Frying chicken in a skillet is a classic cooking technique that results in crispy, juicy fried chicken. When frying chicken, it’s important to understand if and when you need to cover the chicken in the skillet during cooking. Here’s a quick overview of whether or not you should cover fried chicken in a skillet.
Quick Answer
You typically do not cover fried chicken for the entire cooking process when frying in a skillet. Leaving the chicken uncovered allows the steam to escape, resulting in crispy skin. However, briefly covering the chicken while it cooks can help ensure even cooking and thicken the breading.
Do You Cover Chicken When Frying?
When pan frying chicken in a skillet, you generally do not want to cover the chicken for the entire cooking time. Leaving the chicken uncovered allows the steam from the chicken to escape from the pan. This steam venting is crucial for getting crispy, crunchy fried chicken skin.
If the chicken is covered the entire time, the steam will make the crust soggy. It essentially steams the chicken rather than fries it, resulting in soft breading.
Exceptions to Leaving Chicken Uncovered
While you typically want to leave the chicken uncovered for most of the frying process, there are some exceptions where briefly covering the chicken can be beneficial:
- When flouring or breading – Covering the chicken after dredging in flour or breadcrumbs allows the coating to adhere evenly before frying.
- At the beginning of frying – Covering for the first 1-2 minutes can help the coating set up and stick to the chicken.
- To cook through – If the chicken is very thick, covering briefly in the middle of frying may help make sure the inside cooks through.
- To crisp the coating – Covering for the last 1-2 minutes can help further crisp and set the breading.
Frying Tips for Uncovered Chicken
Here are some tips for successfully frying uncovered chicken in a skillet:
- Use a thermometer – A digital instant read thermometer helps ensure the chicken cooks to the proper internal temperature of 165°F.
- Don’t crowd – Cook chicken in a single layer with space between pieces. Crowding causes steam build up.
- Let oil reheat – After adding chicken, let the oil come back up to temperature before moving or flipping.
- Flip once – Only flip the chicken once during cooking to prevent soggy crust.
- Drain on rack – Drain fried chicken on a cooling rack over a baking sheet to help maintain crispy crust.
How to Fry Uncovered Chicken Step-By-Step
Follow these simple steps for perfect crispy fried chicken in a skillet:
- Heat 1/2 inch oil in skillet to 325-350°F.
- Season and flour chicken pieces. Cover and let sit 5-10 minutes.
- Fry chicken uncovered 4-6 minutes per side until golden.
- Flip chicken once and fry uncovered until 165°F internal temperature.
- Drain chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
What About Deep Frying?
When deep frying chicken, the rules change slightly. Because the chicken is fully submerged in oil, leaving the pot uncovered is not necessary for moisture to escape and crisping. In fact, covering the pot can be beneficial to prevent oil splatter during deep frying.
Tips for Deep Frying Chicken
- Use a heavy pot with high sides to contain splatter.
- Cover the pot but leave a small vent opening.
- Let oil return to temperature between batches.
- Fry chicken submerged in oil for 12-15 minutes at 325-350°F.
Conclusion
When pan frying chicken in a skillet, leave the chicken uncovered for nearly the entire cooking process. This allows moisture to escape for ultra crispy chicken. Brief moments of covering during flouring, at the beginning, or to finish cooking can help with even browning and cooking through. For deep fried chicken, covering the pot is fine as long as you allow venting and reheat the oil between batches. Now that you know whether or not to cover fried chicken in a skillet, you can achieve perfect crispy results every time.