When it comes to fried food, we don’t like to mess around.
While eggs may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of fried foods, in order to get that perfectly crispy outside, they’re a must have when it comes to DIY breading. So whether you’re making your Nona’s famous chicken parmesan, having a fish fry at the cottage or making Superbowl appetizers like Jalapeno Poppers, this cooking technique can help you take your fried food game to the next level.
So for a basic breading, you’ll need:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsp. milk
- 1 cup bread crumbs
Take three shallow bowls or plates; these will be like your three breading stations.
In the first bowl, mix your flour and salt. In the second bowl, make your egg wash by whisking together your eggs and milk and in the third bowl add the bread crumbs.
We’re making breaded chicken, but the process for breading most food is the same. You will want to take your chicken and thoroughly cover it in flour. Be sure the entire chicken is covered, and then shake off the excess.
You will now take your chicken and submerge it into the egg wash. Again, you want to be sure that the entire piece of chicken is covered, but do not leave the chicken in the egg wash for too long. This will cause the flour to get soggy and you won’t get that crisp finish once it is cooked.
Finally take your chicken and cover it in the bread crumb mix.
Decide whether you want to bake or fry your breaded masterpiece.
If you choose to fry it, heat oil in a pan and fry your chicken on both sides for about 8-10 minutes, flipping the chicken half way.
For baking, you will want your oven pre-heated to 375°F (190°C). Place your chicken in a baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping once.
Now take your breaded chicken, smother it in cheese and tomato sauce and put it on some pasta and wham, bam, thank you ma’am, you’ve got some homemade chicken parm!
Check out some other foods you can use this method for: