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!
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.
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!!!
I worked for KFC Corporate and 3 of the secret ingredients are Savory, Sage, and ground Tellicherry Pepper
Ah! The secrets out Bob! N x
Hi Nagi
Can you use this recipe in an air fryer?
Hi Nagi, This chicken looks amazing! Making it this weekend just wanting to know if the 1.5tbps of black pepper is ground or cracked pepper. Thanks
Hi Susie, it’s cracked pepper 🙂 N x
I didn’t have mustard powder or celery salt but even without them this chicken is amazing! Just golden delicious crunchy goodness! Highly recommend x
That’s awesome Kerri-ann, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! N x
Perfect
Just perfect
Delicious! 10/10 by everyone who ate it
I cant find mustard powder anywhere… can I use mustard seeds and grind them? And do I need to roast them first? Many thanks x
Ney Nagi.
Can we use air fryer for this? and if so how long for?
Chicken so moist, tender, tasty with crispy coating! Tiny bit too garlicky for me. I need to reduce a smidge and think about the flavour I’d like to increase. But a sensational family dinner! Thank you Nagi!
Excellent fried chicken! KFC? Not exaaaaaaactly, but pretty durn close. I was only cooking 2 pcs of chicken, so I made the full batch of seasonings, but only used a third of it, along with a third of the corn starch (1/4 c) and flour (3/4 c). A third of the spices worked out to be almost perfectly 2T. Now, when I make it again, I don’t have to drag out 11 bottles of spices.
One note on the breading/frying process itself. I didn’t mix part of the marinade into the breading. You’ll get enough in there as you dredge the chicken. And I know you cautioned against breading ALL of the chicken at once and letting it sit, but that’s exactly what I do. After dredging the chicken, I let it sit 5-10 minutes. Then, right before I put it in the oil, I coat in the flour again. There are plenty of nubblins in the flour at this point, and you get a better coating of breading on the chicken without double dipping in the liquid which can result in too heavy of a crust.
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Nagi, what would be best substitute for buttermilk to make It dairy free? Coconut milk or oat/almond milk.
Hi Wendy, use the substitution of lemon juice and either oat/almond milk 🙂 N x
what temperature do you use for deep frying?
Hi Marie – it’s listed in the instructions under “prepare to cook” 🙂 N x
This was seriously good chicken! Made it with your mashed potato and gravy, plus some buttered corn and onion rings (it wasn’t a low cal meal 🤣). The family (who can be hard to please some nights), all rated it 10/10! Thanks for yet another fantastic recipe 😁
Hi Nagi, could I freeze the chicken after breading if I made a large batch? Then defrost and fry when wanting to eat it?
Everyone listen up!! Nagi hit this recipe OUT of the park!! I just made it for my dad’s 75th birthday and everyone loved it. AND I totally did it in the air fryer!!! Preheated the air fryer to 375F. You can only do one layer of chicken at a time. So I could only fit 5 drumsticks at a time or 3 or 4 small chicken thighs. You want air to be able to move around them. Sprayed it generously with canola oil and cooked for 15min, turned it over and sprayed it with more canola oil if there were any white “floury” spots and cooked it for another 8 min. Sometimes you only need another 5 min so check with a thermometer. Had no issues with sticking. While I was making batches, I kept the cooked pieces in a 175F oven as per the recipe and it all got served warm. The coating was super crunchy and super moist inside. Served it with Nagi’s no-mayo coleslaw too. Thank you again!
Hey Nagi, we love your recipes here and I’m keen to try this. Any tips for making this without egg? My son is allergic. Thanks!
Hi Mary, I used to cook fried chicken without egg. The buttermilk allowed the flour to cling to the chicken just fine, although I did go against Nagi’s suggestion and let the breaded chicken sit for a little while (15-20 mins) at room temp, so maybe that helped.
Hi Nagi recently discoved your receipes! Omg they are amazing!!! Perfect instuctions and excellent results!!! Thankyou!
Hi Nagi,
Kids are loving this. I use chicken ‘tenders’ (our local supermarket sells them as such) as the kids won’t eat boned chicken. Also allows me to shallow fry them in about 2mm of oil with one turn at about 2 minutes a side.
Perfect David!! N x
Thank you for this recipe. My husband thinks it’s better than kfc too because we know exactly what’s in it and it’s so crispy and tasty. I cooked this in my 5.3L kmart Airfryer and it turned out a treat 👌
We are hoping to cook this in the air fryer too! How long did you cook for?
Wow! amazing recipe. This has become an absolute family favourite. We didn’t buy fried chicken as it always made my husband and son unwell ( too oily), but this recipe has been a winner. Taste is so similar to KFC, the coating is so crunchy! Whenever I decide to make this, all my family stay home for dinner that night.
The only change I have made is using chicken nibbles (mini wings and drumettes) instead of large pieces of chicken. And it’s perfect for this. Thanks Nagi.
Maria, that’s exactly what I want to do. How long did the nibbles take to cook?Thank you!
Hi Janet
I use a deep fryer so it maintains the correct temperature. I usually cook 6-8pieces only in each batch. I cook for the same time as Nagi suggests… I cook for a total of 8 minutes. After 2 minutes I raise the basket to ensure no pieces are sitting
On top of another, if they are I move them, then continue for another 6 minutes, no more.
I’ve never had raw chicken or dry chicken.
I made this for my family last night AGAIN may I add with your divine mash & gravy recipe. They cannot get enough of it. Absolutely amazing AGAIN may I add. Thank you so much Nagi. Your recipes are seriously the best🙏♥️