Crispy BBQ Chicken with Panko

There are about as many “authentic” fried chicken recipes as there are American grandmothers. I have tested several of the tips that keep turning up, and the conclusion is fairly simple: you do not need an elaborate spice regime or a carton of imported buttermilk. What matters is juicy chicken, a dry surface, good breading and hot oil.

For chicken breast, I prefer panko. These coarse Japanese breadcrumbs give a crisper, lighter crust than ordinary breadcrumbs. Served with my own BBQ sauce and a fresh salad, this is very good food without being difficult.

The recipe serves four.

Ingredients

Chicken and breading

• 600–700 g chicken breast
• 1½ tsp salt
• 100 g plain flour
• 2 eggs
• 150–200 g panko
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ¼–½ tsp cayenne pepper, if you want a little heat
• Neutral oil for frying, such as rapeseed or canola oil

To serve

• My BBQ sauce
• A fresh salad, preferably with some acidity in the dressing
• Lemon wedges, if you like

Buttermilk or egg?

American buttermilk is not quite the same thing as the liquid left from traditional butter making. The product used in modern American recipes is normally cultured and is closer to cultured milk or kefir.

I have tested both cultured milk and ordinary egg as the binder. The difference in flavour was small, while the breading made with cultured milk came off more easily when the chicken was cut. Egg simply gave a more reliable result. If you want the tang, you can marinate the chicken in buttermilk first, but dry the surface thoroughly before breading.

Why panko?

An ordinary flour coating works very well on wings and small pieces of thigh. On chicken breast, however, I want more structure, and panko is hard to beat. The coarse flakes create small pockets of air in the crust and give it that characteristic crunch.

Spices in the flour help, but it is easy to overestimate their effect. Much of the seasoning remains in the bowls or loses its strength in the hot oil. Salt the chicken properly, use a moderate amount of spice in the flour, and put the clearest flavour in the BBQ sauce.

Method

1. Cook the chicken. I prefer sous vide because it allows the chicken to cook in a controlled way before the brief frying. Season the breasts with salt, vacuum seal them and cook at 64°C for 1½–2 hours. Adjust the time to the thickness; very thick fillets need the longest time. Sous vide relies on a combination of temperature and time, so do not shorten the time at random.
2. Without sous vide: Roast whole chicken breasts at 180°C until they are almost cooked. They will receive the final heat during frying and must finish fully cooked. Use a thermometer if possible; after frying, the core temperature should be at least 75°C.
3. Cool and cut. Let the cooked chicken cool slightly and dry it very thoroughly. Cut it into evenly sized pieces. A wet surface makes the breading stick less effectively and causes more splattering.
4. Prepare three bowls. Mix flour, paprika, pepper and optional cayenne in the first. Lightly beat the eggs in the second and put the panko in the third.
5. Bread the chicken. First coat it in flour and shake off the excess. Dip it in egg, let it drain for a moment, then press it lightly into the panko. The whole piece should be covered, but do not pack the breading down hard.
6. Let the coating set. Place the pieces on a rack or baking paper for 10–15 minutes. This short rest helps the coating adhere.
7. Fry. Heat the oil to 175–180°C. Fry a few pieces at a time for about 3–4 minutes, until evenly golden and crisp. Too much chicken at once lowers the temperature and produces a greasier crust.
8. Drain. Put the chicken on a rack, not directly into a tight pile on kitchen paper. A rack lets steam escape, keeping the crust crisp. Add a little fine salt while the chicken is still hot, if needed.

Four things that make the chicken crisper

• Dry the chicken thoroughly before breading.
• Shake off excess flour and egg between each stage.
• Keep the oil between 175 and 180°C.
• Rest the fried chicken on a rack so it does not steam itself soft.

Korean-style crispy BBQ chicken

To take the chicken in a Korean direction, replace the ordinary BBQ sauce with a glossy, hot and slightly sharp gochujang sauce. This is not a separate chicken recipe: use the fried panko-coated pieces above and toss them in the sauce at the very end.

Gochujang sauce for four

• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 2 tbsp runny honey or brown sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 1 tsp finely grated ginger
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2–4 tbsp water, to reach the right consistency
• Sesame seeds and finely sliced spring onion, to serve

Put everything except the sesame seeds and spring onion in a small saucepan. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce is smooth and glossy. Taste and adjust: more honey makes it rounder, more rice vinegar gives brighter acidity, and a little more gochujang adds heat.

Quickly toss the hot chicken in the sauce immediately before serving and scatter over sesame seeds and spring onion. Do not leave the chicken sitting in the sauce, or the panko will lose its crunch. To preserve as much crispness as possible, serve the sauce on the side and let people dip the chicken themselves.

Serving

Serve the chicken with warm BBQ sauce and a salad with clear acidity. A simple coleslaw, a green salad with vinaigrette or pickled cucumber all work well, as freshness and acidity balance both the fat and the sweetness of the sauce.

It is not difficult. It is simply a little flour, egg and panko, plus control of the temperature – and the result is very, very good.