Anyone who loves fried chicken probably thinks the best part of fried chicken is the skin. If you save those crispy parts for last so you can savor them, then you'll be delighted to know you can make the crispiest, crunchiest chicken skin chicharon with this easy recipe. Plus, you don't need a lot of ingredients, too.
What Is Chicken Skin
Chicken skin is literally what it sounds like: the skin of the chicken removed from the meaty chicken parts. These are not commonly removed but when it is, these pieces can be made into chicken chicharon or fried chicken skins.
This is another version of the common crunchy pork rinds and the chicharon bulaklak or pork intestines that many of us are familiar with but made with chicken. The good news is that the process is much simpler if you use chicken skin than if you use pork.
How To Serve Chicken Skin
Chicken skin is commonly served with spiced vinegar to combat its fattiness. The sour tang is a great complement to the salty, umami-packed chicken skin bits. You can also serve these with garlic mayonnaise wherein the creaminess of the mayo tames the savory taste of the chicharon.
How To Cook Chicken Skin
To cook chicken skin, it's really about knowing how to fry food. The chicken skin must first be seasoned so it's tasty right off the bat! These are gently fried in hot oil, just like fried chicken, but the good news is that it takes much less time since it's much thinner cuts of chicken.
You however need to be careful when frying these because chicken skin contains fat and water and these can pop up as the dreaded talsik. You can stand back or cover the pan with a splash guard or even a lid until the popping stops when you add them to the hot oil at first. Once in and frying, these take just minutes to get browned and crispy.
Be ready with tongs to fish these out and drain on racks over paper towels to catch any excess oil. Once out, serve immediately because you don't want to lose out biting into the crispiness!
Tips To Make Crispy Chicken Skin
1 Blot off all excess moisture.
You should know your Chicken Frying 101 lessons and avoid the splatters as much as possible. To do this, protect yourself and remember to blot off the moisture before you even place the chicken skin in the oil.
2 Season well.
Chicken skin is delicious but it's not going to be as delicious if you don't season them well. You can move beyond salt and pepper and add spices but even then, the key is to season them so they're tasty even without a quick dip in spiced vinegar or mayo.
If you want to check your seasoning, cook a little piece properly and adjust accordingly. Cook again until you're satified with the way it taste.
3 Serve immediately.
We know how people like to save these best bits for last but in this case, don't wait! Serve immediately and with your choice of dips as desired so the crunch is preserved until eaten. Get maximum satisfaction with every crunch and you'll want to make these for every barkada gathering from now on.
How To Store Chicken Skin
Chicken skin, like fried chicken, is best stored in a container with a lid. These naturally will get soft while in storage but the great thing about chicken skin is that these are easy to reheat and make crispy again! Just reheat in hot oil or even the air fryer or toaster oven until heated thoroughly. These will crisp up again and you can enjoy them for another session as desired.