In 2016, the Chicago Tribune published what might be the biggest reveal in fast food history. Colonel Sanders’ secret blend of 11 herbs and spices was discovered in a scrapbook belonging to Claudia Sanders, the Colonel’s second wife. This family recipe gives us a fascinating glimpse into the iconic chicken that transformed a small Kentucky restaurant into a global phenomenon. While KFC maintains their recipe remains locked in a vault, this version recreates the original 1960s flavor that made the brand famous.
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Table of Contents
The secret to KFC chicken is in the spices
Sanders sold off most of his KFC franchise but still retained rights in the Canadian restaurants. He claimed the company that bought KFC changed the spice recipe, so he went to the Marion-Kay spice company and had a spice blend made especially for him.
Marion Kay still sells the spice blend the Colonel made for his original KFC recipe, and you can buy the KFC spice blend.
Also, this interesting video tests the spices in the leaked KFC recipe.
Please note: This recipe does not taste like the modern version. It is the original recipe from the 1960s. KFC, the corporation, has changed the recipe multiple times since the early 1970s.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Recreates the famous 11 herbs and spices blend
- Achieves that signature crispy coating
- Uses simple ingredients found in most pantries
- Perfect for family dinners or special occasions
- Can be made ahead and reheated
Recipe ingredients for KFC coating
This copycat Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe features 11 herbs and spices, including basil, black pepper, celery salt, garlic salt, ginger, mustard powder, oregano, paprika, salt, thyme, and white pepper, just like the original KFC recipe.
It is known that the original KFC recipe would have used cottonseed oil. We typically use hydrogenated vegetable shortening (you can use vegetable oil.)
For the Seasoned Flour Coating:
- All-purpose flour – Creates the crispy coating base
- Salt – Enhances all other flavors in the blend
- Ground thyme – Adds earthy, minty undertones
- Basil – Provides sweet, peppery notes
- Oregano – Contributes robust, aromatic flavor
- Celery salt – Adds savory depth and complexity
- Ground black pepper – Delivers mild heat and spice
- Ground white pepper – Provides sharper heat than black pepper
- Dry mustard powder – Creates a tangy, pungent flavor
- Paprika – Adds color and mild sweetness
- Garlic salt – Infuses savory garlic essence
- Ground ginger – Contributes warm, slightly spicy notes
- Accent flavor enhancer – Intensifies overall taste (optional)
For the Chicken:
- Whole chicken – Cut into 8 pieces for even cooking
- Egg – Helps the coating adhere to the chicken
- Buttermilk – Tenderizes meat and adds tangy flavor
- Vegetable shortening – Creates crispy texture (or vegetable oil)
How to make KFC fried chicken
Equipment
One thing is decidedly different between a homemade KFC recipe and KFC chicken purchased in a restaurant, and that is pressure cooking. To get it just right, you need a chicken pressure fryer.
Frying under pressure enables faster cooking at lower oil temperatures than in a conventional deep fryer. A pressure fryer ensures that moisture and flavor are sealed in while excess cooking oil is sealed out. This method produces a healthier and juicier chicken with a Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe.
However, you probably don’t have a commercial pressure fryer on your countertop so that you can use a regular deep fryer or even a Dutch oven.
Just in case you don’t have a deep fryer or Dutch oven, you can get the equipment you need on Amazon to make the recipe:
- Deep fryer or a Dutch oven
- Thermometer if using a Dutch oven
Recipe Steps
- Combine flour and all of the seasonings in a bowl.
- Cut the chicken into pieces (breasts, thighs, legs, and wings).
- Whisk the buttermilk and beaten egg together in a large bowl.
- Place the chicken pieces in the buttermilk mixture and soak the chicken for 30 minutes.
- Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
- Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and shake off excess.
- Put each chicken piece into the flour mixture, turn to fully coat, then shake off excess flour.
- Place the breaded chicken onto a wire rack over a baking sheet.
- Let the breaded chicken rest for 15 minutes before frying.
- Heat vegetable shortening to 350 degrees in a deep fryer or Dutch oven.
- Fry the chicken in batches until done. Breasts and thighs take about 15 minutes to cook. Wings and drumsticks take about 12 minutes to cook.
- Drain the fried chicken on a clean wire cooling rack on a baking sheet.
Tips for breading KFC chicken
- Pat it Dry – After soaking your chicken in a buttermilk/egg mixture before breading, pat it dry enough so that the buttermilk does not drip when you coat it.
- Shake Off the Flour – Remove any excess flour for crispy, flavorful Kentucky fried chicken. Excess flour will cause the breading to fall off because it does not adhere to the chicken.
