Last Updated on 5th August 2022 by
How does KFC get its chicken to taste so good? Part of it is their proprietary blend of herbs and spices, and there are plenty of KFC copycat fried chicken recipes online you can find that help you to mimic the taste of KFC chicken by figuring out which seasonings are used to flavor it.
What I want to show you is how to fry chicken like KFC, using the same frying methods. Getting that right texture, the correct level of crispiness, and the same sensation when you bite into the chicken is important if you’re going to pull off a KFC copycat chicken recipe.
Let me share with you my method for frying chicken that does it the same way KFC does, so you can get that great fast food chicken experience in your own kitchen.
How to Fry Chicken Like KFC
Of course, you won’t start right off with frying the chicken. You first want to rinse it and then marinate it, letting it soak in spices and buttermilk overnight, or at least for a few hours.
You can follow a recipe that uses all the same herbs and spices that KFC uses, or you can do something really simple, just marinating the chicken in buttermilk and yogurt.
You can place the chicken into a resealable plastic bag and put it in the fridge for several hours as it soaks and marinates. Then, you want to prepare your breading, which can be a combination of flour and seasonings, like salt, black pepper, paprika, and more.
To ensure you get a really thick layer of breading and that it is not thin and crumbly and falls right off of the chicken, you’ll want to bread the chicken multiple times.
So, you take your marinated chicken and dip it into your seasoned breading flour. Make sure the chicken is completely covered and shake off any excess flour.
Then, dip the chicken into egg white (or try breading without egg), covering it completely, and then back into the breading once more. Shake off the excess flour and put the chicken into a bowl of breadcrumbs.
Roll the chicken around until it’s completely covered, shake off the excess breadcrumbs, and then place it immediately into hot frying oil.
This method for how to deep fry chicken like KFC can use one of several different kinds of cooking oils. You be cooking chicken at a high temperature for a short period of time for this, so use an oil with a high smoke point. If you are reheating your KFC the day after then we have a post on reheating fried chicken that you may wish to read.
That means olive oil is out, but you can use canola oil, peanut oil, or vegetable oil. These are not the healthiest oils, but if you’re making KFC chicken, you’re probably not concerned about healthy food for that meal. You don’t want a flavorful oil either, as that can affect the flavor of the chicken or mess up your KFC copycat dish.
Make sure you wait to put the chicken into the oil until the oil is very hot. It shouldn’t be smoking or burning, but it should be hot enough to cook the chicken evenly. The best temperature for your cooking oil to make KFC chicken is about 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
As the chicken cooks, prepare a plate with a paper towel on it to drain off the excess oil once the chicken is done cooking. You also want a wire rack set up to allow the chicken to crisp properly.
White meat chicken should cook the fastest, with breast and wings cooking in about 12 to 14 minutes. Thighs and legs will take a little longer, about 14 to 16 minutes. Don’t fill the vat of oil too full with chicken. You want enough space for the chicken to cook evenly on all sides.
When the chicken comes out of the oil, it should be golden brown all over, and you can put it onto the plate with the paper towel to dry off for about 30 seconds and then place it onto the wire rack to cool and crisp. In about 3 to 5 minutes, the chicken is ready to eat.
How to Pressure Fry Chicken Like KFC
You could use the pressure cooker or Instant Pot to make KFC chicken. You’ll need to add cooking oil to the pot and heat up your pressure cooker. You can tell if the oil is heated enough if you put a little bit of your batter mixture into the oil and it floats.
When the dough floats, the oil is ready to cook your chicken, and that should be when the oil is heated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Some pressure cookers let you set the temperature precisely, so that will make things easier for you.
Place your chicken pieces in carefully and then close the pressure cooker lid. Allow the chicken to cook for about 8 minutes and then remove the lid. You can check your chicken to see if it’s cooked all the way.
Once it’s done cooking, let it the oil drain out on a paper towel and then set the chicken onto a wire rack so it can crisp for a few minutes. When it is done crisping, your pressure cooked chicken should taste very similar to what you can order at KFC.
How to Fry Chicken Livers Like KFC
What if you want to fry chicken livers and get them that authentic KFC taste and texture? Some areas of the United States still have KFC’s that serve chicken livers.
To make yours taste like theirs, soak the chicken livers in buttermilk and allow them to soak for about 3 or 4 minutes. Then, mix together garlic powder, black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, flour, and cumin in a bowl.
Toss the chicken in your flour mixture until it’s covered completely while oil is heating up in the skillet. Shake off the excess flour and place the liver pieces into hot oil and fry them until they have become crispy, which should take about 10-12 minutes. Then, take them out of the skillet and allow them to drain.
I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!