Which sauces go best with fried chicken?
Fried chicken has a taste that is elevated exponentially when it is paired with the right sauce. From tart to tangy, spicy to sweet, which you prefer depends on your particular palette. And while there is no wrong answer if you thoroughly enjoy it, here are the types of sauces we believe to be the best you can pair with any plate of fried chicken.
Classic Hot Sauce
This shouldn’t need an explanation as to why it’s a favorite of ours, but we’ll give you one anyway: hot sauce and chicken are a perfect pair. Classic hot sauce elevates the spices in the crispy breading of your chicken and offers a sharp taste on the tongue. Though there are virtually no limits to how hot your hot sauce can go, a mild level will even do the trick.
Honey Barbecue
Is there really a better combination than the sweet and smokey stickiness of honey barbecue sauce? Add it to the hot, crunchy chicken and you’ll have a combination of sweet and savory all at the same time. The flavors mingle together perfectly and you can add it to pretty much any type of fried chicken, too. The sweet tones of this sauce are a stunning match for the soft, hot chicken and the smokey notes are a contradiction of the crunchiness.
Peanut Sauce
If you fancy something a little more exotic, a peanut dipping sauce could be the way to go. Adding your fried chicken to crispy veggies and rice is one thing, but a side of Asian-inspired peanut sauce can turn your plain crispy chicken into an Eastern wonder. You can either drizzle it or dip it, serve it over shredded cabbage and just enjoy the contrasting spiciness of the nuts on the chicken!
Garlic Sauce
Most people pair garlic sauce with grilled or roasted chicken, but there is a total game changer in flavor when you add it to crispy fried chicken. Roasted garlic, roasted shallots, port wine – what more could you want? Adding it in your line up with fried chicken will change your life, especially when this dipping sauce is left to be cold rather than warmed up. The hot and cold contrast is delicious, and it’s worth it being on the dipping tray! It brings garlic sauce to a whole new level when you have fried chicken to pair with it.
Teriyaki Sauce
Made with a sweet combination of sugar, mirin and soy sauce, teriyaki sauce is one of the best sauces to dip fried chicken into. You will find that the added mirin makes this a sticky, tangy and sweet sauce that complements the salty goodness of the chicken really well. It’s one of the sauces that can give your chicken an Eastern twist. It’s easy to make yourself as it only needs the pantry staples, and works whether your chicken is crispy fried or not. Usually, Japanese teriyaki is a thin sauce but when you make it yourself, you’ll find it to be any thickness you prefer. Most of the western recipes have a cornstarch slurry, and that adds a thickener!
All fried chicken is delicious (really, it is) but when you add any of the sauces above, you take it to another level. To take your fried chicken experience even further, add crunchy veggies and soft potatoes. Your choice of sauces is wide, and you don’t have to stick to just one type, not when there are so many options. Take the time to choose sauces that interest you, but don’t say no to any of the ones above – try them all and make your mouth sing!