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.
Serve with French fries and potato with gravy for an epic homemade KFC experience at home.
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!
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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!
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Buttermilk – in true Southern style, the chicken is marinated in a salted buttermilk. Brilliant for tenderising the chicken and injecting it with salt;
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Egg helps the flour stick better;
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Cornflour / cornstarch – makes the crust crispy but not tough. Pretty standard inclusion in fried chicken breading;
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Flour – just plain white, all purpose flour; and
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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!):
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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);
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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!🌟
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Coat chicken in flour then fry until golden.
How long does it take chicken to fry?
Thighs and drumsticks take 8 minutes, or until the internal temperature in centre of thickest part is 75°C / 167°F. Breast takes around 7 minutes (internal temperature at thickest part 65°C / 150°F).
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!
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!!!
Serve with French fries and potato with gravy for an epic homemade KFC experience at home.
– Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Fried Chicken - ultra craggy crispy crust!
Ingredients
- 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 tbsp salt
- 1 egg
Fried Chicken Breading (Note 9):
- 2 1/4 cups flour , plain / all purpose
- 3/4 cup corn flour / cornstarch
KFC 11 Secret Herbs and Spices (Note 9):
- 3 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp celery salt
- 1.5 tbsp black pepper (Note 2)
- 1.5 tsp sweet paprika (ie. not hot or smoked)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper , optional
- 1.5 tsp onion powder
- 3 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 3/4 tsp ginger powder
- 1.5 tsp dried thyme
- 1.5 tsp dried oregano
To fry:
- 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:
- 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!
Nutrition Information:
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!!!
Michelle says
So excited to make this – is it possible to do GF breading; i.e. use all cornstarch or replace the AP flour with a GF plain flour?
Nagi says
I haven’t tested g/f flour in this one – any readers out there who care to comment or have tried that?? N x
Victoria says
I have! Just use the same amounts of flour (corn and plain) listed in recipe but sub out the plain for gluten free plain flour. It is AMAZING!!!
Tiffany says
A great recipe! But why there’s no spices in the marinade?
Nagi says
The spices are in the breading Tiffany! N x
Finn Brown says
Any suggestions for a suitable mustard powder substitute to be used in this recipe?
Nagi says
You can leave it out Finn if you don’t have any! N x
Kelly says
Hi Nagi, thanks for this recipe, I can almost taste it. Could I have clarification on one item, please?
In the recipe, it says the oil temperature needs to drop to 150C/300C (I’m guessing you mean Fahrenheit here) does this mean you heat it higher than 150C so when the chicken pieces are added the temp will drop to 150C and you continue cooking them at 150C? I usually use my candy thermometer to gauge the oil temps.
I know the answer is a no-brainer but my brain is not taking it in properly today.
Thanks for your help. Keep on Cooking!!
Luc says
This isn’t based on Nagi’s method but usually when frying, (as you already know) the temperature of the oil drops as you add cold chicken (as Nagi wrote, to 300f as an estimate). But if you leave it at 150c it will not brown/color fast enough. Personally, i heat the oil a little higher and then adjust the heat to keep it at the target cooking temperature.
Ashah says
So yummy! Great recipe!! Thank you!!
(Cheesecake)Steve says
Can I use an air fryer for this recipe?
Tamara says
The flavour of this breading is so delicious. I substituted the chicken for tofu which had been frozen and defrosted twice, and followed the rest of the recipe and it turned out amazing. Thank you!
Nagi says
Great to know Tamara! N x
Lis Parker says
I know this sounds like sacrilege but I oven baked mine…they turned out crispy and delicious, and the coating stayed intact on the chicken too! A big hit in our house!!
Holly says
Nagi,
This was absolutely sinfully delicious! Much more tender and flavourful meat than the “Colonel’s”. That said, I really hate the process of deep frying, the smell, the mess and found it took a long time to get through frying 3.5 lbs of chicken (I did all bone in thighs). Curious how many times you had to test this one and I bow down to you if it was more than once in a day lol
Thanks!
Holly xx
Lisa says
Oh YUM YUM YUM! Been looking for a KFC fakeaway recipe I could try in my new Air fryer, this is DEVINE! Thank you, I always love your recipes!!
(Cheesecake) Steve says
I just asked if this could be air fried before I read your comment. How did it go? did you need to spray the coated chicken with oil first? Would be grateful for your feedback. Cheers
Chané says
For how long and at what temperature did you make it in the air fryer?
Max W says
This was a great meal loved every second of it from the cooking to the eating! It was fantastic im thinking of brushing a Gochujang sauce on the chicken to make it extra tasty.
Lynda says
I was wondering if the flower mixture can be saved for another time?
Lynda says
I was wondering if the flower mixture and be saved for another time?
Nicolasmithston says
Cooked this tonight as sometimes crave fried chicken but only willing to use free-range. Amazing!
We couldn’t use the oven to keep it warm because that was for the chips at high heat, so foiled the first batches over a pre-heated rack. Half an hour later the first pieces were still super hot and super crispy. Never getting sad old soggy factory-chook fast food again. Thanks Nagi!
Marwa says
Hi, This recipe is perfect and sooooo delicious!!! Thank you!
One question though, the thigh after 8 minutes still wasn’t cooked and had blood inside. I had to fry it for 4 more minutes, so it got very very dark in color .. Any idea how it only took 8 minutes with you?
Rob says
Can dijon mustard be used instead of mustard powder as I’ve none in my pantry. Thanks
Anna says
This is the most delicious fried chicken ever! I made it with boneless thighs so you could just bite into each piece….heaven! Whole family loved it. I did find it a tiny bit too salty so the second time I made it I cut out the salt when soaking the chicken, and this turned out much better.
Nagi do you think this batter will would work for eggplant?
Nagi says
I haven’t made this batter on eggplant but I am testing an eggplant dish for the cookbook that has a crispy crunchy batter – stay tuned! N x
Fiona says
Amazing!!! This has been a big hit tonight in our house. Delicious recipe as always 😋
Paula Young says
Can this be made in the airfryer for a healthier version?
Nagi says
That’s on the testing list Paula – I will let you know when I do! N x
EvilO69 says
I’ve only ever made it in an air fryer and though i’ve never tried the deep fried version, I’m quite happy with the results.
Kelly says
Hi, I want to make this recipe tonight using the air fryer. Just wondering how is it? My air fryer is the one with a basket not the convention oven look like.
Andrea F says
Nagi, How did you crack the code? This spice mix is dead on! It tastes just like KFC only better. I make it with chicken tenders and the family all loves it (and they are hard to please! ) Fast food junkies. oh, duh, no wonder why they like it! The KFC gravy is spot on too. Thanks Nagi! Hope your enjoying your new kitchen. That knife block is to die for!