Kentucky Fried Chicken
This Copycat KFC Fried Chicken Recipe tastes just like the restaurant we all love, probably even better! We cracked the code on the secret famous fried chicken recipe and can’t wait to share all of our tips. It’s a crowd pleaser that’s so easy to make at home for any meal.
This Copycat KFC Fried Chicken recipe is nostalgic for us, it’s always been one of our favorite takeout meals growing up and to serve a crowd at a party. We’ve been working for years to figure out the famous recipe, and we finally have developed our favorite version – we’re so excited to share it with you!
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The secret is marinating the chicken in a buttermilk brine overnight if possible. The flour dredge uses white pepper, celery salt, and lots of dried herbs to give it that classic flavor. We guarantee this is a foolproof recipe and that your friends and family will love it! Be sure to also try our KFC Gravy and KFC Coleslaw.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Restaurant quality fried chicken: We think our recipe is almost identical to the restaurant itself!
- A great recipe for a crowd: It’s so easy to prepare a lot of this fried chicken and hold it warm in the oven until ready to serve.
- Perfect for paring with classic sides: We love to serve it with a whole spread of gravy, coleslaw, biscuits, and more!
Laura Ashley’s Tip: You want to make sure you buy a chicken that’s cut into 8 pieces. This makes the pieces of the chicken the same size so they cook evenly and at the same time.
Ingredients
Scroll Down to the Bottom of this Post for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Printable Recipe Card
- Whole chicken: Cut up or 8 pieces of your desired pieces, buy a 3 to 4 pound chicken, they come already cut up in the meat section of the store as well.
- Whole buttermilk: Used for brining the chicken to tenderize it.
- Large eggs: Used for dredging the chicken to help the flour stick.
- All-purpose flour: The signature coating for this copycat KFC chicken.
- Paprika: Adds a hint of nice warm spice flavor.
- Ground white pepper: Adds a spicy heat to the flour mixture.
- Garlic salt: Infuses the flour mixture with garlicky flavor.
- Ground mustard: Gives a hint of mustardy flavor.
- Celery salt: Adds a hint of vegetable flavor.
- Italian seasoning: Infuses every bite with a warm herbal flavor.
- Flaky poultry seasoning: Adds nice chicken flavor.
- Dried basil leaves: Gives a hint of sweet basil leaves.
- Salt: So important to season every bite.
- Neutral oil for frying (canola, peanut or avocado oil): The best oil for frying the chicken.
Tools You’ll Need
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Roasting Pan or Large Skillet
- Whisk
- Liquid Measuring Cups
- Thermometer
How to Make Copycat KFC Fried Chicken
- In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg thoroughly until combined.
- Submerge the chicken pieces into the buttermilk mixture. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and marinate for 30 minutes to 24 hours in then refrigerator.
- In a large bowl that has a fitted lid, whisk together flour, herbs, and spices.
- In a large Dutch oven or skillet, heat about 3 inches of oil. Preheat the oil to 350°F over medium-high heat, using a deep-fry thermometer.
- Drain the chicken from the buttermilk mixture. Add the pieces to the flour mixture. Cover and shake until the coating adheres on all sides. Shake off any excess flour.
- Carefully lower the chicken pieces one at a time into the hot oil. Do not to overcrowd the fryer. Fry in batches if necessary.
- Cook for approximately 14-16 minutes, turning halfway through, until the crust is beautifully golden brown and meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the chicken cut reads a minimum of 165°F. (NOTE: If making in batches, preheat oven to 175°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place an oven-safe wire rack inside. Place the cooked pieces on the pan while making the next batch. Let the oil regain temperature before frying additional batches.)
- When the chicken is done, place each cooked piece on a wire rack or paper towel lined sheet pan. Serve with your favorite fried chicken sides.
Kentucky Expert Tips
- Marinate the chicken in buttermilk for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. This will tenderize the chicken to make it nice and moist after frying.
- Make sure your fry oil is heated to the right temperature before frying. This is the most important tip to frying well, it will ensure a golden brown, crunchy outside and moist inside.
- Don’t overcrowd the fryer. Make sure there is enough room in between the pieces of fried chicken so they can crisp and brown correctly.
- Drain your chicken on a wire rack rather than paper towels to prevent the fried chicken from becoming soggy.
- In between frying the chicken, make sure the oil comes back up to temperature before adding more pieces of chicken to fry to ensure they are cooked correctly.
