Housemade, hand-cut, craft, small batch: Menu buzzwords such as these create more cachet and value when used to describe menu choices. Operators recently have discovered the power of hand-breading as a simply executed extra step that can transform ho-hum fried foods into something special.
Hardee’s, which introduced Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders seven years ago, played up the human angle in ads showing robots trying to eat the sandwiches, with the tagline, “If Machines Can’t Eat it, Machines Shouldn’t Make it.”
“No other major hamburger QSR makes Handed-Breaded Chicken Tenders, so ours have remained a very popular menu item since they were first introduced,” says Brad Haley, chief marketing officer for Hardee’s. Breast meat is marinated, dipped in buttermilk, breaded in seasoned flour and fried to a golden brown. Hardee’s recently rolled out a spicy version, which is tossed in Cajun seasoning.
KFC recently introduced its first hand-breaded chicken sandwich, the spicy Zinger, to the U.S. market. The sandwich has been available worldwide for decades and is especially popular in Australia.
Made with a chicken breast filet that’s double-hand-breaded with the brand’s extra-crispy breading and a cayenne-infused spice blend, the Zinger is fried, then served with lettuce and mayo on a toasted sesame-seed bun. The Zinger represented a big commitment for the company, which invested $80 million upgrading equipment and spent six months training staffers to produce the sandwiches quickly to accommodate the lunchtime crush.
The universe of hand-breaded dishes extends well beyond chicken. According to Technomic’s MenuMonitor, the “hand-breaded” description grew 1.3% on menus year over year in 2016; on kids menus, the term jumped in use a whopping 20%. Among breaded items overall, the biggest spikes were seen in fish (3.1%), corn dogs (2.4%), fried pickles (2.1%) and fried mushrooms (0.7%).
At Whitehall Tavern in Atlanta, hand-breaded chicken turns up in Chicken Tenders with housemade honey mustard and fries and Chicken Parmesan, served over garlic butter pasta. The neighborhood-style eatery also hand-breads tilapia filet for Fish & Chips; pickle spears, which are double-breaded and served with ranch dressing; and onions, served as an accompaniment to Steak Medallions and Meatloaf.
The fryers are running full blast at Catfish Lake Restaurant near Omaha. Hand-breaded appetizers range from fresh oysters to chicken gizzards, cheddar-breaded cauliflower and butter-breaded mushrooms. Entrees include hand-breaded country-fried chicken; chicken-fried steak; whole 16-ounce farm-raised catfish; Alaskan walleye; and fried chicken breasts, wings and legs.
Hand-breading isn’t appropriate just for rustic ingredients, either. It can elevate something as refined as truffle mac ‘n’ cheese. The latter, breaded and fried, is the key component of Hopdoddy Burger Bar’s new Truffle Mac N’ Cheese burger. It’s piled atop an Angus beef patty and finished with caramelized onions and truffle aioli.
A number of Mexican dishes lend themselves to hand-breading as well. At Torchy’s Tacos, with multiple units in the Austin, Texas, area, the Fried Avocado Tacos feature avocado wedges that are breaded with flour and panko, then fried. And Abuelo’s menu features hand-breaded Jalapeno Cheese Fritters, paired with ranch dressing.
“Operators continue to look for ways to differentiate their menus from their competition, and hand-breading give them that opportunity versus pre-breaded frozen.” says Tim Shaw, senior brand manager for the Kerry Foodservice Golden Dipt brand. “Custom research, conducted earlier this year, revealed that hand breading appetizers, entrées and desserts can build brand loyalty. In addition, 70% of customers said they would be more likely to purchase a menu item that was described as “hand-breaded” over one that was not.”
Premium, all-white chicken fillet, hand dipped in buttermilk, lightly breaded and fried to a golden brown, deli pickle and mayonnaise served on a potato bun.
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The Standard Breading Process in 3 Easy Steps – Kitchen Conundrums with Thomas Joseph
FAQ
What does hand breaded chicken mean?
What is the meaning of breaded chicken?
What is the difference between breaded and battered chicken?
What is chicken finger breading made of?
What is breaded chicken?
Take your average chicken dinner from monotonous to mouthwatering. Breaded chicken is crunchy, golden brown, and delicious. What’s not to like? These seven bread chicken recipes showcase different methods and sauces, and there’s truly something for everybody—whether you love a classic chicken piccata or DIY Chinese takeout.
What are the benefits of eating baked chicken?
Roast chicken provides a good amount of protein with lower amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol, which contains more red meat. In addition, chicken meat contains large amounts of niacin and phosphorus, as well as small amounts of other minerals and also vitamin B-12, which is part of the beneficial vitamin B complex.
Is fried chicken breaded?
Breaded fried or baked chicken is a crispy and juicy treat that everyone loves. And it’s easy to make once you know the basic steps. It’s also easy to do it wrong, where the breading falls off while you’re frying it. Here’s how to do it right so that you have perfectly breaded chicken every time.
How do you make breaded chicken?
The egg is always the second step in breading chicken. The protein in eggs cooks quickly, and acts as an agent to keep the breading on the chicken. Plus, when combined with the flour, the egg turns into a gel that makes it easier for the breadcrumbs to adhere to the chicken cutlets. Breadcrumbs bring texture and flavor to breaded chicken.