15 Ingredient Swaps To Elevate Your Fried Chicken

Nothing beats a great batch of fried chicken as a tasty and satisfying meal. From its crispy exterior to the juicy meat inside, this dish has made appearances at everything from a backyard cookout to the breakfast plate. Making the perfect fried chicken comes down to marinating in buttermilk for creamy flavor, seasoning your flour just right, making sure everything sticks, and frying it in piping hot oil for a crispy exterior. That being said, everyone who's made great fried chicken seems to have their own recipe, secret or shared.

Whether you enjoy a handheld drumstick or drizzled with sweet syrup over waffles, chefs all around the country have put their own spin on a classic with inventive alterations to the tried-and-true. Some stick with similar flavors while others introduce spices, textures, or tang that is completely new. Here are some ingredient swaps that will boost your chicken to the next level, shared by some of the top-rated chefs and experts around the country. With insight from gurus at the National Fried Chicken Festival in New Orleans, we've gathered the secrets to turning a great meal into one you won't forget.

A classic buttermilk marinade gets an extra kick from hot sauce, which can give your fried chicken an entirely new dimension of taste. "Add hot sauce to your buttermilk marinade for a tangy kick," says Meghan Birnbaum, food blogger and recipe developer at Meghan It Up! "The little red hue you see when you order fried chicken comes from the hot sauce, and it really makes a difference in flavor."

If you're worried about things being too intense, start with just a dash of sauce. Creamy buttermilk also helps balance the heat. Most sauces come in special bottles that prevent large amounts of the spicy condiment from streaming onto your plate or into your dish. Experiment with different brands and flavors to find one that makes this heat up a little without setting off the fire alarm. Unless, of course, you want to bring the power of the hottest peppers to your chicken, in which case, go for it!

If you want a slightly different flavor or something less greasy, try a different cooking oil. Not only can it turn fried chicken into a cleaner meal, it also imparts a unique taste. Vegetable oil is a pretty standard option, but you can also look into coconut oil, grapeseed oil, or peanut oil. All have slightly different flavor profiles with smoke points high enough to handle the heat needed for great, crispy fried chicken.

Jeff Nobbs, founder and CEO at Zero Acre Farms provides non-GMO sugarcane oil to restaurants around the country because it brings a lighter element to fried foods. "Chef SK Kim says Zero Acre maintains the special rice flour batter coating of their signature chicken and doesn't saturate it with oil, even with triple frying," he says. Double or triple frying is a great technique that upgrades the exterior of your chicken to extra crispy and delicious, so picking the right oil is key.

One secret to crispy fried chicken is the flour that you use for breading. Not only does it create the exterior crunch and flavor that is iconic with fried chicken, but it also prevents the meat from sticking to the pan. Flour helps other ingredients, including spices and herbs, give the chicken flavor as well. However, too much flour can clump and even cause excess moisture to stick to the chicken, resulting in a soggy, oily mess that doesn't look or taste appetizing.

Rebecca Elizabeth Hollingsworth, co-owner of Bonafried, relies on self-rising flour to get just the right texture. "Self-rising does a good job of maintaining the crispiness and raising the height without getting too dense," she says. It creates crispy texture without weighing down the chicken. You can use self-rising flour just like any other variety to make a coating for your chicken before frying it up.

For extra creaminess, switch out some or all of the buttermilk marinade for coconut milk. It helps the crispy exterior coating adhere to the meat and adds a unique flavor to the chicken. Coconut milk is made by shredding, mixing, and pressing the flesh of a coconut with water. The result is a subtly sweet liquid that brings tropical tastes to your cooking without overpowering other ingredients. 

"Try marinating your chicken in coconut milk instead of buttermilk," says Meghan Birnbaum. "It's creamy and adds a great flavor that pairs well with spices." You can go with canned or boxed coconut milk, although the canned variety will have more fat, which means more flavor and creaminess in the marinade. Coconut cream — which is thicker and sweeter than coconut milk, thanks to more coconut in the blend — works as a chicken upgrade if you want something even richer.

For a novel twist on a classic, switch out standard onion powder with flakes. You can find them in the spice aisle, but don't be afraid to go bold with crispy onion flakes as well. Dried onions flakes are a larger alternative to powder that gives a distinct flavor as well as a hint of crunch to your fried chicken. 

