Chef Marcus Samuelsson's Tips And Tricks For Game-Day Fried Chicken

Chef, TV personality, and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson continues to have a stellar culinary career doing what he loves best, which in his own words is "chasing flavors." The Ethiopian-born chef raised in Sweden began his career in Europe before moving to the U.S. where he opened such iconic spots as Red Rooster Harlem, among others. His global perspective shines through in how he combines seasonings to produce unique flavor profiles for such simple dishes as corn on the cob, which he tops with soy sauce, garlic, Aleppo pepper, and butter.

His take on game day fried chicken is equally unique and mouthwatering. Beyond this, he has some simple and effective tips and tricks to up your own Super Bowl fried chicken that will have your guests cheering. Among these techniques are ways to build up layers of flavor for a craveable dish, the importance of texture, and some time-saving steps so you won't lose your cool on game day. Samuelsson gave a cooking demonstration at the OXO Chefs in Residence Big Game Event held at his restaurant Metropolis in Manhattan on January 30, 2025, using some of the company's cooking tools, including one of his favorites, the OXO etched ginger and garlic grater, thanks to its small size but great stability. 

Chef Marcus Samuelsson calls his game day dish miso hot chicken and caviar. It's bite-sized fried chicken with a hot miso honey glaze, a coconut milk dip, and a dollop of caviar on top. And yes, we can attest, it's incredibly delicious with multiple layers of sweet, savory, salty, and sour notes. Building up the various flavors begins with the neutral oil (he used canola), which is flavored with thyme and rosemary. To do this, simply heat a few sprigs of the herbs in the oil until they begin to sizzle and then discard. The herbs will add an extra layer of flavor to the chicken.

Samuelsson uses bone-out thigh meat that's marinated overnight in a mixture of eggs, buttermilk, gochujang, soy sauce, fish sauce, and salt and pepper, for another layer deep flavors. The chicken pieces are then dredged in a combination of all-purpose flour, panko breadcrumbs, and various spices like salt, Old Bay, black pepper, granulated garlic and onion, and herbs de Provence. He also adds berbere. Berbere, an Ethiopian spice blend of peppers and herbs, is one of Samuelson's favorites, along with the underrated soungouff ou crevettes, another African spice blend. "We're building flavors," he said during the event. "That's what we're doing with this dish."

In chef Marcus Samuelsson's fried chicken dish he continues building flavors with a miso hot honey glaze that includes honey, white miso, soy, curry powder, more berbere, roasted garlic, smoked paprika, and lemon thyme, to which he adds a few drops of the flavored cooking oil. The chicken is tossed in the hot honey mixture and finished with a dipping sauce made of mayonnaise, coconut milk, lemon zest, dill, chives, parsley, and garlic. The dip is drizzled on the plate with the chicken and a dollop of caviar on top. "So much of the food during game day is about craveability and that's sweet, salty, and heat, but also fermented and miso is great to add into that," Samuelsson said. "We get the umami from both the miso [in the hot honey glaze] and also in our dip as well."

Besides the many layers of flavor, Samuelsson gives equal attention to texture. "The crunch is key here," he said, since a crisp texture can make bite-sized food feel a bit more filling and can still be eaten while walking around or holding a drink. Dredging the chicken in flour, panko, and, most importantly, cornstarch will make it extra crunchy, he said.

While chef Marcus Samuelsson's fried chicken dish may seem complex, much of it can be done days ahead, such as the miso hot honey glaze. Another time saving tip is to use chicken you've already cooked for another meal. "Some of the best fried chicken in the world is actually a meal before," he said. "If you think about Filipino fried chicken, it was a curry or stew the day before then they take the cooked chicken and fry it up." This has the benefit of speeding up the cooking time of the chicken but also adds another layer of flavor to the dish.

Another important tip from Samuelsson when frying is to not crowd the pan since the chicken lowers the temperature of the oil and to not overfill the pan with oil to prevent it from bubbling over the top. For a vegetarian take on this dish, he suggests using portobello or shiitake mushrooms in place of the chicken or, for pescatarians, substitute catfish. Samuelsson's advice will without a doubt help elevate your fried chicken. And whether you decide to try his dish or just take some of his tips to use for your own fried chicken, don't stress. "This is a dish I think everyone can enjoy," he said.