Confirming Fried Chicken is completely cooked
I'm currently involved in a food startup and we're refining our process for product quality. We fry Bone-In breasts, Dark quarters, Wings and Boneless breasts. The challenge I'm currently facing is ensuring chicken is fully cooked (165F) but not overcooked (170F for white, 180F for dark). My main issue is getting an accurate temperature reading:
- Do I need to go with the lowest temperature reading? Sometimes I'll get ~140F in one temping, but another place on the same piece I'll get ~170F
- What do I need to be careful of in order to ensure an accurate temperature? I know it's hotter closer to the surface than internally, but I've also heard I need to avoid hitting bones as they get hotter than meat; are there any other outliers like this?
- How much might fried chicken increase in temperature after sitting. For instance, If I pull a piece from the fryer @155F can I expect it'll reach 165F after sitting 5-10 minutes?
Best Answer
While not specifically an answer to your measurement question, you might consider cooking your chicken low-temp (sous vide) to ensure optimal doneness, then just quickly deep fry for crust formation. That would guarantee safety and specific temp. for specific parts of the bird. See here, for example: http://www.chefsteps.com/activities/sous-vide-fried-chicken
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How do you know when fried chicken is fully cooked?
Don't be afraid to break the chicken's crust to take the meat's internal temperature; it should read 165 degrees. A broken crust is vastly preferable to undercooked chicken. Plan on the whole process taking around 15\u201318 minutes, keeping in mind that white meat will cook faster than dark.How do you make sure chicken is cooked fried?
Place the chicken pieces in the hot oil, skin side down, one piece at a time. Leave enough space between pieces so that they are not crowded. This allows the pieces to cook and brown more evenly. Continue to cook over a medium heat, turning until all sides are golden brown and the meat is cooked thoroughly.Does fried chicken still cook when resting?
It's important to allow the chicken to rest before frying so the coating has a chance to absorb some of the moisture from the buttermilk mixture and stick to the chicken. It can slide right off of the chicken if it's placed in the hot oil too soon.Fry Fidelity: The Science Of Fried Chicken
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Answer 2
I would suggest using a thermometer to ensure the inside temperature is 74°C (165°F). Try writing a process for frying the chicken, so this does not have to be done during the rush. (I am guessing you run a big kitchen). Make one or two tests noting the time needed to reach the desired temperature.
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