Tips and Tricks Your Chicken Dinner Has Been Missing

Hand holding Fried chicken and eating in the restaurant

Cooking chicken has been innovated by chefs and moms to consistently enhance the flavor. Here are tips everyone should know in order to get the best from their chicken dishes.

1. Parchment Paper

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When baking a chicken breast, you should use parchment paper as it will prevent the bird from drying out. It also saves a ton of time with clean up. Nothing worse than washing greasy dishes!

2. No Paper Towels

Placing your chicken on a paper towel after frying will destroy everything. A paper towel will cause the chicken to sweat and get soggy, killing all of its crispiness. Use a wire rack or baking sheet to let the hot chicken settle, cool, and preserve the crispy crust.

3. Salt and Spice Seasoning

Roasted chicken needs salt and spice seasonings. They’ll provide the best taste and the crispy golden skin you’re looking for. You can buy pre-mixed chicken spices at your local grocery store.

4. Alcohol

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An ounce of alcohol (preferably vodka or bourbon) added to your marinade will help create a light crispy crust when frying. The liquids in the crust evaporate and bring a toasty brown to the skin. Alcohol helps this process happen faster and eliminates a chance for moisture to sneak in.

5. Mustard Marinade

Rubbing a thin layer of mustard (and any other ingredients you desire) before cooking your chicken will add a tangy, mild flavor. A mustard based marinade is best for frying. No one will notice that the majority of the flavor is coming from mustard, trust me.

6. Dry Brine

A dry brine of salt and additional seasonings will help achieve the juicy chicken results you want with a nice crispy skin. Dry brines are less messy and less prep time is required.

7. Ghee Butter

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Unlike regular butter, ghee butter can handle high heat without burning. It’s best used when baking, roasting, or pan-frying chicken.

8. Upside Down Chicken in a Slow-Cooker

A slow-cooker is great for cooking a juicy, whole chicken. Just make sure the chicken is upside down and the breasts of the chicken should be resting on the bottom.

9. Buttermilk Marinade for Frying

Fried chicken is more than the crust, it needs to be juicy and flavorful, too. A buttermilk marinade is necessary to achieve this. Prep your chicken and soak it in a marinade overnight.

10. Spatchcock Chicken When Grilling

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Remove the backbone when grilling and flatten the chicken. This will ensure an even flavor throughout the entire bird.

11. Seasoning Grease & Batter

Seasoning just the pieces of the chicken is not enough. Most of the time seasoning is lost in the grease or batter. Therefore, seasoning the batter and the grease will lead to yummier fried chicken. Seasoning the hot grease with garlic is always a nice touch, too!

12. Herbs

Herbs are fantastic for bringing out the flavor of the chicken. Roasting with rosemary is a favorite of mine, it just blends so deliciously together. Plus, the aroma that fills the house is unbeatable.

Check out our chicken dinner video that will take your chicken game to the next level.

Samantha Wachs