Not all fried chicken is created equal. Below, KFC's secret recipe for drumstick perfection is revealed.
Nothing says comfort food quite like a bucket of fried chicken. But few places do it better than the aptly named Kentucky Fried Chicken, one of the most popular fast food restaurants, especially when paired with creamy mashed potatoes and a buttery biscuit.
What sets Kentucky Fried Chicken apart from the rest? It’s not just their affordable prices and convenience. It’s also how crispy they’re able to make their chicken (there’s a reason it’s called extra crispy!). Now, you can recreate KFC’s secret recipe at home by following the steps below. We bet you won’t even be able to taste a difference. One thing we already know: why KFC changed its name from Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Eleven secret spices
Want to really nail the traditional flavor of Kentucky Fried Chicken? It’s all about their 11-spice seasoning blend. Combine KFC’s secret recipe for its breading with two cups of flour to thoroughly coat your chicken pieces after dipping in an egg and milk wash. This is what makes consumers come back and want more—even making some want it so much they K-F-C them in court with fast-food lawsuits!
- 2/3 tablespoon salt
- 3 tablespoons white pepper
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon basil
- 1 tablespoon celery salt
- 1 tablespoon dried mustard
- 2 tablespoons garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/3 tablespoon oregano
- 4 tablespoons paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon thyme
Fry immediately
Some insist that you should let the coated chicken sit before frying. Not at KFC—their rule is “from flour to fryer.” If the chicken is left to sit, the breading will soften for a less-than-crispy result and the skin will fall off the chicken too easily.
All about the fryer
KFC swears by high-temperature, industrial-strength pressure fryers for their extra-crispy skin. While you won’t be able to deep fry with your at-home pressure cooker, you can still recreate the KFC crunch with a deep fryer, a Dutch oven, or a heavy-bottomed pot. Simply heat your oil to 350 or 360 degrees F and leave each piece in for exactly 12 minutes.
This ishow to make fried chickenthat’sbetterthan KFC.
The real secret ingredient
According to Ron Douglas, author ofAmerica’s Most Wanted Recipes, the real key to the perfect crispy texture is one thing: accent, which is a monosodium glutamate (MSG) flavor enhancer. You can add this into your seasoning mix before breading or sprinkle it on the chicken after frying. Can’t find Accent at the grocery store? No problem! Purchase it here.
Take a rest
Biting into a piece of chicken right out of the fryer isn’t the smartest idea. At Kentucky Fried Chicken, they “hold” the chicken in an oven set to 175 degrees for about 20 minutes, according to a former employee. This allows the chicken to finish cooking while keeping it warm and the skin crunchy. Do the same by holding your fried chicken in a warm oven for a few minutes.
Even if you follow the above step-by-step, cracking the crispy skin code may be difficult to do at home. That’s because the texture we all love and crave is largely due to their method of cooking—and if you don’t have a restaurant-grade pressure fryer, it can be tough to recreate. There seems to be a method to the madness behind all the iconic menu items at fast food chains and we can’t get enough! Oh, and if you’re dealing with leftovers, these are the best ways to reheat fried chicken.
FAQs
KFC's Fried Chicken Secret Ingredient
How does KFC make their chicken so crispy? ›
KFC deep fries its chicken for 15 minutes and then drains the oil off for another five minutes – 20 minutes in total. If you don't have a deep fryer, heat up plenty of oil in a large saucepan and do it that way.
What is the secret to crispy chicken? ›
FLOUR + CORNSTARCH + BAKING POWDER
My not-so-secret tip to the best fried chicken is a combination of FLOUR, CORNSTARCH, and BAKING POWDER. When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color!
What is the secret behind KFC? ›
There are two separate spice mixing companies that each produce half of the "secret recipe" spice mix. These two products are then combined together at the store to bread the chicken. Each of these companies' contracts are managed by separate KFC employees, so at most, anyone could only come up with half of the recipe.
