Been deep frying for three years now and I was about ready to give up on my chicken strips. They always came out greasy and the breading just slid off after a minute. Last Tuesday I was at a friend's cookout and watched her dip her pieces in the dry flour mixture first, then the wet batter, then back into the dry. I always just did wet then dry because that's what my mom did. She laughed and said I was skipping the first dredge step. Tried it that same night with some thighs and the crunch was night and day different. The crust held on through the whole meal and wasn't dripping oil when I bit into it. Has anyone else had a simple step like that totally fix their frying game?
I was getting ready to fry up a batch of wings for the game and couldn't decide which way to go. Wet batter gives that thick crunchy shell but it always seems to fall off some pieces in the oil. Dry dredge with flour and spices is easier but sometimes comes out thin and not as satisfying. I went with the dry dredge this time and dusted them twice, let them sit for 10 minutes before dropping in the oil at 350. They turned out crispy and held together fine but now I'm wondering if a buttermilk soak first would have made them better. Anyone else go back and forth on this or have a go-to method that works every time?
For years I'd fuss over exact measurements for my deep fry batter. Like 1 cup flour, 1 cup beer, pinch of salt, all that. Then last summer I was at this tiny food stall in Nashville watching a guy just dump stuff in a bowl by feel. He told me he's been using the same trick since 1998: add liquid until it looks like thin pancake mix, then add a splash more. I tried it when I got home and my onion rings came out way crisper. Now I barely measure anything and it's honestly freed up so much brain space. Has anyone else ditched the measuring cups for a more casual approach?
It happened last Thanksgiving at my place in Denver. I was using a cheap probe thermometer I got off Amazon and it said my peanut oil was at 350, so I dropped in the bird. After 5 minutes I noticed zero bubbling and checked with a instant read thermometer and it was barely 280 degrees. The turkey came out greasy and sad with rubbery skin after 45 minutes of frustration. Has anyone else had a probe fail on them or do you stick with a specific brand that's more reliable?
Was standing in line at the corn dog tent last Saturday and this older dude told his buddy he always adds 2 shots of ice cold water to his beer batter right before frying. Said it makes the crust shatter instead of just being crunchy. Tried it last night with some onion rings and honestly that trick works way better than I expected. Any of you got weird batter secrets that sound dumb but actually deliver?
I was at a Waffle House around 2 AM after a late shift, and this older guy two stools down was arguing with his buddy about deep frying. He said something like 'you can have the world's best seasoned flour but if your oil temp drops below 340 when you drop the food, you're just making a greasy sponge.' I always focused on my batter ingredients, tweaking paprika ratios and beer brands for months. But that night I went home and tested his theory with my standard fish fry mix, using a thermometer every batch. Three tries later my cod came out way crispier than ever just from keeping the oil steady at 360. Anyone else have a simple tip from a stranger that changed your whole frying game?
I used to work at this pub in Austin called The Side Step. Head fry cook swore by freezing pickle spears before dipping them in batter. Said it kept the inside cold so the batter got extra crispy before the pickle turned to mush. Tried it last night at home and the damn things exploded in the oil. Pickle juice everywhere, oil splattered all over my stove. Almost took out my left eye. Anybody else had a batter disaster from some tip that sounded good on paper?
I used to just grab whatever cheap vegetable oil was on sale for frying. Then I read a food science blog that tested smoke points of different oils. Vegetable oil smokes at 400F, but peanut oil holds steady at 450F. That 50 degree difference means vegetable oil breaks down faster and makes food greasy. I tried peanut oil on a batch of chicken wings last weekend and the crust stayed crispy for 15 minutes after pulling them out. Has anyone else noticed a huge difference switching to a higher smoke point oil?
I kept getting limp onion rings no matter what I did with the batter. Finally realized my oil temp was dropping too low because I was crowding the basket. Has anyone else dealt with temperature swings ruining a batch?
I was reading the back of a jug of peanut oil at Walmart and saw the smoke point is only 450F. I always thought it was like 500F or something crazy. Turns out avocado oil is actually higher at 520F. Now I feel kinda dumb for using peanut oil for my last few batches of onion rings because they came out greasy. Has anyone else been frying with the wrong oil this whole time?
I had this conversation with my uncle after Sunday dinner last week, he's 65 and still swears by a flour only dredge for anything. We got into it over his pork chops, I said they were dry and he said that's just how real food cooks. Then I pulled out a batch of meatballs I tried with a panko and egg wash combo, double dipped them and fried at 350 for exactly 4 minutes. He took one bite and said okay maybe there's something to this batter thing. It hit me different because for like 15 years I thought any breading beyond flour was just fussy restaurant nonsense. Now I'm rethinking my whole approach to frying fish and chicken too. Anyone else have a family member who made you question your frying basics?
