Tips to get fried chicken batter to "stick" to skinless chicken?

Hi. I just made a delicious batch of skinless fried chicken, but the batter always slides off the chicken when I make it this way. Does anyone have any tips? I read on Cooks Illustrated that resting battered but not fried chicken helps.
I dredged in buttermilk and then in a mixture of flour. a bit of wondra (includes baking powder), salt, and seasonings. Came out gorgeous--crisp, flavorful, etc--but the chicken lost it's batter on the top and bottom as we ate! thanks in advance!

ortolan
  • Posted by: ortolan
  • September 28, 2013
  • 161650 views
  • 6 Comments

6 Comments

pjcamp
pjcamp November 18, 2017
The secret is letting it rest. Flour is what library paste is made out of. You need to give it time to pastify before frying. You can tell by looking at it but 15 minutes or so should work.
 
mary S.
mary S. January 27, 2014
The real answer was revealed on one of the cooking shows by Cook's Illustrated this last week. To mix the dredge, you add some water and a titch of baking power (1/8th?, I'd use more, love the taste) to it just enough to make it floury/lumpy (little lumpy) then put in refrigerator for a time. How long, I don't remember but one could assume until it chilled and dried enough to stick together and to the chicken. Somebody who has a brain cell left, unlike myself, can give you the deets.
 
pierino
pierino September 29, 2013
That was meant to read "superfine" flour. And I have to add as a PS that I am no way, no how any big fan of Cooks Illustrated.
 

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pierino
pierino September 29, 2013
You have received good advice so far, beginning with the dry superine (Wondra) flour dredge. But I must beg to ask, why skinless? To me that's a crime against chickenhood. There is so much flavor in the skin and the bones that I can see no reason to waste it.
 
Declan
Declan September 28, 2013
You need to dredge your chicken pieces in seasoned flour as a FIRST step. Seasoning can include anything from paprika, through oregano to "whatever you like", but be sure to include salt & pepper. Your batter should also be seasoned to taste. Batters are enhanced by the addition of baking powder, beer, or, my personal favorite, cornstarch. This one " lightens" the batter.
Good luck!
 
Sam1148
Sam1148 September 28, 2013
Even with skin on chicken it's best to do a soak first.
Then the missing step you have is a 'dry dredge" of just seasoned flour before the "wet dredge"

The middle step of a dry dredge before the final dredge gives the batter something to hang on to.

SO, for that recipe it would be:
Wet...dry...back into wet and dry again. (although most traditional would have the final step a egg batter type wet batter)
Basically you gotta have a foundation of dry and then a repeat building of the wet and a final structure on top.
 
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