Fried Chicken Tips

Vodka is much more volatile than water, which is the main component of buttermilk, pickle juice, or pretty much any other fried chicken marinade. As such, it evaporates much more rapidly and violently. This helps drive moisture off the crust of the chicken faster, while also creating bigger vapor bubbles, adding surface area to the crust. Both of these mean crisper, lighter fried chicken. Only about two tablespoons of vodka is needed.

Brine helps chicken retain moisture. As chicken sits in a brine, the salt dissolves proteins in the meat's muscle structure, loosening it and allowing it to retain more moisture as it cooks. Brined chickens lose 30 to 40% less moisture than un-brined chickens. Add half an ounce of salt for every cup of marinade.

For each cup of dredging flour called for in the recipe, drizzle about two tablespoons of marinade/liquid into it. After drizzling, work it into the flour with fingers or a whisk then add the chicken pieces to coat. This process makes little chunks, which make chicken crispier.