Name: Copycat KFC Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 3-5 pound whole chicken, cut up; 2 cups buttermilk; 2 eggs; Oil for frying; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 Tablespoon paprika; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon pepper; 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or chicken bouillon; 1 teaspoon dried tarragon; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried parsley; ½ teaspoon dried thyme; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon celery salt

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Kentucky Fried Chicken…so nostalgic. Served with fluffy mashed potatoes and gravy, creamy cole slaw, and a buttery biscuit makes for yummy memories. This recipe will help you replicate the traditional flavor of KFC and that extra-crispy skin that we all love. Plus we all know that copycat recipes are the best because they are made at home in your kitchen, using ingredients from your own pantry.

I can still remember going to pick up chicken with my mom when I was a kid. Driving home with that warm red and white bucket that smelled just heavenly. As an adult, we still get KFC every once in a while, but more often we make it at home because know exactly what is going into the recipe.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS KFC FRIED CHICKEN RECIPE

This simple recipe will have you feeling those KFC vibes in no time. Homemade dishes are always a bit healthier than their fast-food counterparts as you can control the ingredients and actually know what is going into your dish. This recipe contains the 11-spice seasoning blend of spices thought to be in Sanders’ top secret Original Recipe.

Kentucky Fried Chicken is one of the original chicken fast food chains and brings back so many memories for many of us.

Although it may seem like Colonel Sanders was just a character created for the restaurant chain, he was actually a real person. He was an American businessman and entrepreneur who began selling his original recipe fried chicken during the depression era from his roadside restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky. The famous fast food chain started later in 1952. They still use the same recipe to this day.

What to serve with Copycat KFC Chicken

Fry up this KFC crispy chicken and make it an entire meal with some of these tasty sides.

KFC Coleslaw Copycat Recipe (pictured above)
Mashed Potatoes
Homemade White Country Gravy
Creamed Corn
Biscuits

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR KFC FRIED CHICKEN

Chicken – You will need a whole chicken for this recipe. You can cut up your own chicken or buy it in pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2 breasts).
Buttermilk – Buy buttermilk in your grocery store or use my recipe.
Eggs
Oil for frying – KFC uses canola oil and hydrogenated soybean oil, but other good options for frying chicken are peanut oil, vegetable shortening and lard.
Flour – All-purpose flour is best for frying chicken.
Spice blend: paprika, salt, black pepper, poultry seasoning or chicken bouillon, tarragon, oregano, parsley, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and celery salt – As much as I love using fresh herbs, you will be using dried herbs to make the spice mixture. You can substitute garlic salt for the salt and garlic powder.

HOW TO MAKE COPYCAT KFC CHICKEN

FIRST: Beat eggs and buttermilk together in a large bowl and add the chicken pieces. Let chicken marinate for 30 minutes.

SECOND: Sift flour into a large bowl. Grind spices finely with a mortar and pestle and add them to the flour mixture and mix thoroughly.

THIRD: Remove the chicken from the buttermilk marinade and place it on a wire rack over a baking sheet to drain the excess marinade. While the chicken is draining heat oil in a cast iron skillet to about 325 degrees or a deep fryer set to 375 degrees.

FOURTH: Toss each chicken piece in the flour mixture until it’s evenly coated on all sides.

FIFTH: Fry the coated chicken in an even layer in the hot oil uncovered. Turn the chicken to make sure it’s golden brown on all sides. Depending on the sizes of the pieces of chicken they will take about 10-15 minutes to fry. Chicken is cooked safely when a meat thermometer inserted reaches 165 degrees F.

SIXTH: Place fried chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet lined with paper towels for excess grease to drip. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper while it’s hot.

Enjoy!

Love it? Pin it!

If you love this KFC recipe for fried chicken make sure that you don’t lose it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

FAQ’s

What makes KFC chicken so crispy? KFC uses high-temperature, restaurant-grade pressure fryers to achieve their extra-crispy skin. You can recreate the KFC crispiness with a deep fryer, a Dutch oven, or a heavy-bottomed pot.

What is KFC breading made of? Kentucky Fried Chicken uses a combination of wheat flour, sodium chloride, monosodium glutamate (MSG), an anti-caking agent, nonfat dry milk, dried egg whites, and the Colonel’s Secret Original Recipe Seasoning. The chicken is soaked in buttermilk and dipped in the seasoned flour and then fried.

SUBSTITUTIONS:

Oil – Canola oil or peanut oil are great for frying chicken, but you can substitute vegetable shortening or lard.

Buttermilk – You can create your own buttermilk using this recipe.

All-Purpose Flour – You can substitute unbleached wheat flour.

Black Pepper – You can use white pepper instead of black pepper, but it will alter the flavor. White pepper has a smoky taste to it.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THE BEST FRIED CHICKEN

Make sure your oil is hot enough (325 degrees) by testing it with a thermometer. If you do not have a thermometer you can check it by dipping the handle of a wooden spoon or wooden chopstick or skewer into the oil. The oil is ready when it steadily bubbles around the handle or chopstick. If it barely bubbles or bubbles weakly, it needs to heat up more.
You can also use a deep-fat fryer set to 375 degrees F. to fry your chicken. It will take about 8-10 minutes.
Leftover fried chicken can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in foil and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat leftover chicken for the ultimate crispiness you can try this method: Preheat the oven to 400°. Let the chicken rest and come to room temperature – about 30 minutes. Cover a baking pan with foil and place chicken on it. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Check for crispiness and serve.
You can also use this recipe to bread and fry chicken breasts or chicken tenders!

MORE COPYCAT RECIPES

I love restaurant copycat recipes! So much so that I have an entire section on my website dedicated to Copycat Recipes! Here are some favorites:

CPK Mac n Cheese (pictured above)
Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Olive Garden Night at Home
Copycat McDonalds Big Mac
Copycat Qdoba Queso

Hankering for a little taste of the past? Make this KFC fried chicken tonight and your family will be asking where the famous red and white bucket is. Tastes just like the real thing (or dare I say – even better than the Colonel’s?)

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KFC copycat Fried chicken in a white serving dish.

4.72 from 7 votes

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