Copycat KFC Chicken

We’re giving away the secret recipe for Copycat KFC Chicken. Now you can make your own fast food style chicken at home.

Thanks to a reporter from the Chicago Tribune we all know (or think we know) what spices KFC uses in their chicken. Do we really have the family secret or is it still truly a mystery? Is the KFC copycat chicken the real deal? Give it a try and decide for yourself.

The one thing we have to mention is that while our copycat recipe tastes authentic, our homemade KFC chicken doesn’t contain MSG. Win! (While you’re at it, give this Copycat Shake and Bake Chicken a try too. We’d love to know what you think.)

How To Make Copycat KFC Chicken

To make this deep fried chicken taste perfect, we marinate the chicken pieces in a buttermilk and egg mixture for 1 hour. Then, they are coated in flour and an 11-spice seasoning – the same one that reportedly is used on KFC’s very own chicken and includes sweet paprika, white pepper, garlic salt, celery salt, and more. While the coating contains all 11 of those spices, we’re not sure the measurements they use so we taste tested ours to get the right combo. Hard life, huh?

Then, it’s time to get that oil hot and start frying the chicken! An instant read thermometer is helpful here, not only to check the temperature of the oil, but also to double check the internal temperature of the chicken.

To really make it a copycat KFC meal, serve with sides like mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and coleslaw. Enjoy!

Copycat KFC Chicken

Contributor: Ilona Orzechowska

We’re giving away the secret recipe for Copycat KFC Chicken. Now you can make your own fast food style chicken at home.

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• Author: Ilona Orzechowska
• Prep Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Yield: 10 servings 1x
• Category: Entrée
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 lbs chicken pieces (legs, thighs, breasts, wings)
• 1 and 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. sweet paprika
• 2 Tbsp. white pepper
• 1 Tbsp. garlic salt
• 1 Tbsp. celery salt
• 1 Tbsp. dried mustard
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

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Instructions

1. In a large glass container mix buttermilk with egg. Add chicken pieces. Marinate for 1 hour.
2. In a zip top bag mix flour with sweet paprika, white pepper, garlic salt, celery salt, dried mustard, salt, dried thyme, dried basil, ground ginger and black pepper. Shake it well.
3. Remove chicken pieces from buttermilk letting to drip off.
4. Place 2 pieces of chicken into the zip top bag. Shake it well. Remove and put on wire rack. Repeat for the remaining chicken pieces.
5. In a medium pan heat oil until it reaches 350°F.
6. Put chicken pieces in the oil and fry for about 20-25 minutes, turning halfway. Once the chicken is dropped to the oil the temperature will lower to 300°F – 325°F. Be careful not to burn the crust. Lower the heat if necessary.
7. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165°F.

This post originally appeared in April 2019 and was revised and republished in June 2022.