often messy process. So we spoke to chef Art Smith, Oprah Winfrey's former personal chef and owner of Reunion Restaurant in Chicago, and asked him how to make fried chicken with the perfect crispiness, all of the flavor, but none of the deep frying.

"I'd say go for the air fryer," he advised. His famous recipe begins with soaking the chicken in buttermilk (and a little bit of hot sauce). The chicken is then coated with a mixture of breadcrumbs, parmesan, and seasoning — salt, pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Now the chicken is almost ready to air fry, and it's at this point that the chef reaches for a mister filled with canola oil. That's just a reusable bottle which acts like a store-bought cooking spray, except you fill it with the oil of your choice. "Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees [Fahrenheit], spray the chicken lightly with oil, and air fry for about 25 minutes," Smith told us. The result? Fried chicken with ideal internal tenderness and external crunch.

Preheating is only one of the tips you need when cooking with an air fryer. "Don't overcrowd the fryer — give the pieces space to crisp up," chef Smith warns. An overcrowded air fryer can produce soggy chicken, which is definitely not what you're going for. It could also cook the chicken unevenly due to the hot air not being able to circulate properly. Give your chicken some room to ensure the ultimate crispiness.

Now that you know the air fryer is your bestie for mess-free fried chicken that calls for significantly less oil, we suspect it's going to be on the menu a lot more often. Get creative with marinade and breading flavors, and courageously adapt deep-fried recipes in alignment with Smith's air fryer guidance — our recipes for the best mustard fried chicken and our Japanese-style ginger karaage chicken are good starting points. Serve your air-fried chicken with your favorite sides, such as creamy mashed potatoes or a tasty salad, like our refreshing spin on coleslaw that showcases kale.