Whether you are cooking for a crowd or looking for a way to cut your trans fat intake, par-cooking chicken before you fry it is a simple way to cut down on the amount of time chicken sits in oil. The "par" in par-cooked stands for partially cooked. The only time it is safe to par-cook chicken is if you immediately finish cooking it because the bacteria in partially cooked chicken has not been destroyed, according to the U.S. Food and Safety Administration.

Rinse the chicken under cold water and discard the packaging.

Place the chicken in a stock pot, and add water until it completely covers the chicken.

Stir in 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup black pepper and 1/4 cup garlic powder.

Place the pot on the stovetop, and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring the water to a boil, then adjust the heat to medium. Simmer the chicken pieces for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Remove the partially cooked chicken from the water. It is now ready to be battered and fried.