The Sheet Pan Mistake You Should Never Make With Fried Chicken
TikTok is home to thousands of cooking videos that perfectly encapsulate the massive gaps in knowledge and understanding between seasoned professional chefs and amateur home cooks. One such example is a video that shows a man trying to fry chicken using a shallow sheet pan that's nearly overflowing with oil. Luckily for the TikToker, the oil didn't rise over the edges of the pan and spill into his oven. Or else, it would have almost surely created plumes of smoke large enough to warrant an evacuation of the building and a call to the local fire department.
Though the video may in fact be satire, the man behind the camera proceeds with his attempts to follow the unsafe methodology, with unfortunate (albeit not dangerous) results. In the end, the experiment was a simple food failure that left the TikToker's chicken oversaturated with warm oil. Instead of a crispy exterior, it caused the dredge to soak up all the fat and moisture of the cooking liquid. The inexperienced chef commented that he would not be the one to eat it.
Is there a more effective way to fry chicken in the oven?
While the TikTok video certainly serves as a valuable example of what not to do, there are plenty of ways to make perfectly crispy chicken that don't include smothering it in enough oil to warrant punching a new notch into your belt afterward. For starters, simply spraying the seasoned and floured chicken with some cooking spray or melted butter would suffice when cooking it in the oven. This would allow the chicken to crisp up without swimming in oil that hasn't reached suitable frying temperatures.
@grindface_ Oven Fried Chicken DONE WRONG 🤦♂️ #grindface @GrindFace The Creator
In order to properly deep fry chicken, the oil needs to reach a temperature of at least 325 degrees Fahrenheit and fully submerge the poultry without crowding the pot. Home frying can be dangerous for those who lack experience, so be certain to do your research and perhaps have someone with experience nearby for your first attempt.
When utilizing proper breading and seasoning techniques, even stovetop searing can result in crispier chicken than the outcome of the TikToker's experiment. Not to mention, it can be made with a fraction of the volume of oil absorbed by the chicken pictured in the video. The comments seem to range from helpful cooking advice such as, "Gotta use a deeper pan like a roasting pan. More oil will retain heat longer when putting the chicken in" to concerned derision: "Now what made you think this would work?"