Admit it. You LOVE fried chicken, fried green tomatoes and chicken fried steak. You NEVER fix it for dinner because every time you attempt to make it, the breading slides off in the pan leaving your dish naked and ugly. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME! Don’t sweat it, just read on and that will NEVER be a problem again. EVER. Because here we have THE SECRET TO BREADING THAT STICKS.
How many times have you planned a wonderful dinner only to leave the tasty breading sitting in the bottom of the pan looking burnt up and black? If you are like me, it only happened a few times because then you gave up! Who wants to face that kind of rejection and humiliation in the kitchen? Not anyone we want to know!
That is the reason you mostly find “oven baked fried” recipes on Loaves and Dishes (embarrassed half grin). Not anymore my friends! Not anymore!
There are a few secrets you need to know that will keep the breading on whatever you are trying to cook.
MY BREADING WON’T STICK, I NEED THE SECRET TO BREADING THAT STICKS.
It is likely that if your breading won’t stick it is because of one of the following reasons:
- You started with something that was too wet.
That’s it.
That is the main reason.
The reason? As the item starts to cook, the water in it will send out steam that pushes the breading off. That is why it is laying in the bottom of the pan!
HOW DO I GET THE BREADING TO STICK TO THE MEAT ?
There are several ways to address this but only ONE that I recommend and that is to follow the steps below…
- No matter if you are brining the meat (or other item) first or not - the item must be dry before you start the breading process.
- If brining the meat (or other item) first, remove it from the brining liquid at least an hour before you plan to start cooking and allow it to air dry on a drying rack (over a sheet pan, of course). You can do this in the refrigerator - I would allow it to sit uncovered in the fridge - just to help with the drying process - but that is up to you.
- If you are NOT brining, remove the item from the package, apply a sprinkle of kosher salt and allow it to rest as described above on a drying rack - over a sheet pan.
- Dry the item well with several layers of paper towels too. I usually give mine a little press while I am drying it - just to make sure that I did get all of the water out (if trying to make fried green tomatoes - just a little pat). (You may or may not know this, but often the meat we purchase at the grocery is “plumped up” with salt water. This really doesn’t help the taste of the meat - but it does add weight that you pay for - so there you go).
- Score the meat lightly with a knife (don't do this with tomatoes).
-
Do a three part breading process.
- The first will be a light coating of plain flour – nothing else.
- The second will be an egg/milk mixture
- The third will be a flour, cornmeal and seasonings mix.
- Do things in THAT specific order. Do not bread your item until you are ready to put it in the hot oil. So – if you can – have the breading station NEAR to the stove. (Just trying to help you avoid a mess).
- You will want to use containers that are big enough for the job at hand. I think the BEST solution would be three 9x9 breading trays. However, you can figure out what to do in your own kitchen. Just make sure that you have enough room in each container to adequately bread/coat each piece of meat. I’ve included a link to some containers that would make a great breading station if you are so inclined (affiliate link). You can click the photo to go through to Amazon and check the prices. I encourage you to check out your local shopping place first though - you will probably find a better price.
That’s it. That is how you get the breading to stick.
Now, if you want to know more about other aspects of perfect breading. Like, how do you cook PERFECT breaded meat? or How do you keep the breading crispy until EVERYTHING Is cooked?
Then you might want to read the tips over on my post The Secret to Perfect Chicken Fried Steak.
Below you will find a basic recipe for breading that will work with chicken or beef or pork.
THE RECIPE FOR THE SECRET TO BREADING THAT STICKS TO MEAT
THE SECRET TO BREADING THAT STICKS TO MEAT
Ingredients
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs - beaten
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbs cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tbs dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Set up three dishes for a breading station - make sure that the dishes are large enough to accommodate the pieces of meat plus the ingredients.
- For dish one, simply place ½ cup of all purpose flour.
- For the second dish, mix the 2 large eggs and the ½ cup of whole milk together well.
- For the third dish, mix ½ cup of all purpose flour, cornmeal, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, parsley, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper.
- When the oil is hot and ready, give the meat a final pat with paper towels to remove the remaining water and then dip the first piece of meat in the the first breading - plain flour only - cover completely with a light coat of the flour. Immediately dip into the egg and milk mix. Then transfer to the seasoned flour mix - pat the flour onto the meat well.
- Fry according to your directions
Notes
Nutrition
A VERSE TO SHARE.
Some things have been on my mind lately. I have searched for eloquent words to discuss it, however, as I was researching, I ran across this Billy Graham video. It is quite old and you will see that some of the topics he discusses aren't so much of a concern anymore - like AIDS for example. However, just substitute the things that we are worried about today - a nuclear North Korea, test bombs being launched, a President who may have his finger on "the button", race issues, demonstrations by the KKK that are opposed by groups with yet unknown backing.