"It gives it more of an onion flavor," says Rebecca Elizabeth Hollingsworth. "Onion has a bit of sweetness, and a bit of funk, and a bit savoriness. So it adds a bit of quality to it that you're not expecting."

This swap makes the onion more noticeable in your dish but you can temper it with other ingredients and seasonings. Most versions are free of added spices, but you can make your own blend by sprinkling them together in a bowl before adding to your exterior coating. 

Instead of cayenne pepper, which is a go-to for fried chicken with a subtle hint of heat, swap in something unusual. Ian Scott, head chef at The Slogar, likes sambal oelek to give it tastes similar to Korean fried chicken. "I'll add more to my buttermilk to give it spicier levels," he says. "I like to work with sambal oelek. It gives it a little bit of Korean fried chicken [funk], but nowhere near what they do with their gochujang."

Adam Carry favors crawfish broil seasoning, which incorporates multiple spices and flavors into the mix. As head chef at Picnic Provisions & Whiskey, he relies on the combination of cayenne, celery, onion, and garlic, which "adds a lot of character" to his cooking.

Don't be afraid to try something that you've never attempted before. Add spices directly to your marinade, relying on the buttermilk to balance hotter elements with its creamy taste and texture. Dried spices mixed into your coating put the flavors front and center when you take a bite, which works well if you want to go bold.

Think out of the box (or bag) when looking for a crunchy, crispy exterior for your fried chicken. "For a fun twist on the usual flour coating, grind up some pretzels in a food processor and use that instead," says Meghan Birnbaum. "It'll give your chicken an extra crunch and a unique flavor!" Most pretzels do a great job taking on the taste of other seasoning blends, dried herbs, and even grated cheese.

This swap words best with hard pretzels because when ground or smashed, they stay crunchy. You can go with salted or unsalted pretzels, although if you stick with plain, make sure to add seasoning to the blend yourself. Some pretzels have other flavors, such as honey mustard, which can be an interesting way to play with the taste of your dish. You can also adjust the grind of your food processor to create a coarse or fine coating.

You'll need to melt it to get the right consistency, but tallow is a fantastic frying oil with a high smoke point. It starts smoking at 480 F, which is much higher than most other oils, even those commonly used for fried foods. Compared to other options, it can get much hotter without burning, which keeps the taste of your fried chicken fresh.

"Tallow provides a unique taste and helps achieve a crispy texture, elevating your fried dishes," says Brian Smith, co-owner at The Butchery. It's a popular cooking oil to use with french fries, but can bring that same quality to fried chicken as well. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of your oil, keeping in mind that your chicken will cool it down at least a few degrees once it is added. This is another reason it's important not to put your bird straight from the fridge to the oil without letting it come to room temperature first.

Using mayo in place of an egg wash gives an extra creamy consistency to your fried chicken. The egg wash is used after dredging the raw chicken in flour but before coating it in the exterior layer and frying. Like egg, mayo helps the coating stick to the chicken, which is important before you drop it in the hot oil. Mayo can also elevate the flavor without changing the process dramatically. Mayo has the same rich texture as egg wash and can help other ingredients stick to your chicken. It can even be the secret ingredient to bring flavor to your air fryer Parmesan chicken with the signature fried chicken crunch.

While there are plenty of commercially-available mayos with varying flavors out there, traditional mayo uses egg as one of its main ingredients. Keep that it mind if you're swapping out mayo due to an allergy or sensitivity. Fortunately, it's easy to find egg-free mayo at the store as long as you pay close attention to the ingredients list.

Beer-battered fried fish is a popular dish and the same method can be used with chicken. Just sub out some water with beer for a similar frying experience with a twist. You can mix up batter with flour, spices, and, of course, beer. Dip your marinated chicken in the batter before frying for some extra depth. Experiment with different brews, which all have their own unique taste. While it won't be as noticeable in the chicken as it is in your glass, the various accents can still come through. The carbonation in beer also helps the inside of the chicken stay tender as the outside gets that signature crunch.

