The Julia Child-Approved Trick For Perfectly Crispy Breaded Chicken

Crispy, breaded chicken fresh from the skillet is incredible for serving in so many ways; spread some marinara on top and scatter a little mozzarella before broiling, and you have a batch of fancy chicken Parmigiana on your hands. To guarantee that your breaded chicken is perfectly crisp no matter how you serve it, take a tip from Julia Child: Place it on a rack to dry slightly before frying.

Child classically breads her chicken by dredging each fillet in flour, dipping it in beaten eggs, and coating it in breadcrumbs (the egg acts as a glue to bind the breadcrumbs to the surface of the chicken). Then comes the interesting part. Instead of frying the protein immediately, she places it on a rack – instead of a plate – and gets on with coating the other pieces. This extra step allows air to circulate around the chicken, slightly setting the crust against the layer of beaten egg and flour. When the chicken is fried, this hardened crust remains locked to the exterior, ensuring that the inside stays juicy and succulent as it cooks while the outside develops a golden color and crispy texture. It's this combination of moist chicken against that audibly crunchy exterior that creates the yummiest of bites.

Placing your chicken on a cooling rack after it's cooked (instead of directly onto a plate) will prevent it from turning soggy on the bottom. The steam inside will be able to escape freely, so it won't get trapped and condense on the surface. If you don't have a cooling rack, you can use an oven rack or an upside-down muffin tin in a pinch. Haven't got any of these items? Lay a series of chopsticks down on your counter and place your chicken on top. As long as the air can circulate unhindered, the crumbs should adhere to the eggs, creating a firm coating that both safeguards the chicken from drying out before it's fried and keeps it crisp afterward.

There are plenty of ways to take your breaded chicken to the next level. For instance, you can coat chicken in crushed potato chips to lend them an extra-crispy exterior and a pop of flavor, sub the breadcrumbs for cornflakes, or add a spoonful of cornstarch for a super-crunchy exterior. Interestingly, cookbook author and TV show host Ree Drummond adds bagel seasoning to her breaded chicken to give the coating a salty quality and garlicky aroma, but you could just as easily use your favorite spice mix to give it a warming kick.