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Looking for a recipe that tastes like KFC? This fried chicken recipe is for you then.
Do you love a good fried chicken? Are you a fan of the “Colonel’s” famous KFC chicken? If the answer is yes to both, look no further. This is your recipe!
My friend Maria from Maria’s Mixing Bowl, posted the original recipe for this on her Facebook page. I don’t know where it originates since it wasn’t Maria’s personal recipe and there was no mention of the source. Probably just “one of those recipes” that makes the rounds from time to time.
I recently bought a professional-style deep fryer that I’d coveted for a long time, but that necessitated an electrical upgrade and heavy-load wiring in my kitchen. I recently had all the electrical work done and now I can use these kind of appliances. And guess what the first thing I wanted to make was? Uh huh 🙂 So finding Maria’s recipe was really timely!
This coating is the bomb! OK, it’s slightly more labor intensive because there’s quite a few herbs and spices involved here and it is recommended that you crush them all together using a mortar and pestle before adding to the flour. Doing that will release the oils and the flavor, but if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, then rub the spice combo well with your hands.
A deep-fat fryer will produce a much crispier chicken, but you can do it stovetop. Keep in mind you need quite a bit of oil. Ditch the skillet and use a Dutch oven if you’re going to fry stovetop. And I can’t stress this enough–and this goes for an electric deep-fat fryer as well–don’t overcrowd the pan and don’t let the pieces touch!!! It’s much better to fry in shifts than try to do too much at one time.
Also your oil temperature is extremely important. Chicken pieces should be fried at 350 degrees F. If your temperature is correct, your chicken (or any food) will NOT absorb oil and be greasy. It’s actually a scientific principle that has to do with external vs. internal pressure. Lastly, olive oil is out for deep frying. You need an oil with a high smoke point, such as peanut or canola oil. Vegetable oil is OK too, but the others are better.
Another tip to keep this crispy–don’t drain on paper towels. This causes steam to accumulate. It’s better to take a cooling rack–like you’d use for cookies–and place the chicken on that. I use a baking sheet underneath the rack because I keep the completed pieces in a 200 degree F oven to keep them warm whilst frying the other batches.
This chicken is pure heaven! While I don’t plan to make this a weekly indulgence, it’s now my go-to recipe for proper fried chicken. Serve it up with some Kicked Up Coleslaw–perfection!
EDIT: Several people have contacted me about the red ceramic baker. It is available from Allora in UK (they ship internationally) and is handmade by Ceramiche Tapinassi.
KFC Copycat Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken cut into pieces (or pre-cut parts--i used thighs and drumsticks)
- 3 beaten eggs
- oil for frying
- 2 cups flour
- 4 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp tarragon
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp chives
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
Instructions
- Grind all the herbs and spices with a mortar and pestle (if you don't have one rub very well with your hands.
- Place the flour in a large plastic bag and add the ground herbs/spices. Shake the bag well to blend.
- Heat the oil (if not using an electric deep fryer, the oil level should be about 2-inches) to 350 degrees F. Deep-fry thermometer is strongly recommeded
- Dip the chicken in the beaten egg, letting excess run off, then place in the bag of flour and toss until well coated.
- Place coated chicken in the hot oil, making sure NOT to crowd the pan and maintain proper oil temperature.
- Turn half-way through cook time (approximate cook times given below). Always check with an insta-read meat thermometer. Chicken should cook to 160-165 degrees F.
- Drumsticks will require about 12 minutes total
- Small to medium thighs require about 15-17 minutes total
- Breasts require about 14-16 minutes total
Nutrition
George says
Looks great. Will try on Tues.
Lee Vining says
I did this with skinless, boneless breasts because I had a big COSTCO bag of them frozen.
First marinating skinless boneless chicken breasts for 2 hours in buttermilk will allow the coating to stick.
Then, you are good to go.
(BTW: Turkey Red White flour is one of the Col’s secret ingredients as was sweetened condensed milk for a batter style coating.)
This recipe is marvelous.
Thanks Judith.
Judith Hanneman says
Marinating in buttermilk is absolutely necessary with boneless breasts–and it’s a good idea for *all* fried chicken to keep it moist. The colonel’s other (not-so) secret is pressure frying, but the proper equipment is needed for that (and it’s still dangerous).