I kept ending up with soggy pickles no matter what. Last Sunday in my tiny kitchen I figured it out. The trick was double coating them in cornmeal batter and letting them rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes before frying. I used a cast iron skillet with peanut oil at 375 degrees. The first batch stuck to the basket and fell apart. Second batch was better but still greasy. Third batch with the rest time and hot oil came out perfectly golden and crunchy. Has anyone else had luck with a different batter style for wet veggies?
I've been using canola for years because it's cheap and easy to find. But last weekend I decided to try peanut oil for my fried chicken. Used about 2 quarts in my Dutch oven at 350. The crust came out way crispier and the flavor was nutty but not overpowering. My family even noticed without me saying anything. Has anyone else switched oils and had that kind of moment where you wish you'd done it sooner?
I swear to god, Tom showed up last Saturday with a jar of dill spears and a bowl of pancake mix. He dunked them straight from the jar into the batter, no drying, no patting. Within 30 seconds, his oil was spitting like a geyser and he had a grease burn on his arm. I've been telling people for 5 years that moisture is the enemy of a good fry, but he just had to learn the hard way. The kitchen smelled like burnt flour and regret for 2 hours. Why do people think you can skip the drying step when the oil is at 350 degrees? Has anyone else had to clean up after a wet-batter explosion?
I watched this old dude at the Kern County Fair last summer batter up zucchini slices with just soda water and flour, no eggs or beer. He got this insane crunchy thin shell that held for like 20 minutes. Has anyone else tried cutting eggs out of their batter for veggies?
I was deep frying chicken wings last month and posted a picture in here with my setup. Someone called me out saying my oil was way too hot because the batter was browning before the chicken was cooked through. They said I probably had it around 400 instead of 350. I was sure I was doing it right for years. So I went out and bought a $12 probe thermometer since my fryer dial is super inaccurate. Turns out my oil was hitting 420 every time. Dialed it back to 350 and my wings come out perfect now with that light golden crust instead of dark burnt looking spots. Has anyone else had to recheck their thermometer after relying on the fryer knob for too long?
This guy at a BBQ in Nashville said my chicken had a 'crust like a hockey puck' because my batter had too much flour. I was using a 1:1 ratio of flour to cornstarch and he said drop it to 2 parts cornstarch. Tried it last Sunday and the crunch was way lighter and flakier. Anyone else get told to fix something that turned out to be a game changer?
Was over at Joe's apartment last week after his shift, showing him photos of my fried chicken. He took one look and said 'your batter is way too thick, you're basically breading instead of frying.' He showed me how to thin it out with some ice cold water and a splash of vodka. Tried it on some onion rings last night and the difference was crazy, way lighter and crispier. Any of you guys ever get a reality check from someone in the industry that completely changed your approach to frying?
Tbh I never checked my thermometer temp before dropping stuff in. My buddy Tim watched me one time and was like 'dude your oil is smoking before you even put food in' and I felt like an idiot. Anyone else just wing the temp and hope for the best?
After 3 years of tweaking the panko and egg wash ratio, I finally got that perfect gooey pull and crunchy shell that doesn't fall apart, anyone else struggle with the cheese leaking out or is it just my impatience with freezing them long enough?
Stopped at this spot in Seattle called The Golden Hook last month and they battered the cod with mashed potato flakes instead of a proper flour mix, it was like eating a soggy fry. Why are people so obsessed with making everything potato when a simple beer batter is way crispier and actually lets the fish taste like fish?
I was at my kitchen counter around 8pm trying to make shrimp tempura for the first time. I dumped my batter in and saw it SIZZLE instantly but then the shrimp came out GREASY and limp after 30 seconds. Turns out my oil thermometer was broken and reading 350 but it was actually around 310 degrees. I had to drain the oil, let it cool down to 300, and then slowly bring it back up to 350 using a backup instant read thermometer I keep in the drawer. The second batch came out light and crispy and actually floated right. Has anyone else had a cheap thermometer ruin a fry session? What do you use to check temp when frying delicate stuff like tempura?
Last Saturday I was in my tiny kitchen trying to impress my buddy with homemade onion rings. I got the oil too hot because I was messing with my phone and the batter turned black in like 30 seconds. Smoke was everywhere and my smoke alarm wouldn't shut up for ten minutes. Had to air out the whole apartment and order pizza instead. Anyone else had a deep fry mishap that made them swear off multitasking?
I tossed a batch of pimento stuffed olives in a light cornmeal batter and dropped them in at 350, but two of them burst open and sent hot oil spraying across my stove. Turns out the moisture inside the olive expands way faster than the batter can seal, so now I'm thinking of pre-freezing them first. Has anyone else had these things pop like grenades on them?