This KFC Original Recipe Chicken copycat brings the iconic 11-herbs-and-spices fried chicken flavor to your kitchen with a classic dredge and fry method you can follow at home.
Photo by lesleyk
Copycat KFC Original Recipe Chicken
KFC Original Recipe Chicken is a crispy, herb and spice coated fried chicken inspired by the famed secret blend used by Kentucky Fried Chicken.
This copycat focuses on nailing the seasoning mix and frying process so you get golden, juicy chicken with rich, savory notes reminiscent of the famous Colonel Sanders Original Recipe.
Quick Recipe Overview
- Best For: Crispy fried chicken dinners
- Flavor Profile: Savory, herb-forward, crunchy
- Skill Level: Moderate frying technique
- What Makes It Like the Restaurant: 11 herb and spice blend crust
KFC
Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Original Recipe is one of the most famous fried chicken formulas in the world, built around a secret mix of 11 herbs and spices that Colonel Harland Sanders perfected in the late 1930s.
It has been a cornerstone of the KFC brand ever since, carried across decades of fast-food history and kept tightly guarded as a trade secret.
Today the Original Recipe remains a defining element of the restaurant’s menu and a touchstone in American casual dining culture.
The Iconic 11 Spices Fried Chicken
Southern style fried chicken has roots in early American home cooking but was popularized nationally by chains like KFC that standardized pressure frying and a signature seasoning. In this style, juicy chicken pieces are dredged in a seasoned flour mix and deep fried until golden and crunchy. Recipes that aim to imitate KFC’s Original Recipe lean into a precise blend of herbs and spices, often paired with buttermilk-soaked chicken to tenderize and lock in moisture.
KFC Original Recipe Chicken Recipe
Make our KFC Original Recipe Chicken at home tonight for your family. Our Secret Restaurant Recipe tastes just like KFC's.
Ingredients
- 1 whole Chicken cut into 8 pieces -- or 8 - 12 of Your Favorite Chicken Pieces
- 3 Eggs
- 2/3 cup Milk
- 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 envelope of Powdered Tomato Soup Mix
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Bicarbonate of Soda
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Salt
- 1 tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried Parsley
- 2 tablespoons dried Oregano
- 2 tablespoons Salt
- 4 teaspoons freshly ground Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried Basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon Celery Salt
- Oil for frying, enough to cover the bottom of a skillet
- More Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Beat eggs in a large bowl.
- Add 2/3 cup milk and whisk to blend. Set aside
- In a second large bowl, combine the flour, tomato soup mix, bicarbonate of soda, garlic salt, onion powder, sugar, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, basil thyme and celery salt. Mix well.
- Take a piece of chicken and dip it into the egg/milk mixture.
- Then place it in the flour mixture move it around until it is well-coated with flour. Set this piece aside and repeat this process for the remaining chicken pieces.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet until it shimmers but doesn't smoke, about 350°F.
- Using tongs, carefully place the chicken pieces skin-side down into the skillet and fry them over medium heat.
- Fry for about 25 to 30 minutes, turning and flipping occasionally.
- Remove the pieces from the skillet and drain the grease onto paper towel-covered plates.
Related Copycat Recipes
- Church’s Fried Chicken Fried Okra – Crispy cornmeal-breaded okra with a tender center and Southern crunch
- KFC Cajun Honey Chicken Wings – Sticky, spicy-sweet wings that balance heat, honey, and crunch
- Popeyes Extra Crispy Spicy Fried Chicken – Shatteringly crispy chicken with bold Cajun spice and juicy heat inside
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Questions People AskIs KFC Original Recipe chicken pressure fried
Yes. In restaurants it is traditionally cooked in a pressure fryer, though home fryers work too.
Yes. In restaurants it is traditionally cooked in a pressure fryer, though home fryers work too.
What makes the Original Recipe unique
A secret blend of 11 herbs and spices gives it a distinct flavor profile.
Can I make this crispy without a pressure fryer
Yes. Use a deep fryer or heavy pot with oil at steady temperature for crisp results.
Should the chicken be marinated first
Many home cooks use buttermilk to tenderize before coating and frying.
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Recipe courtesy of WikiHow.com and used by permission under the Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) License. Photo of KFC Original Recipe Chicken is by lesleyk and is used by permission under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) License. Photo of “KFC” is by Mike Mozart and is used by permission under the Attribution 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License. Read the Full License Here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en. Thank you, Lesley and Mike. Great Pictures. Photos may be representative of the recipe and not the actual finished dish. All photo licenses listed were correct at the time of the posting of the page. Recipe is our adaption of several recipes formally widely-circulated on the internet – courtesy of the Wayback Machine.
Additional Information is from original research done by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes and/or courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.
Additional Information is from original research done by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes and/or courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.
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February 26, 2016 @ 9:54 pm
It is said KFC chicken is made using 11 herbs and spices but I came across a copycat recipe containing only salt, pepper and MSG. I purchased MSG on the spice aisle under the name ACCENT and made fried chicken which in fact did taste like KFC chicken.
March 16, 2016 @ 4:32 pm
I found a pretty good recipe online but it doesn’t include tomato soup
March 18, 2016 @ 12:26 pm
Ginny,
Please share it with us. We are always looking for new and better recipes.
James
March 15, 2018 @ 7:54 am
I asked several questions of a local KFC because a native American friend always got sick on KFC chicken until I asked the right question, do you use any dairy in your processing? The friend is allergic to all dairy products. The response was that they do marinate it in buttermilk. He wasn\’t supposed to tell me that. Real Southern fried chicken recipes all have buttermilk and a touch of cayenne pepper. I just use a pinch of poultry seasoning, garlic and onion powders and lots of pepper.
Thank you so much for you posting your successes. I know how many trials it can take to get it right. I love your Café Rio recipes!
March 15, 2018 @ 7:59 am
Cathy
Thank you so much for this valuable information.
Mark
December 2, 2018 @ 12:23 pm
KFC Original chicken is cooked partially in a pressure cooker