For The Crunchiest Fried Chicken, Look Toward A Popular Instant Meal

There are few greater pleasures in life than biting into a piece of extra-crispy fried chicken. The combination of the tender, juicy meat contrasts the crunchiness of the fried coating in what many refer to as "finger-licking good" form. But there are many mistakes you can make while cooking fried chicken that can cause your crust to go soggy. 

Fortunately, there's a product that's probably already in your pantry that can help you achieve that crisp crust you dream of every single time: instant ramen. These pre-fried noodles get even crispier when fried a second time. They also keep the resulting fried chicken crunchy longer. 

Your breading station starts as it usually does. Assemble dry ingredients like seasoned flour or cornstarch in the first shallow bowl. The next bowl usually takes egg or egg wash, though you can amp up the texture and flavor by adding the ramen seasoning packet and swapping the egg for a mixture of club soda, flour, and cornstarch. The soda keeps the batter light. For the ramen dish, you can use a rolling pin or mallet to crush the noodles, but there's no need to pulverize them. You get the most satisfying crunch when you keep them fairly uneven in size. From there, it's your classic three-stop breading station — dip your chicken in the dry coating, the wet batter, and lastly, your crushed ramen mixture before frying until golden brown.

Instant ramen is arguably having a bit of a renaissance, and now more than ever, there are endless brands and types to choose from. Any instant ramen noodles are great options for a crispy-fried chicken, but this is also a clever way to use the ramen seasoning packet, so you may want to spring for special flavors too.

Nissin and Maruchan are two of the biggest instant ramen brands in the United States, making them the most accessible. Both boast loads of delicious umami flavor, and you can't go wrong with those choices. But if you prefer a kick, options like Buldak Spicy Chicken Flavor, Indomie Mi Goreng Instant Noodles, and Nongshim Gourmet Spicy Shin Instant Ramen are available in packs of 12 to 20 on Amazon. Even better, some come with extra sauce packets (in addition to the seasoning packets) that make for a perfect dip.

But you aren't limited to the seasoning packet. Instant ramen acts as a blank canvas. One unexpected ingredient you need to be adding to your instant ramen is ranch powder — with or without the seasoning packet. It's also surprisingly delicious with Mexican flavors. In fact, Tapatío hot sauce has their own line of instant ramen. And all you need to make it happen is chicken, instant ramen, and a rolling pin.