Battering or breading fried food improperly

That delicious crispy coating is one of the most popular aspects of fried food. What a letdown when the outer layer becomes greasy, soft, burned, or, worst of all, simply falls off! To achieve the golden-brown crust of your dreams, you'll need to batter or bread the food. In either case, you'll probably start with a flour dredge, which will help the batter or breading adhere to the food, according to The Spruce Eats.

When it comes to battering, whether you go for a light and crispy batter made with sparkling water or a heartier batter made with beer, time is of the essence. Make the batter just before using and set up a station so that each piece of food can be dipped into the batter right before adding it to the hot oil, minimizing mess. Another method for creating a crispy coating is breading, which requires three distinct steps. Dredge the food, then dip it in egg to help the breading adhere, and finally coat it in bread, which can be made from regular breadcrumbs, panko breadcrumbs, or even seasoned breadcrumbs.