- The best way to know if your chicken is done cooking is to temp it using a meat thermometer, to 165ºF.
What to Serve with Copycat KFC Fried Chicken
We love to serve our Kentucky Fried Chicken with all of the classic sides. Here are some favorites:
- KFC Copycat Gravy
- KFC Copycat Coleslaw
- Bacon Cheddar Biscuits
- Jiffy Corn Casserole
- Cheese Cabbage Casserole
If you prefer white gravy to ladle all over buttermilk biscuits, add 1/4 cup of the chicken grease to a medium skillet. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over the grease and whisk to combine. Cook for about 1 minute. Gradually add 3 cups of milk while whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Continue to cook, whisking in up to 1 cup more milk until it thickens to your desired creamy gravy consistency, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Storage
Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or better yet the air fryer until warmed through.
You can freeze the chicken, but we can’t guarantee the outer coating will be as crisp after thawing.
If you want to make the copycat KFC Fried Chicken in advance, just hold it in an oven on a wire rack at 175 to 200ºF for up to an hour.
FAQs
It’s all in the dredge, the celery salt is the key as well as the other seasonings.
Make sure your oil is to temperature and fry for long enough to ensure it becomes golden brown and crispy.
It’s a blend of flour, dried milk, egg whites, and a mix special seasonings and spices. Our homemade version is just as delicious.
More Delicious Southern Recipes
Copycat KFC Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken cut up or 8 pieces of your desired pieces
- 2 cups whole buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup paprika
- 1/4 cup ground white pepper
- 2 1/2 tablespoons garlic salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons celery salt
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon flaky poultry seasoning or 1/4 teaspoon ground poultry seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- neutral oil for frying canola, peanut or avocado oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg thoroughly until combined.
- Submerge the chicken pieces into the buttermilk mixture. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and marinate for 30 minutes to 24 hours in then refrigerator.
- In a large bowl that has a fitted lid, whisk together flour, herbs, and spices.
- In a large Dutch oven or skillet, heat about 3 inches of oil. Preheat the oil to 350°F over medium-high heat, using a deep-fry thermometer.
- Drain the chicken from the buttermilk mixture. Add the pieces to the flour mixture. Cover and shake until the coating adheres on all sides. Shake off any excess flour. Carefully lower the chicken pieces one at a time into the hot oil. Do not to overcrowd the fryer. Fry in batches if necessary.
- Cook for approximately 14-16 minutes, turning halfway through, until the crust is beautifully golden brown and meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the chicken cut reads a minimum of 165°F. (NOTE: If making in batches, preheat oven to 175°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place an oven-safe wire rack inside. Place the cooked pieces on the pan while making the next batch. Let the oil regain temperature before frying additional batches.)
- When the chicken is done, place each cooked piece on a wire rack or paper towel lined sheet pan. Serve with your favorite fried chicken sides.
Video
Notes
Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or better yet the air frying until warmed through. You can freeze the chicken, but we can’t guarantee the outer coating will be ask crisp after thawing. If you want to make the copycat KFC Fried Chicken in advance, just hold it in an oven on a wire rack at 200ºF for up to an hour.
Kentucky Expert Tips
- Marinate the chicken in buttermilk for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. This will tenderize the chicken to make it nice and moist after frying.
- Make sure your fry oil is heated to the right temperature before frying. This is the most important tip to frying well, it will ensure a golden brown, crunchy outside and moist inside.
- Don’t overcrowd the fryer. Make sure there is enough room in between the pieces of fried chicken so they can crisp and brown correctly.
- Drain your chicken on a wire rack rather than paper towels to prevent the fried chicken from becoming soggy.
- In between frying the chicken, make sure the oil comes back up to temperature before adding more pieces of chicken to fry to ensure they are cooked correctly.
- The best way to know if your chicken is done cooking is to temp it using a meat thermometer, to 165ºF.
Nutrition
About Laura
Taught by some of the best, cooking and entertaining has always been my favorite hobby. Food is my love language! The conception of Dinner in 321 came from my family talks that sharing our dinners would help others learn new skills, tasty recipes, and make cooking fun! Read more…
Made this in a full batch per the recipe and just like her gravy it is disgusting. No FLAVOR!!! To get any kind of coating you have to double or triple dip. Recipe calls for no Baking powder or Baking Soda, just flower so you have to cook chicken on low heat otherwise the coating burns and turns black. Again waste of time and product making this coating. Then again Americans don’t know how to cook.
