Bread – How to make the panko bread stick to the egg-coated chicken

The three step method should work for this.

This being dredge the cooked chicken in flour, then egg wash and finally the bread crumbs(ideally Panko bread crumbs).

The other way is to do a tempura batter. But to make sure the tempura batter is effective, make sure to dredge the chicken in flour first.

Good Luck,

I will be doing this soon and I can give the results. The three step method is the best method I have found for breading and frying meats in general.

160C sounds about right for cooking oil temp. I typically shallow fry on the stovetop for about 10-12 minutes for the thighs and then transfer them to a 175C oven to finish cooking (if needed) and then repeat with the breasts. I would stay away from "battering" if you are looking to replicate something like popeye's.

A few things I do to ensure a nice thick crunchy crust:

1. Put your flour (seasoning or not thats up to you) in a very large zip top bag or paper bag will work too so that when you put the chicken in you can "tumble" it around to be coated like in a dryer. I find that this is cleaner and more effective in creating a crust.
2. pull out the dredged chicken, redip it in the buttermilk and then throw it back in the bag to tumble.
3. let the chicken rest on an elevated rack for 15-20 minutes (up to an hour ideally) to allow the dredge to set and adhere to the chicken well. This helps prevent the dreaded "skin falling off the meat" phenomenon.