Ditch The Egg Wash And Bread Fried Chicken Using This Zesty Condiment Instead

When cooking classic dishes at home, we often stick to familiar methods and hesitate to experiment in ways that could make our recipes even better. While this can be as simple as adding some kimchi to your grilled cheese or using Italian dressing as a marinade, other simple swaps can have a big impact — such as using mustard instead of eggs when frying chicken. This strategy not only introduces a great binder for the chicken and its breading (one that's arguably better than an egg wash), but can also marinate the chicken, imparting it with more tangy flavor and tenderness in the end.

That's right — contrary to popular belief, marinating your chicken and seasoning its breading aren't the only ways to add immense flavor to your fried chicken. Using a dijon mustard coating can be another powerful option, since it offers a thick consistency that breadcrumbs cling to easily. Venecia Willis, the director of Culinary at Velvet Taco, said while she prefers the taste of dijon mustard, yellow mustard will infuse flavor in your egg wash as well. "Yellow will carry a more acidic flavor profile due to the percentage of vinegar versus a dijon," she said. Other options include spicy brown mustard for bold flavor and honey mustard for a sweeter base.

The best way to use dijon mustard as a substitute for eggs is open to debate, especially regarding whether flour should be part of the recipe. While some lather their chicken with mustard directly, others, including Venecia Willis, say adding flour before and after applying the mustard is your best bet for success. In fact, double-dredging is great for your fried chicken, regardless of whether you're using dijon, another type of mustard, or eggs. This often-forgotten step can give the meat an extra crispy exterior that can really elevate both its taste and texture.

If you're worried that the double-dredge technique will mute dijon mustard's flavor, adding the right seasonings and spices to your flour helps amplify the condiment's tangy notes. While some favor simple spices like garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, salt, and MSG, others build on mustard's boldness with cumin, dill, paprika, turmeric, parsley, or even some extra mustard powder. If you want to give the mustard coating a strong boost, add a few dashes of hot sauce to it before lathering your chicken in the mixture.