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"The distillation of all that is good about chicken" is how my brother described these crispy chicken skin. Let's face it, the skin is the best part about eating chicken, especially if it's crispy, AND can be done in just a few minutes!
I came up with this recipe because I needed to remove the skin from my chicken for a dish I was making, and it seemed like such a waste to throw it away. I had an idea to make crispy chicken skin, but I didn't want to spend much time on it because I only had a few pieces (as most people would). So I tried this method, and a few minutes later I had the most epic snack/salad sprinkles in my hands and I just HAD to share it with you! Munchy like chips, but full of savouriness like pork crackling, the only sad part about these is there is never enough of them! I will never buy boneless skinless chicken breast again now that I know what I can do with the skin!
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Crispy Chicken Skin in Minutes!
Ingredients
- Chicken skin, preferably large pieces, such as one from a whole chicken breast (with two sides) or from a leg-thigh combo.
- Salt and pepper, or other seasoning of your choice
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Instructions
In a small pot, bring about ½ inch of water to a boil. Add chicken skin and blanch for 15-20 seconds just until the skin is fully cooked. Remove and place on a piece of paper towel to absorb excess water.
Once the skin is cool enough to handle, pull off any big pieces of fat or meat that is attached to the skin. Pay particular attention to the edges of the skin, which is where thick chunks of fat like to live.
Transfer 2 pieces of chicken skin to another plate lined with 2 layers of paper towel, season with salt and pepper or any other seasoning you like. Cover loosely with 2 more layers of paper towel and microwave on full power for about 3 minutes or until golden and crispy (see "important tips" below). It will pop aggressively in the beginning; this is okay. If your chicken pieces are smaller it may take less than 3 minutes. You can tell it is done when the popping and spattering stops.
Remove from the microwave and let cool before eating. If there are corners that are still soft, you can try microwaving it a bit longer or just snip it off with scissors like I do!
IMPORTANT TIPS:
- Every microwave is different, so the instructions above are for 1000-watt microwave. If yours has a lower wattage, you may need to do one piece at a time or microwave for a bit longer.
- Do not microwave more than 2 (big) pieces of skin at once. You need intense heat in order to make the skin puff up and become light and crunchy. If you put too many in, the heat per-piece will be too low, and the skin will slowly crisp, which will cause them to be hard and dense. Trust me, I've done it!
- If you have only 1 piece, you may only need to microwave it for less time—the best thing to do is listen for when the popping and spattering stops.
- I suggest not putting a piece smack in the center of the plate because the center doesn't move around as the plate rotates, and it could burn more easily (like mine!).
ara says
I pan fried chicken skin to render the fat but the skin did not crisp up. I wonder if it will do so in the microwave if I do it from the 3rd paragraph...
Pailin Chongchitnant says
I think it will 🙂
Emma says
I'm not even slightly kidding when I say this revolutionised my life. I cannot believe this technique isn't mentioned anywhere else on the internet. THANK YOU!!