You can also pull the vodka out of the liquor cabinet to make your fried chicken extra juicy. As the chicken fries, the vodka evaporates rapidly, which makes the exterior fry faster. Incorporate a little bit in place of water when you make your marinade or post-dredging liquid. The spirit doesn't change the flavor but it will ensure that your chicken crisps up even more while still maintaining a tender inside.

Finely grated hard cheese, such as Parmesan, can create a coating similar to breadcrumbs. You can swap out some or all when making fried chicken. Just mix in a portion with your dry ingredients. The measurements aren't as particular as in some other recipes, so add as much or as little cheese as you like. You can also play around with different Parmesan variations and ages, which can have different flavor. Any hard cheese works in place of Parmesan, although you should steer clear of soft cheese unless you want to start experimenting with texture as well.

Many chefs, including Ina Garten, prefer to grate their own Parmesan cheese for any dish. This tip is especially helpful when you want to add it to your fried chicken coating. Embracing DIY in the kitchen allows you to customize how fine or coarse you want the cheese. If you're adding it alongside panko, larger pieces work best. To mix Parmesan in with fine flour, however, you'll need to grate it finer as well. Fortunately, there are plenty of versatile graters out there that have multiple options in one tool.

Another breadcrumb swap takes inspiration from the breakfast table. Use cornflakes, either finely ground or with larger chunks, instead of breadcrumbs for your coating. Larger pieces have a tendency to fall off, so make sure that your chicken is prepped for frying. This means dredging it in flour or superfine ground-up cornflakes and adding a liquid layer like buttermilk or egg to help the final exterior coating stay on the bird.

Most cornflakes are lightly sweetened, which is one reason why they work so well with fried chicken. The sugar provides a different taste to the typical saltiness, especially if you brine the chicken ahead of time. You can also add a pinch of powdered sugar to your dredging flour or your crispy coating. Don't be afraid to play with spices as well, especially those that add a little heat like cayenne. Your taste buds will love the sweet and spicy combo, not to mention the juicy fried chicken that comes with it.

Both Greek yogurt and sour cream bring in a similar tang to buttermilk when used to fry chicken. You can mix them into your liquid ingredients to use as a marinade or coat your chicken before adhering the exterior coating and frying. Either way, these add a little zing — similar to a brine — that brings out other flavors as well. 

The main difference between these options and traditional buttermilk is that they are considerably thicker. You may need to experiment with the consistency by adding water to get just the right mixture. Add a tablespoon of water at a time to your Greek yogurt or sour cream, stirring until it is completely incorporated. It should be close to the same consistency as buttermilk. Too thin and it will run right off the chicken, while yogurt or sour cream that is too thick might be more tang that you want to get. Of course, it's also up to personal preference, so don't be afraid to experiment.

The secret to briny fried chicken is pickle juice in your marinade. The vinegar and salt make the chicken extra tender, which means super juicy and delectable chicken once it gets fried. Just make sure that you give your chicken at least a few hours to get the best results. 

Pickle juice also has a lot of spices and seasoning that add flavor to your dish, even if you use them as a marinade. You can also mix a small amount of brine into batter, but keep the liquid content in mind and keep a light hand when spooning the pickly goodness.

You can also swap out other pickled or fermenting liquid, including kimchi or even sauerkraut. Kimchi is made with fermented and salted vegetables, while sauerkraut is specifically fermented cabbage. These have different seasonings than pickles, but you can get the same bite if you use these liquids.

Some seasoning brands make blends to use with ranch dip or to make your own buffalo sauce. You can often find them in the spice aisle in packets, which are perfect to try with your next batch of fried chicken. Ranch uses a combination of buttermilk and dill, plus other spices and seasonings, while buffalo seasoning has a bit more heat from peppers like cayenne and chili. Sprinkle these into your batter or breadcrumbs to incorporate your favorite flavors in every bite. You can also mix them into your marinade to coat the chicken before getting it ready to fry.

If you opt for a prepared dressing, such as one of the ranch or buffalo sauce, you can use it in place of your buttermilk, egg wash, mayo, or other liquid to coat the chicken before you fry it. Ranch is a closer substitute for buttermilk because it has the same creaminess, while buffalo sauce has a smokier flavor, plus that signature spice. You can even combine the two to create your own blend. This adds a lot more flavor to your chicken overall.