“Broasted” is actually a trademarked method that combines pressure frying with a marinated chicken in a special Broaster machine. Home cooks can get extremely close to the real restaurant broasted chicken taste and texture by using a countertop electric pressure fryer (like a Broaster 1800 or similar) or even a good stovetop pressure cooker with careful technique.Here’s the best home version that thousands of people swear tastes identical to the gas station or chicken joint broasted chicken.
Serves:4–6
Prep time: 15 minutes + 4–24 hours marinating Cook time: 12–15 minutes per batch Total time: About 45 minutes (plus marinating)
Ingredients
Marinade(Essential for authentic flavor)
– 4–5 lbs chicken pieces (legs, thighs, breasts cut in half, wings – bone-in, skin-on) – 4 cups cold water – ¼ cup kosher salt – ¼ cup sugar – 2 Tbsp paprika – 1 Tbsp garlic powder – 1 Tbsp onion powder – 1 tsp black pepper – 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional for heat)
Egg Wash-
2 large eggs – 1 cup milk (or buttermilk) – 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
Seasoned Flour Coating-
3 cups all-purp Coating-r – ⅓ cup cornstarch – 2 Tbsp paprika – 1 Tbsp garlic powder – 1 Tbsp onion powder – 2 tsp kosher salt – 2 tsp black pepper – 1 tsp cay optional
per – 1 tsp dried thyme (dried) – 1 tsp oregano (dried) – ½ tsp baking powder (helps crisp)
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Crispy “Air Fryer Fried” Chicken (Tastes like real fried chicken, no pressure fryer needed)
This recipe gives you crunchy, juicy chicken that’s honestly 95% as good as broasted or KFC, but cooked in an air fryer with barely any oil.Serves: 4–6 Prep: 15 minutes + optional 2–24 hour marinade Cook time: 18–25 minutes per batch Total time: 40–60 minutes
Ingredients
**Chicken** – 3–4 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks, or split breasts work best; wings are great too)**Quick Marinade (highly recommended – makes it juicy)** – 2 cups buttermilk (or 2 cups milk + 2 Tbsp vinegar/lemon juice) – 1 Tbsp hot sauce (optional) – 1 Tbsp kosher salt – 1 tsp black pepper – 1 tsp paprika – 1 tsp garlic powder**Seasoned Flour Coating (the magic crust)** – 1½ cups all-purpose flour – ½ cup cornstarch (secret to extra crunch) – 2 tsp paprika (smoked paprika is even better) – 1½ tsp kosher salt – 1½ tsp garlic powder – 1½ tsp onion powder – 1 tsp black pepper – 1 tsp dried thyme – ½ tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you like heat) – ½ tsp baking powder (helps it bubble and crisp)**Oil spray** – Avocado oil, peanut oil, or regular cooking oil spray (a few seconds spray per piece)
Instructions1.
**Marinate (for juiciest results)** Mix buttermilk marinade ingredients in a large zip bag or bowl. Add chicken, coat well, and refrigerate 2–24 hours (even 2 hours makes a big difference; overnight is perfect).2. **Preheat air fryer** Set to 380°F (193°C) and let it run 5 minutes while you coat the chicken.3. **Make the coating** Whisk all dry coating ingredients in a large bowl or tray.4. **Coat the chicken** Remove chicken from buttermilk (let excess drip off – do NOT rinse). Press each piece firmly into the seasoned flour mixture, really pack it on so it’s thick and shaggy. Gently shake off excess. Place coated pieces on a wire rack or plate and lightly spray all sides with oil (this is what makes it brown and crispy).
5. **Air fry** – Do NOT overcrowd – cook in batches if needed. – Arrange pieces skin-side up in a single layer with a little space between. – Air fry at **380°F (193°C) for 20–25 minutes** (exact time depends on size): → Drumsticks & thighs: 22–25 min → Wings: 18–20 min → Split breasts: 24–28 min – Flip the pieces once at the halfway mark and spray the new top side lightly again with oil. – Last 3–5 minutes, bump temperature to **400°F (204°C)** for maximum crispness. Chicken is done when internal temp reaches **at least 165°F (74°C)** in the thickest part without touching bone (most people pull thighs/drumsticks at 175–185°F for best texture).6. **Rest & serve** Let rest 3–5 minutes on a rack. The crust will get even crunchier as it sits.Serve with mashed potatoes, coleslaw, pickles, or hot honey. Leftovers reheat amazingly at 375°F for 4–6 minutes.This is the #1 air-fryer chicken recipe people make over and over – it’s basically guilt-free fried chicken!
