The Three Steps To Stop Breading From Falling Off During Frying

If there's one type of food in the world that most people would probably say they won't ever give up, it's fried food. We love to shallow fry and deep fry a lot of foods, and some of the most popular options include potatoes (for fries, of course), fish, chicken, and cheese, such as those irresistible mozzarella sticks that are often paired with marinara sauce or melba sauce. However, fried foods should be eaten in moderation because they're high in calories and trans fat, so keep that in mind when frying your next batch of chicken (per HealthLine). 

But there are advantages to frying food as well. Fried food cooks very quickly, and the food tastes better because the sugar is caramelized and remains in the food's moisture (via Interexchange). And just think about that golden, crunchy, crispy, and perfect breading. We're already hungry. There are many different types of breadings, and you've probably already tried some of them. 

Breadcrumbs are the most common option, and they can be enriched with spices and herbs. The Japanese panko is made from crustless bread, providing a crunchier breading. But you can also use ground crackers, nuts, seeds, and even cornmeal, which "provides a much firmer coat" (per Escoffier). It might sound easy to batter and bread your food before frying, but in some cases, the breading might fall off during frying or while you're eating fried food. Luckily, we know how to stop that from happening.

So you've decided to fry food for your next dinner party. There are plenty of choices: fish and chips, fried cheese, onion rings, chicken nuggets, and many, many more. Whatever you're making, the food needs to be adequately coated in order for your dinner party to succeed. CNet reports that there are three crucial things you might not have been doing when frying your food, resulting in breading that falls off of the food you're preparing. 

The food should first be dredged in flour so that there are no visible spots untouched by it. You can do this by gently shaking the container that holds your flour and your desired food. Next, the food that's dredged in flour should be dipped in beaten eggs or buttermilk. And once it has the sticky egg wash on it, the food is coated with breadcrumbs. And finally, as the food is frying, you shouldn't mess with it until it's fully cooked.

Webstaurant Store brings even more tips: Once you've coated your food with flour, cover it and leave it in the fridge for an hour so that the flour becomes sticky and attaches to the food more efficiently. Second of all, for best results, don't overcrowd your pan while frying food. And if you follow all the tips, you'll get a nice browned crust, and the moisture in your food will be sealed in (per Kosher).