Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken – with the most insanely crispy, thick craggy crust heavily seasoned with a KFC copycat “11 secret herbs and spices”! This recipe uses a Southern buttermilk marinade to make the flesh juicy all the way through, and a breading secret trick for how to make fried chicken with an ultra crunchy, nubbly crust.

Fried Chicken

I’m going to call it (obnoxious as it is) – this fried chicken is better than KFC. There’s not a trace of soggy skin anywhere (all you closet KFC lovers know exactly what I’m talking about!) and the crust is thicker and craggier.

Every inch of this crust is insanely crunchy, and there’s loads of those nubbly bits that get extra crunchy. The seasoning is satisfyingly spot on – strong but not outrageously overpowering – the buttermilk marinated flesh is tender and juicy all the way through, and the deep golden colour is sheer perfection.

Seriously, what kind of human being could resist a piping hot pile of freshly made fried chicken?? {Vegetarians are excused}

The seasoning for this fried chicken is a KFC copycat. 11 Secret Herbs & Spices!

What you need to make the best Fried Chicken

Here’s what you need.

11 Secret Herbs and Spices (lots of it). And not much else!

• The Seasoning is a KFC copycat. There’s 1.5 tablespoons of pepper in it which sounds like a lot. But trust me, you need it for the KFC flavour and it doesn’t make it spicy. Also, remember that only a certain amount ends up stuck to the chicken itself!
• Buttermilk – in true Southern style, the chicken is marinated in a salted buttermilk. Brilliant for tenderising the chicken and injecting it with salt;
• Egg helps the flour stick better;
• Cornflour / cornstarch – makes the crust crispy but not tough. Pretty standard inclusion in fried chicken breading;
• Flour – just plain white, all purpose flour; and
• Oil – vegetable, canola or peanut oil, for neutral flavour and ability to heat to the temperature needed without burning the chicken or the oil smoking.

No seasoning in marinade?

I don’t put Seasoning into the buttermilk marinade. Reason being that the crust is quite heavily seasoned (it’s unsatisfying if it’s not flavoured enough) so if the chicken flesh is also seasoned, it’s just too much of the same flavour.

It’s just tastier to have that awesome contrast of juicy chicken flavour inside (salted but not flavoured) and the wickedly crunchy, seasoned crust on the outside. It’s the KFC way!

How to make Fried Chicken

And here’s how to make it (video below super helpful I think!):

• Marinate chicken overnight in buttermilk brine – this salts the flesh all the way through and makes it beautifully tender and juicy (also gives you room for error in cook time);
• Drizzle some brine in the seasoned flour and rub in to make lumps = extra nubbly craggy bits on crust. 🌟Secret trick that makes the crust so epic!🌟
• Coat chicken in flour then fry until golden.

Reusing the oil

Typically, oil used for deep frying can be reused 3 times or so once it’s been cleaned. However, I find that for Fried Chicken, it’s usually only good for one more batch of Fried Chicken or similarly flavoured food. I think the oil just gets too tainted by the heavily flavoured breading and while the oil can be cleaned of all the bits in it, you can’t remove the flavour.

To remove impurities, I find the best and easiest way is a Cook’s Illustrated method using a cornflour/cornstarch and water method, cooked in the oil over low heat until it solidifies and captures all the impurities. Strain the cornflour “jelly”, then store the oil for another use. (PS Using a fine strainer isn’t good enough to filter the oil after this recipe, you’d need to use a coffee filter or similar which takes ages. But for other fried recipes like Honey Chicken and Sweet & Sour Pork, straining is fine).

What to serve with fried chicken

For the full homemade KFC experience, serve it with Coleslaw*, chips, KFC copycat potato and gravy.

For a Southern meal, add a side of steamed or grilled corn, cornbread, Slaw, Potato Salad and Southern Baked Beans. A fully loaded plate – my style!

* If you or your hips are anti mayo, try the RecipeTin No Mayo Coleslaw – it’s very, very good!

Some great sides for fried chicken!

Coleslaw

Cornbread recipe

Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon (Southern Style)

Our Best NO MAYO Coleslaw

Potato Salad

Soft No Knead Dinner Rolls

How to Grill Corn

I know deep frying is an effort. Preparing, cleaning up, disposing of the oil.

And – well, you know. My hips prefer me to avoid fried foods. 😩

Therefore I don’t deep fry often. So when I do, I make sure it’s worth it.

