Guy Fieri's Go-To Seasoning For Extra Flavorful Fried Chicken

Culinary star Guy Fieri doesn't like to eat eggs — but he sure does like the bird they come from. In fact, the Food Network star owns his own fast-food chicken chain, and it ranks No. 1 among other fried chicken purveyors. So, you might say Guy knows a thing or two about chicken. When it comes to frying up the poultry, Fieri has many tricks up his sleeve. One of them is making dill salt to top the crispy meat when it comes out of the fryer.

Fieri shared this inside tip on a video filmed at Guy's Ranch Kitchen (per YouTube). Many components go into his favorite fried chicken, from brining the meat in buttermilk and pickle juice to dredging it in a mixture of four parts flour to one part cornmeal. The crowning touch, however, is the homemade dill salt, which Fieri sprinkles over the chicken pieces as soon as they're fried.

To create the dill salt, Fieri uses a simple blend of fresh dill, kosher salt, and black pepper. Fresh dill is the key component, exuding oil that soaks into the salt for a dynamite dimension of flavor. To make the seasoning, Fieri tears up the fresh dill and tosses it into the salt and pepper blend. Dried dill can be used if fresh isn't at hand, but the flavor boost won't be quite as effective. Hot from the fryer is the ideal time to season the chicken with the salt blend, or any other seasoning toppers, as it sticks well when the chicken's exterior is fresh from the oil.

In addition to fresh dill salt, another Guy Fieri chicken trademark is the buttermilk and pickle juice brine. It often plays a starring role, no matter what kind of chicken he's frying up — from bone-in meat to tenders to a slab of fried poultry for a sandwich. It's regularly used in Fieri's restaurants, including his Chicken Guy! chain, which serves up tenders brined in the buttermilk and pickle juice combo. The secret of the brine is twofold, with the buttermilk tenderizing the meat and the pickle juice taking it over the top with a unique flavor. The chicken should be given adequate time to marinate in the brine, two hours or more. An extra blast of flavor is added by splashing even more pickle juice onto the hot meat once it's cooked, which is another technique incorporated at Fieri's restaurants. 

Another signature move, and an important step for any fried chicken dish, is letting the chicken rest pre-fry once it's dredged in batter. This allows the coating to solidly adhere to the meat, as the chicken's moisture dries and helps the meat bind with the breading. Fried chicken should also be briefly rested once it's cooked, not only to bring it to a safe eating temperature, but also to let the juices redistribute and some of the frying oil drain away for even crispier skin.

A double dredge is something else Fieri sometimes applies for extra crunch. Brined chicken is dredged in a seasoned flour, dipped in egg wash, then dredged again in a panko breadcrumb, flour, and cornstarch blend before frying. The cornstarch is key for really good crunch because it stops gluten from forming and absorbs even more liquid than flour alone can.