Everyone who’s not vegan has eaten chicken at least once in their life, and a large amount of this population will agree with me if I say chicken is delicious. And many prefer their chicken differently; cooked with soups or stews, grilled and skewered, baked, and fried. I’m a big fan of fried chicken myself, and that crunchy, juicy, chewy, and tasty goodness is, in my opinion, very underrated.
Egg in Fried Chicken Nutrition Facts
Broiler chicken is the most commonly used in fried chicken, and breading adds a crisp or crusty coating to the chicken’s exterior while retaining the juices in the meat. And fried chicken is occasionally served with paprika or hot sauce to give it a spicy taste. It’s usually in macaroni and cheese, gravy, coleslaw, corn, and mashed potatoes. And it can be eaten straight or as part of recipes and dishes, some of which are;
- Arugula salad
- Parmesan fried chicken wings
- Sandwiches
- Nashville hot chicken
- Fried chicken and gravy poutine
- Deviled chicken
- Horseradish fried chicken
- Mini chicken and waffles
- Chicken parmesan
- Chipotle popcorn chicken
- Korean tacos
- Dino nuggets
- Buttermilk chicken biscuit
- Buttermilk fried chicken
- Pecorino chicken
- Chicken cutlets with artichoke dressing
Egg in Fried Chicken
Egg yolk has a high lecithin content, which is a major emulsifier. It holds all the ingredients firmly to the chicken, avoiding scattering while frying. It also helps retain the chicken’s moisture, otherwise be lost during frying. And it helps shorten the gluten strands in the mix with the fat from its yolk to provide a tender and toothsome result.
Carotenoid xanthophyll present in yolk gives it that bright yellow color and extends to whatever food it makes. Your fried chicken’s golden-brown or brownish-yellow color is also partially determined by egg contents. Fried chicken might still have that same color tone without eggs, but the latter also contributes to the color in the fried chicken.
Comparing both properties, you can now imagine the flavorful possibilities of combining both ingredients. And we know the binding ability of eggs allows it to work perfectly for breading chicken. But what happens when you don’t have any or can’t use it?
Substitutes for Egg in Fried Chicken
You don’t have to do away with a fried chicken recipe because you lack eggs. Instead, grab any of these substitutes;
Aquafaba and cornstarch
You’re probably asking what aquafaba is; it’s that liquid you drain from chickpeas or even beans can. Your fried chicken is not affected by the flavor, but it makes up for that with another great effect- it can be beaten just like egg whites.
It fluffs up and brings about a nice light coating without baking soda. However, make sure the mixture of aquafaba and cornstarch is thick enough. You don’t have to coat the chicken in flour before dipping or coating it on the mixture. If the chicken is dry enough (pat it dry), the coating will stick to the chicken on its own.
Buttermilk Milk Powder
This substitute is for people who prefer something that isn’t flat-tasting than aquafaba or water, and this is a dairy alternative you can try. You’ll have to work fast using this alternative, whether flour and buttermilk, milk, heavy cream, or yogurt. The reason for this is that they’re susceptible to cooking very fast. So you’ll be exposing these dairy products directly to high heat, cooking the proteins and fats in dairy products in a regular batter with eggs, so the eggs protect these products from cooking too much.
So, in this case, where we’re working without eggs, you need to work with small pieces of chicken that cook through very quickly to prevent overcooking. These options will lock in moisture, but not everyone will be satisfied with the taste, especially the yogurt. Still, they’re better than nothing.
Water and Seasoned Flour Dredge
This combo is another substitute for egg in fried chicken and the most basic dredge of all. The chicken will cook a lot faster and might come out mostly dry. Make sure your flour is very well seasoned and achieve a paste-like and thick consistency. Avoid making the coating too thick, else the heat won’t go through the flour and won’t cook properly.
So what you need to do is first dip the chicken in dry, seasoned flour, then take it through the flour and water dredge mixture. This way, the breading can properly stick. And you can dip it in the paste again and then coat it with flour to get a crispy chicken coating.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What do you do if you don’t have eggs to fry chicken?
When you don’t have eggs, you can use flour and water slurry, mix equal parts of flour and water and mix thoroughly in a small bowl. Use a two to one water and flour ratio for a lighter consistency. You can also use cornstarch, arrowroot powder, chickpea flour, and rice flour to make slurries.
Does fry batter need eggs?
The simplest fry batters involve sparkling water, flour, pepper, and baking soda. This is the regular batter for crispy and swollen fried food and frying vegetables, fish, or chicken without an egg.
Can you fry without an egg?
The egg is generally used in frying, but you can also make fried or breaded foods without eggs. You can use tomato paste, chia seeds, and even oil.
Conclusion
We’re sure it’s very obvious by now how important eggs can be in fried chicken, playing multiple roles to bring us our beloved fried chicken. And by now, we’re sure it’s obvious how hard it can be working with an eggless batter. But you have no more worries as we’ve provided impressive substitutes for eggs in fried chicken.