What oil does KFC fry their chicken in? ›
KFC products are fried in oil which may contain the following: Canola Oil and Hydrogenated Soybean Oil with TBHQ and Citric Acid Added To Protect Flavor, Dimethylpolysiloxane, an Antifoaming Agent Added OR Low Linolenic Soybean Oil, TBHQ, and Citric Ac...
What makes chicken crispy baking soda or baking powder? ›
It may sounds unappealing, but coating chicken wings in seasoned baking powder is what makes the skin super crispy. You won't taste it in the end results, so long as you use aluminium-free. To be clear, make sure you use baking powder, NOT baking soda, because there is a big difference!
What is KFC chicken coating made of? ›
What is the KFC secret recipe? According to the Chicago Tribune, the original recipe consists of 11 herbs and spices, including: salt, thyme, basil, oregano, celery salt, black pepper, dried mustard, paprika, garlic salt, ground ginger, and white pepper.
What oil makes chicken the crispiest? ›
Lard is a great choice for frying chicken because it gives your chicken an excellent flavor and unparalleled crispy crust.
What makes chicken crispier flour or cornstarch? ›
When paired with all-purpose flour, cornstarch helps prevent gluten development, which makes the flour coating crispier, and absorb moisture (from the frying and the chicken), which also means a crispier coating. If you already have a favorite fried chicken recipe, try replacing a quarter of the flour with cornstarch.
How do you make chicken skin super crispy? ›
“Put a little schmear of vegetable oil and because there is no water in it, the heat from the oven immediately begins to crisp up the skin and you don't end up with steam coming off the skin,” he says. Slow and steady when roasting.
History. Sanders' Original Recipe of "11 herbs and spices" is one of the most famous trade secrets in the catering industry.
What was the KFC scandal? ›
Mutant chicken scandal
The chain was accused of genetically modifying chickens to create bigger, meatier birds. This led to fake claims that the company's rebranding from Kentucky Fried Chicken to KFC was legally required because they weren't actually serving up chicken.
Is there a secret menu at KFC? ›
The Triple Stacker Burger, the Zinger Chipster, and the Fave Crave box have been 'secretly' made available to customers. The menu is only visible on the KFC app - and the food chain has altered the way you can access it.
Is KFC battered or breaded? ›
You won't be surprised to learn that at KFC, great tasting chicken matters. Our iconic fried chicken is freshly prepared and hand-breaded by our trained cooks in restaurant every single day, using the type of ingredients you'd find in your kitchen at home.
What is the 7 10 7 at KFC? ›
Colonel Sander's “7-10-7” unique breading technique:
Chicken pieces are 'rolled' 7 times in a basket after being cleaned and rinsed, to remove any excess moisture. The chicken pieces are tossed in the breading flour 10 times, using a 'scoop and lift' motion.
Why does KFC taste different? ›
They used to fry their chicken in lard using the Colonel's 11 herbs and spices. Now they fry it in vegetable oil with a microscopic amount of the 11 herbs and spices, enough to still make a valid claim that it contains the herbs and spices, but not enough to affect the taste. So it's no longer Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Is KFC deep fried or oven baked? ›
After some trial and error, they decided the chicken should be soaked in buttermilk and coated once in the breading mixture, then fried in oil at 350 °F (177 °C) in a pressure fryer until golden brown. As a pressure fryer was too big, a deep fryer was used alternatively as a substitute.
Does baking powder make chicken crispy? ›
But baking powder doesn't only make fried chicken crunchier—it also magically gives nonfried chicken extra-crispy skin. An example of this is our Oven-Fried Chicken Wings, which aren't fried at all. But when you bite into one, you would think it was.
Does cornstarch make chicken crispy? ›
Cornstarch Is the Secret to the Crispiest Fried Chicken
It's primarily used as a thickening or gelling ingredient, but it's also a smart ingredient for making cookies softer and for holding together fillings for jammy bars. And, it's the secret ingredient for getting crispy coatings like tempura paper-thin.