THIS is worth it!!! – Nagi x

PS Don’t ask me for a chips recipe yet, I’m still not happy with my homemade ones! But if you want KFC style potato and gravy (as seen in the video), here is the recipe!  drop a comment below and I’ll be happy to share it. 

Watch how to make it

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Fried Chicken - ultra craggy crispy crust!

Author: Nagi

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 45 mins

Mains

Southern, Western

4.96 from 45 votes

Servings10 - 14 pieces

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Recipe video above. This is a fried chicken recipe that's made using a technique that yields an incredible super crunchy, really craggy crust with loads of nubbly bits that get extra crunchy! Seasoned with a KFC copycat 11 Secret Herbs and Spices - but it's better than KFC, there's no trace of soggy bits at all! Flesh is juicy all the way through thanks to a classic Southern buttermilk marinade (read in post why there's no spices in the marinade!).

Ingredients

CupsMetric

• 1.8 kg/ 3.6lb bone in, skin on small thighs (< 200g/7oz), drumsticks, whole wings, breast (< 200g/7oz) (Note 1)1.8 kg/ 3.6lb bone in, skin on small thighs (< 200g/7oz), drumsticks, whole wings, breast (< 200g/7oz) (Note 1)

Buttermilk marinade:

• 1 cup buttermilk (Note 2 for sub)1 cup buttermilk (Note 2 for sub)
• 1 tbsp salt1 tbsp salt
• 1 egg1 egg

Fried Chicken Breading (Note 9):

• 2 1/4 cups flour , plain / all purpose2 1/4 cups flour , plain / all purpose
• 3/4 cup corn flour / cornstarch3/4 cup corn flour / cornstarch

KFC 11 Secret Herbs and Spices (Note 9):

• 3 tsp salt3 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp celery salt3/4 tsp celery salt
• 1.5 tbsp black pepper (Note 2)1.5 tbsp black pepper (Note 2)
• 1.5 tsp sweet paprika (ie. not hot or smoked)1.5 tsp sweet paprika (ie. not hot or smoked)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper , optional1/2 tsp cayenne pepper , optional
• 1.5 tsp onion powder1.5 tsp onion powder
• 3 tsp garlic powder3 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp mustard powder1 tsp mustard powder
• 3/4 tsp ginger powder3/4 tsp ginger powder
• 1.5 tsp dried thyme1.5 tsp dried thyme
• 1.5 tsp dried oregano1.5 tsp dried oregano

To fry:

• 1.5 - 2 litres / quarts vegetable oil (or canola or peanut, Note 8 for re-use)1.5 - 2 litres / quarts vegetable oil (or canola or peanut, Note 8 for re-use)

Instructions

Buttermilk Marinade Chicken:

• Mix Marinade in a bowl until salt dissolves.
• Pour over chicken in ziplock bag, massage to coat chicken. Press out excess air, seal, refrigerate 12 to 24 hours, turning once or twice.
• Pour chicken and marinade into large bowl.

Breading mixture:

• Whisk together Breading and all KFC Secret Herbs & Spices.
• Drizzle 4.5 tablespoons of Marinade into flour mixture. Use fingers to rub in so you get lots of pea sized lumpy bits all throughout (this creates extra super crunchy craggy bits).
• Spread out in a shallow dish or pan (easier to work with).

Prepare to cook (work in specified order of steps):

• Preheat oven to 80°C/175°F and place rack on tray - to keep chicken warm. (Note 3)
• Add oil to a wide, heavy based pot to a depth of 6 cm / 2.5 " (my 26cm/10.5" cast iron pot = 1.75L/quarts oil, Note 4)
• Heat oil over medium to medium high heat to 180°C/350°F - maintain temp as best you can (Note 5).

