Food - Drink
The Best Oil Temperature For Making Fried Chicken
By LAUREN ROTHMAN
Fried chicken is one of the most delicious comfort foods out there, and it's possible to make at home with great success, but only when fried at the correct temperature. Oil that's too cold can make your fried chicken pale and greasy, while oil that's too hot can burn the outside while the inside remains raw.
Frying chicken correctly involves starting the cold chicken in very hot oil, because the chilled meat will bring the temperature of the oil down quite quickly. If you heat your oil up to 360 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature will drop down to around 300 degrees once you add a few pieces of chicken.
Experts recommend keeping the oil's temperature between 300 and 325 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature range is hot enough to brown and crisp the crust, while also allowing the chicken pieces to cook through in a reasonable amount of time, which hovers at a little less than half an hour.