Fried Chicken
No, we're not frying in the pot. And we're not pressure-frying chicken. The pot's not built for such measures. Instead, we're using the pressure in the pot to tenderize the chicken and infuse the flavors into the meat, rendering out a little of the fat to make the thighs even crispier when they eventually hit the hot oil. After cooking under pressure, we can't fry them in the pot with the SAUTE function on HIGH or MORE. First, we can only fit two at a time, slowing down the process. But more importantly, since we suggest pan-frying the chicken, rather than deep-frying it, the high-sided pot catches and keeps steam inside the insert, rendering the exposed skin above the oil too gummy.
No, we're not frying in the pot. And we're not pressure-frying chicken. The pot's not built for such measures. Instead, we're using the pressure in the pot to tenderize the chicken and infuse the flavors into the meat, rendering out a little of the fat to make the thighs even crispier when they eventually hit the hot oil. After cooking under pressure, we can't fry them in the pot with the SAUTE function on HIGH or MORE. First, we can only fit two at a time, slowing down the process. But more importantly, since we suggest pan-frying the chicken, rather than deep-frying it, the high-sided pot catches and keeps steam inside the insert, rendering the exposed skin above the oil too gummy.
- Carbohydrate 0.572539374349746 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0901052081822607 g
- Fiber 0.304547924102151 g
- Protein 0.132363749827812 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0186285208088351 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (61g)
- Sodium 305.00648333494 mg
- Sugar 0.267991450247595 g
- Trans Fat 0.00985770831816775 g
- Calories 3 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix the paprika, salt, onion powder, sage, thyme, pepper, and garlic powder on a large plate until uniform. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and roll the chicken in this mixture to coat the pieces evenly and thoroughly.
- Pour the water into the cooker. Set a heat- and pressure-safe trivet in the pot. Stack the thighs on the trivet. Lock the lid onto the cooker.
- Press Pressure cook on Max pressure for 10 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
- Press Steam or Pressure cook (Manual) on High pressure for 15 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
- Use the quick-release method to bring the pot’s pressure back to normal. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Line a large lipped baking sheet with paper towels. Use kitchen tongs to transfer the hot thighs to a large, lipped baking sheet. Set aside to dry for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Set a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Pour in enough oil to come about 1/2 inch up the sides—or melt enough shortening in the skillet to come to the same depth. Continue heating until the fat shimmers.
- Slip three of the thighs skin side down into the oil. Fry until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Turn and continue frying until golden, crisp, and cooked through, about another 10 minutes. Transfer the thighs to a wire cooling rack and salt as desired. Add enough oil or shortening to get the depth back to 1/2 inch if necessary and wait a moment or two make sure the oil is again hot. Fry the remainder of the thighs in the same way. Serve warm.
Why does meat steamed or cooked under pressure emerge wet when the goal is a shattering crust? Water molecules trapped within muscle fibers turn to steam under enclosed heat, forcing proteins to tighten and expel excess moisture outward toward the surface. When bone-in skin-on chicken thighs spend ten minutes on a trivet above water inside a sealed chamber, the interior saturates with flavor compounds from the spice rub while internal fats begin to render. This initial steaming step forces the collagen inside the connective tissue to break down into gelatin efficiently, guaranteeing tender meat long before any frying oil touches the exterior. Skipping this preparatory phase leaves thick subcutaneous fat layers intact, which then fail to crisp properly during subsequent pan frying.
Moisture remains the absolute enemy of frying oil. Transferring the hot steamed meat onto a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and allowing the pieces to sit uncovered for twenty minutes permits ambient air currents to evaporate surface water completely. Without this drying window, introducing wet chicken into a shallow skillet of hot peanut oil causes violent spattering and lowers the temperature of the fat precipitously, resulting in a soggy, pale coating rather than a golden crunch. The skin must look matte and dry to the touch before it slides into the skillet.
Shallow frying requires maintaining a lipid depth of approximately one-half inch in a wide twelve-inch skillet over medium heat, ensuring the heat transfers steadily without submerging the entire piece. When three thighs enter the shimmering oil skin-side down, the remaining rendered fat in the skin interacts with the surrounding oil, instantly initiating the Maillard reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars. Ten minutes pass before the first turn yields a deep amber crust, while a subsequent ten-minute flip finishes the cooking process uniformly. Overcrowding the pan introduces too much thermal drag, dropping the oil temperature and causing the breading-free skin to absorb grease instead of frying in it.
Managing thermal recovery between batches preserves the integrity of the second half of the recipe. Replenishing the oil to the original one-half-inch level and waiting two minutes for the temperature to rebound guarantees that the final three thighs fry with the same vigor as the first round. Resting finished pieces on a wire cooling rack rather than a flat plate prevents steam from condensing underneath the crisp bottom crust, keeping every bite audibly crunchy until serving time.