That is just to name a few.
You get the idea.
Anyway, I could never say things better than Billy Graham, so I'm just going to include a link to one of his videos. I encourage you to take a listen.
Geno says
I imagine this will work with fish as well. I just had my panko/almond breading come right off my fish, that's why I'm here 🙁
Can't wait to try it next time!
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Geno, Let me know how it works with fish!
PLAY WITH FOOD FUSION says
Thanks for your post!
I personally do not go to such large lenghts to dry the chicken. the effective method that I use, which I feel is simpler, is to let the chicken sit for 10 to 15 minutes before deep frying. It changes from a powdery white flour look, to a seasoned wetter look. It's kind of slightly sticky then. Mine never falls off. Before when I would not let it rest after breading, it would fall off.
Kelly says
Thank you for your answer. It's kind of a no-brainer and I feel stupid that I missed it.
Wendi Spraker says
No need to feel stupid! 🙂
Anonymous says
There fact that you think Billy Graham has anything other than crazy town thinking, makes me never want to come back to this site. Try and broaden your thoughts and stay away from that brain washing.
Wendi Spraker says
I thought for a while about deleting your comment and banning you from my website, Anonymous. The fact that you didn't leave your name or your email address (even though that part is private and only I can see it) tells me that you don't want to do anything but launch rockets at me and run away scared while hiding in a cloak of anonymity. That's fine. I'm curious about something though, did you watch the video that I suggested? I bet you didn't. I say that because I am not a big Billy Graham fan actually. That said, I can look past my initial thoughts and hear the message that he is saying which is far from crazy town. Don't want to come back to this site? No problem, just stay away then. I'm sure you can find the answers to your cooking questions somewhere else. That said, I stand on my belief in Jesus because I AM a Jesus follower. Peace.
I belive says
@Wendi Spraker, though I am not as eloquent as you (alas, my response would’ve been leaning towards a sharp sword), I commend your response to such a naysayer of the sacrifice provided us as a gift. My response is not a judgement on anyone; thank you much for your time & effort to make a post for someone’s benefit. You’re thought towards Christianity is direly missed in our current society
Jojo says
@Wendi Spraker,
Well said, Wendy. Well said.🙏🏼
Wendi Spraker says
Thanks!
Jojo says
@Wendi Spraker,
Oops!! Sorry for mis-spelling your name, dear…I was so eager to get my message out there, my fingers were flying a hundred miles a minute!!! I appreciate you not backing down from your beliefs to those intolerant to others’ way of living. Cheers!
Wendi Spraker says
Haha, no problem, if someone spelling my name wrong were the worst problem today, it would be a GREAT day! Thanks for the uplifting words!! 🙂
Doug says
Works perfectly! Never dawned on me to dry the meat/ item.. Thanks so much!
Wendi Spraker says
HI Doug! It took me FOREVER to figure this out, so no worries 🙂 . It never occured to me either! I think I figured, the wetter the meat is the more there is for the breading to stick to! Not true. 🙂 . Thanks for leaving a comment! I appreciate it very much!
Hayli says
Hi, I am wanting to bake my chicken tenders instead of fry them after I bread them. What would you suggest for cooking instrutions?
Wendi Spraker says
Use the recipe for cha cha chicken or oven baked fried chicken that you can find on this site. This recipe won’t work for baked
omar says
what if am marinating the chicken ? if i dry it i will loose the marination.
i usually marinate my chicken tenders in buttermilk and spices for atleast 4 hours , then i dip them in to the flour before frying, but when i hold the chicken after frying , the coating keeps falling , can you advice on how to keep the coating stuck to the chicken after frying
thank
Wendi Spraker says
I have not tried marinating first before frying. I would think that the chicken would need to be pretty dry first. Perhaps try removing it from the marinade several hours before breading and allowing it to drop into another pan while cooling in the fridge.
Moxie says
Mysteries of the universe solved! Thanks!
Lin Laub says
Thank you for the tips and I loved the Billy Graham sermon too!
Wendi Spraker says
Thank you Lin! Welcome! Good luck with your breading!
Diana Lopes says
Omg, thank you so much for this!!! You just made my cooking atempts so much easier =)
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Diana, Thank you for the kind comments! I hope this really does help!
Mary says
This is a fantastic informative post. So many tips and tricks to successful frying. Pinned. Thanks for sharing.
I love Billy Graham, what a true man of God. I enjoy watching his crusades on TV, and they are completely relevant to today's society. Thanks for sharing his you tube sermon.
Wendi Spraker says
Hey there Mary! I'm glad you found the frying tips helpful! 🙂 It's funny how things can remain relevant over time!