One of the first and most important elements of frying chicken legs is to cover them in a delicious breading. After they are coated, care should be taken to keep the pieces from sticking together. To reduce the oil saturation, the oil should be allowed to reach the full cooking temperature before the chicken is put in. As chicken legs are thick, the internal temperature should be checked with a thermometer before they are served and finished in the oven if the outside has cooked too quickly.
A key factor in making great fried chicken legs is a nice and crispy outside. This means that breading the chicken is an important step. Breading can be easily made by combining flour with a mixture of one's favorite spices, such as paprika, seasoning salt, and black pepper. For flakier, more crumbly chicken, bread crumbs or crushed corn flakes can be used. To increase the amount of breading that adheres to the meat, it can be dipped into a milk and egg mixture first.
Tossing the chicken in a bowl or plastic bag is a good way to get it well coated. It is important, however, to make sure that the pieces do not stick together. If they do, they should be separated and tossed again so that the breading covers all of the outside. It is also important to keep pieces from sticking together once they are in the oil because the connected areas will likely be doughy or soggy once the chicken is removed. Those frying chicken legs also want to avoid placing them in the oil while they are wet, as this will lead to popping that can result in a large mess or injury.
Individuals looking for a means of frying chicken legs with less oil should use a skillet instead of a deep fryer. This will generally increase the cooking time but can drastically reduce the oil saturation. Ensure that the oil has reached the necessary cooking temperature before putting the chicken in. Doing so also helps to reduce the oil saturation. Another way to make frying chicken legs more healthful is to remove the skin before breading them.
Chicken legs can be tricky because they are usually thick pieces of meat. To avoid under-cooking them, it is a good idea to have a thermometer handy. The internal temperature at the thickest point should be at least 165° F (74° C). If the outside cooks too quickly and there is risk of burnin, but the inside is undercooked, the meat can be finished by baking it in the oven.
