Copycat KFC Chicken With Golden Crunchy Herb-Spice Crust
By Emma Collins
Prep
20 min
Total
280 min
Servings
6
Level
Medium
Pantry ingredients can be used to create KFC-style chicken recipes at home. Soaking chicken in buttermilk for 4 hours reduces inactive preparation time. A combination of chicken cuts coated in seasoned breading containing paprika, garlic, thyme, pepper, and other spices can be fried to a golden, crunchy exterior and juicy interior.
Buttermilk and eggs are used as a marinade. All-purpose flour and cornstarch are used as coatings. Ingredients in the KFC seasoning mix include paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, basil, oregano, celery salt, ground mustard, ginger, white pepper, salt, and black pepper. After marinating, let excess marinade drip off the pieces and then dredge them in the dry ingredients to coat thoroughly. The only dry coating used in this recipe is seasoned flour.
After resting the coated chicken for 10-15 minutes on the racks, the coating should stick to the chicken. Fry in small batches, turning, in 350°F oil until the chicken is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 165°F. Keep an eye on the oil temperature between batches. Common frying problems include putting too much chicken in the pan at one time and overheating the oil, which can cause the coating to burn before the chicken is fully cooked.
Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits made with buttermilk, coleslaw, boiled corn on the cob, and macaroni and cheese. Instructions for leftovers: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat in a 375-degree oven, not a microwave, to avoid a soggy crust.
Why this recipe works
- Weeknight preparation is simpler. The four-hour marinating step can be completed ahead of time. Weeknight steps include breading and frying and a brief five-minute resting step.
- Pantry ingredients can be mixed with flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried herbs, and peppers to create a seasoning mix without purchasing a store-bought seasoning mix.
- One batch-cooking process is used for different cut-up chicken products. Drumsticks, chicken thighs, and chicken breast are all coated and fried in the same process.
- Simple equipment besides bowls, tongs, a wire rack, paper towels, and a weighing skillet or deep fryer is needed to cook the dish quickly.
- Avoid texturing problems by using quality control measures: Let the textured coating dry, heat cooking oil to 350°F, and fry the chicken until it is golden brown.
- Server choices include multiple sides. Other suggested sides besides mashed potatoes, biscuits, coleslaw, and macaroni and cheese include corn served with the chicken dish, according to the article.
Ingredients
- •3 lbs chicken pieces (legs, thighs, breasts)
- •2 cups buttermilk
- •2 eggs (large)
- •2 cups all-purpose flour
- •½ cup cornstarch
- •2 tsp salt
- •1 tsp black pepper
- •1 tbsp paprika
- •1 tsp garlic powder
- •1 tsp onion powder
- •½ tsp dried thyme
- •½ tsp dried basil
- •½ tsp oregano
- •½ tsp celery salt
- •½ tsp ground mustard
- •¼ tsp ground ginger
- •¼ tsp white pepper
- •vegetable oil (for frying)
Instructions
- 1
Whisk the buttermilk and eggs together in a large bowl.
- 2
Add the chicken pieces and cover.
- 3
Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- 4
Whisk the flour, cornstarch, salt, black pepper, and spices together in another large bowl.
- 5
Remove the chicken from the marinade and let the excess drip off.
- 6
Dredge each chicken piece in the flour mixture, pressing firmly to coat.
- 7
Place the coated chicken on a wire rack and let it rest for 10–15 minutes.
- 8
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or heavy skillet to 350°F (175°C).
- 9
Fry the chicken in batches, turning occasionally, for 15–18 minutes or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- 10
Drain the fried chicken on paper towels.
- 11
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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