ChefSteps is a team of chefs, writers, and food lovers who develop recipes, techniques, and guides to help people cook better at home.

ChefSteps

Around here, we’re big fans of fried chicken (<a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/extra-crispy-fried-turkey">and turkey</a>). Crispy, crunchy, savory, and salty—we love it <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/can-t-f-it-up-fried-chicken">deep-fried</a>, <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/air-fried-chicken">air-fried</a>, stacked up in <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/tyler-s-fantastic-fried-chicken-sandwich">a sandwich</a>, and spicy <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/ultimate-korean-fried-chicken">Korean-style</a>. While the OG pairing of all-purpose flour and buttermilk is the classic that never disappoints, we couldn’t help but wonder if there were other ways to get that beloved salty crunch. In the throes of mega munchies, who hasn’t wondered what Flamin’ Hot Cheeto chicken would be like? We wanted to find out. When developing our <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/air-fried-chicken">air-fried chicken recipe</a>, we discovered that the key to a crispy, crunchy, golden brown crust was using pre-fried and par-fried ingredients, like potato chips and frozen French fries. This plays to the air fryer’s strengths, as it only needs to crisp up the exterior and not cook the chicken or crust all the way through. That recipe inspired us to experiment with even more chip and cracker varieties. We know it works well for air frying, but what about classic deep-fried chicken? To find out, we raided the ChefSteps staff kitchen pantry to see if we could turn these salty snacks into a seriously good crust. We learned a few tricks along the way to protect and enhance the flavor and color of those crushed up crunchies. While we kept our focus here on breading and frying chicken drumsticks, this technique works great for foods like chicken-fried steak, katsu, eggplant parmesan, and more. Our ultimate goal with this project is to inspire you to think outside of the standard breadcrumb box (or bag). So, the next time you’re cooking something coated, skip the panko. Curious? Inspired? Hungry? Let’s dig in!