I made fried chicken using 3 different appliances, and my air fryer let me down

Rachel MacPhersonJan 14, 2024, 05:55 IST

I made fried chicken using my stove, oven, and air fryer.Rachel MacPherson

I made fried chicken using an air fryer, a stovetop, and an oven to find the best cooking method.
The air-fried chicken was juicy and easy to make, but the oven produced burnt, soggy chicken.

Fried chicken is one of my favorite comfort foods. But the deep-frying process isn't always practical, given the excess oil and messy cleanup.

In an effort to find easier (and potentially lighter) ways to make this dish, I fried chicken using an air fryer, a stovetop, and an oven to see which is best.

Here's how the cooking methods stacked up.

I started by gathering the same fried-chicken ingredients for each appliance.

I used the same basic ingredients for each appliance.Rachel MacPherson

I used a seasoned flour mixture to bread my chicken.

I breaded my chicken before frying it.Rachel MacPherson

My family uses our air fryer for a variety of meals, so I knew the process would be easy.

My air-fried chicken was finished within 15 minutes.Rachel MacPherson

The air-fried chicken's texture wasn't what I expected.

The air-fried chicken didn't have a very crunchy texture.Rachel MacPherson

The method was easy and produced juicy results, but the breading didn't crisp up to my liking.

I liked how juicy the air-fried chicken was, but it wasn't as crispy as I'd hoped.Rachel MacPherson

I've always made deep-fried chicken in a Dutch oven, and I know it's a reliable method.

I was very used to deep-frying chicken in my Dutch oven.Rachel MacPherson

The chicken I fried on the stovetop was great, as I expected.

I loved the texture of the deep-fried chicken skin.Rachel MacPherson

The deep-fried chicken was also incredibly juicy.

The meat was juicy and tasty.Rachel MacPherson

I'd never made oven-fried chicken, but the method I found seemed reliable.

I'd never tried frying chicken in an oven before.Rachel MacPherson

The flavor could've been better, but the chicken was crispier than the air-fried version.

I wasn't a fan of the use of butter in this method.Rachel MacPherson

If I used an oven to fry chicken again, I'd make some changes.

I didn't like the outcome of the oven-fried chicken.Rachel MacPherson

The stovetop method resulted in the best combination of juicy, crispy, and flavorful chicken.

The deep-fried chicken was my favorite.Rachel MacPherson

I ordered the same meal from Jollibee and Raising Cane's, and the chain with the better chicken sandwich won

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