Breading:

• Cooking order: Start with thighs and drumsticks, wings next and cook breast last. (Note 6).
• Squidge a piece of chicken in remaining marinade, place in flour.
• Coat well, pressing very firmly to adhere. Transfer to plate.
• Coat 2 or 3 more pieces - just for one cooking batch, covering oil surface in single layer. (Note 7)

Frying:

• Carefully place chicken in oil - it will bubble energetically but it will not spit.
• Once chicken is in, oil temperature should drop to 150°C/300°C - adjust heat to target this.
• DO NOT TOUCH chicken for 2 minutes - to let the crust bond with the chicken skin. After this, you can move them around but oil should be deep enough that you do not need to flip (but you can if you want!).
• Thighs and drumsticks - cook for 8 minutes (wings for 5 minutes), or until deep golden brown and internal temperature at thickest part is 75°C / 167°F.
• Breast - fry for 6 minutes or until internal temperature at thickest part is 65°C / 150°F (time depends on size).
• Place onto rack and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining chicken, coating each batch just prior to cooking.
• Serve immediately!
• Classic sides: Coleslaw, KFC copycat potato and gravy, steamed or grilled corn, cornbread or soft rolls, fries, potato salad, Southern Baked Beans!

Recipe Notes:

1. Chicken - I buy bone in thighs, drumsticks and wings for ease. For true KFC/Southern experience, cut up your own chicken so you get breast pieces as well - ensure you keep the skin on and bone in. Cut breast into 2 pieces through the bone.

Small pieces for thighs and breast is better - 200g/7oz or less, to ensure they cook through so you don't need to worry about fuss with finishing them in the oven. I've cooked 220g/7.7oz bone in thighs with no problems. If they get to 250g/8.8oz then you either need to take them to very deep golden in the oil OR finish in oven. 

2. Buttermilk - make your own if you can't find any. Add 1 tsp white vinegar into milk, stir, leave 10 minutes. Will curdle. Use per recipe.

3. Keeping chicken warm - this is the temp at which chicken will stay warm, keep the coating crispy but will not continue to cook the chicken inside. Rack required to ensure underside of chicken stays super crispy.

4. Frying vessel - I feel safe using a heavy cast iron pot. For most oil efficiency, use a wok - shape means you will use about 30% less oil with same surface area for frying. If you have a deep fryer, I salute you!

5. Oil temperature - use a thermometer or surface scanner thermometer. If you don't have one, test by throwing in a lump of breading - should sizzle straight away but not burn quickly. OR stick a bamboo chopstick in and touch the base of the pot - if bubbles rise from floor of pot, oil is hot enough.

Cook time will vary based on factors like chicken size, pot heat retention, stability of stove etc. Best to use thermometer to check internal temperature. The cook times provided in the recipe are for the chicken weights specified and heat oil temps provided, assuming a cast iron pot is used. Also use crust colour as a guide.

6. Cooking order - thighs and drumsticks cook in the same time, cook together first. Then wings, then do breast last. Reason: dark meat stays juicier in warmed oven, and breast cooks faster.

7. Batch cooking - don't coat all chicken then leave it lying around while you cook a batch, it will sweat and crust will be compromised ?

8. Oil reuse - One reason I don't deep fry much is because I hate the oil wastage! I clean my oil using this simple cornflour/cornstarch method from Cooks Illustrated. Usually, I comfortably re-use oil 3 times once cleaned. Unfortunately with Fried Chicken, I find that it's reusable only once more. Partly because of the strength of the seasonings and partly because you cook with it for a good 25 minutes which is using the oil a lot more than usual deep frying recipes.

9. Breading mixture notes: 

• Might seem like a lot of pepper, but it's key to KFC flavour and doesn't make it spicy. Remember that not much of the seasoning actually ends up on each piece of chicken.
• Hot & Spicy version - just add 2 tsp cayenne pepper into the breading! That will give it a nice buzz (but won't blow your head off)
• There is more breading coating flour than you need, so you'll throw out 1 cup or so. As wasteful as it sounds, I've tried using less and it gets messy/hard with the last pieces. So I conceded and upped the breading quantity - because this recipe is all about the crust!

10. Recipe source: Some techniques adapted from Kenji’s recipe on Serious Eats with some steps simplified / amended based on my testing. Spices are my KFC copycat “11 secret herbs and spices” mix.

11. Nutrition impossible to calculate so I'm sharing the KFC nutrition for 100g / 3.5 oz KFC fried chicken (no bone)

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 100gCalories: 280cal (14%)Carbohydrates: 9.4g (3%)Protein: 21.8g (44%)Fat: 17.3g (27%)Saturated Fat: 3.7g (23%)Sodium: 589mg (26%)Sugar: 1.5g (2%)

Keywords: fried chicken, KFC chicken recipe, southern fried chicken

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Life of Dozer

He was booted out while I was deep frying. But other than that, he was firmly planted next to the shoot table for every second while I was filming and photographing this chicken!!!