If fried chicken is going to be a serious part of your summer menu, the decision between broasting and conventional deep frying is worth understanding before you commit to equipment. The two methods produce fundamentally different results. And for certain service models and menus, the gap matters a great deal.
What is the actual difference between broasting and deep frying?
Deep frying submerges chicken in hot oil at atmospheric pressure. The result depends heavily on oil temperature management, batch size, and timing. At high service volumes, maintaining consistency requires real discipline in the kitchen. At its best, a well-run deep fryer produces excellent fried chicken. At its worst, it produces greasy, unevenly cooked product that degrades faster under sauce or during hold time.
Broasting (the method used by Broaster pressure fryers) adds pressure to the frying process. The sealed chamber forces heat and moisture into the protein simultaneously, which seals the juices inside the chicken while the exterior crisps rapidly under pressure. The result is consistently juicier, more evenly cooked chicken that holds better under sauce, tolerates hold time better, and produces fewer rejects across a busy service.
Does broasted chicken taste noticeably different to the guest?
Yes, and it’s not subtle. The pressurized cooking environment locks moisture that open frying releases. Guests eating Broaster chicken notice the juiciness immediately, particularly with bone-in pieces like thighs and drums, where the difference between broasted and conventionally fried is most pronounced. It’s the reason the Genuine Broaster Chicken program is a credentialed, trademarked menu program, not just a cooking method: the product is distinctive enough to be a marketing asset.
Which service model is broasting better suited to?
Broasting is the right call when volume and consistency matter together; when you need to run high ticket counts of fried chicken and deliver a consistent result across every batch, across every shift, without the variance that an open fryer introduces. For a dedicated wings program, a fried chicken sandwich LTO, or a takeout and delivery operation where hold time is a real factor, the Broaster platform outperforms a conventional deep fryer on the metrics that matter.
Deep frying remains appropriate for operations running a very wide variety of fried items at lower individual volumes where the flexibility of an open fryer to handle different batters, temperatures, and products is more valuable than the consistency advantage of a sealed pressure system.
Which Broaster model do I start with?
For most restaurants and food service operations evaluating a pressure fryer for the first time, the Broaster 1800 is the right starting point. It’s a proven commercial unit with the capacity to handle real service volumes, a manageable footprint, and a proven track record in Canadian operations. If your volume projects higher or you’re running multiple dayparts with significant fried chicken volume, the Broaster 2400 adds meaningful capacity. For counter-service or ventless-priority operations, the ES18G and ES24G bring Broaster performance to a more compact format.
The full pressure fryer lineup is available to browse on the Kendale site, or contact us directly and we’ll match you with the right unit for your specific kitchen and menu.
What seasoning works best with a Broaster pressure fryer?
Because the pressurized cooking environment amplifies flavor penetration, the pre-fry marinade and seasoning matter more than they do in open frying. The Genuine Broaster Chicken program includes a marinade and breading system specifically designed for the pressure fryer — it’s the baseline for operators who want the full Broasted Chicken trademark program.
For operators building their own flavor profile outside the trademark program, Blues Hog All In Seasoning from Central Sauce & Spice is a versatile all-protein seasoning that holds up through the pressure cook cycle. For chicken specifically, Blues Hog Sweet & Savory Seasoning delivers a well-balanced base that works with any finishing sauce direction. And for operators building a hot honey LTO, see How to Build a Hot Honey Fried Chicken LTO with a Broaster Pressure Fryer for the specific sauce and seasoning approach.
Where should I go from here?
For the full summer fried chicken program, from wings to sandwiches to sauce flights, How to Build a Summer Wings Program That Actually Makes Money gives you the end-to-end operator view. The Summer Patio BBQ Playbook situates the fried chicken decision alongside the other equipment and menu choices you’re making for patio season.
Talk to the Kendale team about the right Broaster setup for your operation. Financing is available, and we handle delivery, installation, and in-person training anywhere in Canada.
