The Mess-Free Frying Hack That Totally Skips The Dredging Process

Most families use traditional methods to make fried foods. Some focus on the liquid they fry in, ranging from canola oil to tallow, even taking the time to fry chicken in chicken fat. For others, it's all about the breading or batter. No matter which approach you take, nearly all rely on one essential step. Dredging — or coating food in an ingredient like flour before you fry it — can make quite a mess, but there's one thing you can do to help you avoid it. Rather than applying flour to your protein or veggies before frying, add the flour directly to the fry oil instead.

It may sound crazy or sacrilege to certain soul-food aficionados, but this frying hack really does work. The method is simple and creates fewer dirty dishes while saving you time. First, heat your pan or pot of oil. Just as the oil has reached proper frying temperature (between 325 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit), add a cup of flour, sprinkling and mixing until it's fully dispersed. Only add the flour right before you're ready to fry – that way, it won't have the chance to burn. Once you see a cloudy pan of oil and you're back at fry-ready temperatures, add your chicken or vegetables. When they turn crispy and golden brown, remove, drain, and pat them dry. The result will be delicious, crunchy fried food without the need for egg, milk, or any other binders.

Real success depends largely on what you intend to fry. For the most delicious fried chicken, the main ingredient required is good-quality poultry. Skinless chicken or dense vegetables like potatoes work best, but this method can be effective with other foods like fish. While you'll also get a thinner, crispy coating compared to many dredge-heavy recipes, the amount of work it takes out of the process is undeniable.

Although you're simply mixing flour into hot oil, this trick may seem magical. It even went viral on social media like Instagram and TikTok. However, the tasty results are pure science. When vegetables or meat hit the hot oil, the flour clings to their surface. That's because flour particles don't fully mix with oil, so they bond to food instead. The chicken's surface then browns through the Maillard reaction, a chemical process that creates that tasty, toasty flavor. All-purpose flour is generally the best option for fried chicken, but wheat flour can work as well. It also may take a little longer to fry than expected, so remember to be patient. That Maillard reaction browning is totally worth it.

There are a few ways you can enhance flavors with this hack. Add spices and marinades to the chicken before placing it in the floured oil, or use a seasoned flour blend. Adding a little butter to your oil can help keep the flour from burning. You may be tempted to add more flour to the oil to get thicker breading, but this doesn't make the food any crunchier or crispier. All that said, Northern and Southern fried chicken are perfected dishes, so some of you out there may still prefer a traditional double-dredging rather than this viral trick.