This recipe has 10+ spices. The flavor is there. If your chicken is turning black before it’s cooked through, your heat is too high. Turn it down a notch.
Baking powder and baking soda don’t have superpowers here, but if you’d like to rewrite the recipe to match your own taste buds, go for it! Cooking is customizable, and we love that. In the kitchen, we bring the seasoning and the kindness.
AND YOU , SIR TED , SPELLED ” FLOUR” FLOWER. SO , WE MAY NOT CAN COOK TO YOU BUT WE SURE AS HECK CAN SPELL !!!!
Wow, what a drama queen…. putting ALL American’s in the “can’t cook” category is pretty sad. And it’s “flour”…..I guess ALL people from wherever you are can’t spell. LOL.
Well, my husband and I didn’t really think it tasted anything like KFC fried chicken. However, I must say it’s probably the best home cooked fried chicken that I have ever tasted. And I also paired it with your slow cooker pinto beans, which were fabulous and deserves a five star rating as well. I must say I was disappointed that it really didn’t taste like KFC because I love KFC so much But it was still really really good and I will most definitely make my fried chicken using this recipe from here on out.
I’m so happy to hear you liked it so much – also that you liked the soup beans! Thank you SO much!!!🥰 While I don’t have the exact recipe for KFC, I found this to be the closest after multiple tests and testers feedback 😉 Thank you again for trying it!
How can you give it 4 stars when your comments are negative????
Hi again! 🙂 This is April’s review, but thanks for tacking on. I suppose you didn’t read it completely since it’s not negative. “It was still really really good and I will most definitely make my fried chicken using this recipe from here on out.”
I tried this recipe for the first time and was impressed with the result. Very yummy. I also made the copycat coleslaw and it tasted very good. Will make this again!
Awwww!! That makes my heart so happy to hear!! Thank you SO much!!!🥰 I’m so happy you made this AND my coleslaw and liked it so much!! You just made my day!
This recipe was delicious, not exactly like KFC but close. You mentioned that real KFC is cooked in a pressure cooker, do you have any specs on how that is done? I just got a pressure cooker and would like to try it out.
Thank you SO much!!!🥰 I’m so happy you made it and liked it so much! I wish I could say for sure the method that would work best in a pressure cooker, but I’ve never tried it 🙂
Hello! I have loved so many of your recipes. Thank you for always sharing. In your KFC chicken copycat version it states 1/3 cup of paprika, is this correct??
Yes 🙂 It sounds like a lot…and the white pepper too…but both give it the character it needs to be like KFC. I hope you love it!
I haven’t even tried this yet!
I’m going to the next time I grab a 🐔 from my butcher (I’m having them SLAY The beast for me hahaha!)
Even if it’s not “exactly like KFC” it sounds wonderful! Thank you!
Aww!🥹You’re so sweet! Thank you SO much!!!🥰 I hope you LOVE it too!
This is not a KFC copycat! Mine didn’t taste anything like KFC. The chicken is just okay tasting, but a little salty. Also, my chicken fried up really dark.
Thanks for your feedback. If your chicken was really dark, your oil was too hot. If the flavors weren’t to your liking, you can adjust the recipe. KFC chicken is cooked in a pressure cooker and this is copycat version…not exact but pertineer close. All I’ve heard is positive experience except this one, so if you give it a try, I would recommend making adjustments to the recipe how you feel KFC tastes and adjust the heat on your stovetop.
Where can I get the fry pan you are using?
It’s an oven/stovetop safe roaster 🙂 Mine is a pampered chef retired piece but I linked one on the recipe too that would work great.
I have one of those roasters. Bought it years ago. Or it may have been a wedding present that survived the life of the wedding. I pull that thing out once or twice a year to roast a chicken. Never dawned on me to use at as a fry pan, but I’m glad I saw this. Thank you for the inspiration!
YAY!! So happy you saw it!! It’s great for hamburgers and my skillet chicken thighs too 🙂
Looks Delicious 😋
Thank you SO much!!!🥰
Can this be done in an air fryer?
and if it can, what temp and how much time? Thanks so much!
I haven’t tried in the air fryer. I would need to test a bit to say confidently and what steps would need to be adjusted for it. 🙂