- Don’t Skimp on the Crumb – Whatever you coat the chicken in, do it thoroughly. Coat the meat evenly and entirely on every side.
- Remember the Last Pat – After your chicken is covered in breading, gently pat it down on all sides so that all the coating sticks to the egg layer. Well-coated chicken is the key to that crunchy fried texture you expect from a KFC recipe.
- Curb Your Impatience – If you’re frying in a Dutch oven or a cast-iron skillet, place the breaded chicken pieces in the hot oil with plenty of space between them and let them be! The more the chicken pieces touch each other, or you feel the chicken with tongs, the more likely the breading is to fall off.
Wait until you see a golden rim around the chicken’s side submerged in the oil, then feel free to flip it.
Here’s a good article about how to deep fry at home with confidence.
Common troubleshooting
- Coating falling off: Ensure chicken is well-dried and coating is firmly patted
- Too dark outside, raw inside: Oil too hot or pieces too large
- Greasy chicken: Oil not hot enough or an overcrowded pan
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in airtight containers for up to 5 days. The coating may soften slightly when chilled.
- Reheating Method: Reheat in a 400°F oven for 15-20 minutes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Cover with foil to prevent over-browning. Avoid microwaving, as it can make the coating soggy.
- Freezing: Wrap individual pieces in heavy-duty foil, then place in freezer bags. Freeze for up to 12 months.
Love KFC? Try these copycat recipes!
Popular fast food copycat recipes
- Burger King Whopper
- Bojangles Biscuits
- Chick-fil-A Sauce
- Culvers Burgers
- McDonald’s Apple Pie
- Orange Julius Recipe
- Panda Express Chow Mein
- Popeyes Cajun Rice
- Starbucks Pink Drink
- Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce
Check out my easy chicken recipes and the best fast food recipes here on CopyKat!
Original KFC Easy Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon ground thyme
- ½ tablespoon basil
- ⅓ tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon celery salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard powder
- 4 tablespoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 3 tablespoons ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon Accent flavor enhancer (MSG) optional
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 cup full-fat buttermilk
- vegetable shortening for frying (you can use vegetable oil, we prefer shortening.)
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into breast, thigh, leg, and wing pieces.
- In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour and all of the seasonings.
- In a large bowl, add buttermilk and beaten egg. Stir or whisk to combine.
- Add the chicken pieces to the buttermilk mixture.
- Soak the chicken for about 30 minutes.
- Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
- To bread the chicken, remove the chicken from the buttermilk and shake off excess.
- Place each piece into the flour mixture.
- Coat the chicken fully and then shake off all of the excess flour.
- Place the chicken onto the wire rack.
- Bread all of the chicken. The breaded chicken should rest for about 15 minutes before frying.
- Heat oil to 350 degrees in a deep fryer. If you do not have a deep fryer you should use a Dutch oven and fill it half full of vegetable shortening. If you are using a Dutch oven, use a thermometer to make sure the temperature is maintained at 350 degrees. If the temperature drops too low, the breading will become greasy.
- Cook the chicken in 2 or 3 batches. The breasts and thighs will take about 15 to 18 minutes to cook. The wings and legs will take about 12 to 13 minutes to cook.
- Drain the fried chicken on a clean wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
Notes
Pro tips for perfect fried chicken
- Pat chicken dry before marinating
- Don’t overcrowd the frying oil
- Maintain oil temperature between 325-350°F
- Let coating rest before frying for better adhesion
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure doneness (165°F)
By “dry instant chicken broth”, do you mean chicken bouillon cubes? If so, is it 2 cubes?
You can use 2 cubes of bouillon.
Is the dry instant chicken broth an ingredient for the KFC fried chicken? Thanx for your response
It is not a part of this recipe, the recipe was revised. That ingredient became hard to find. So the recipe was revised.
I liked the Chicago Tribune recipe, but this one was pretty good too.
OK folks. If you want the original seasoning blend from the company that used to mix it for Harlan Sanders before he sold out, it was and still is made by Marion Kay Spices and it’s their “Chicken Seasoning 99x”. Sanders liked it better than his original because Kay put in one more thing. You can google the story. It runs about $1.00 per ounce and IS the real deal. It’s just not worth arguing over what’s in it. What it is is GOOD!
Interesting, I will have to give that a try.
DD nailed it! Thanks! I don’t understand all the fuss about MSG (Accent)? The complaint about this use of msg was that it could give people headaches. This came about in the late 50’s early 60’s concerning the use in Chinees eateries. Maybe I don’t get out enough but I have yet to meet anyone that got headaches from it’s use. It is just a flavor enhancer and we use it a LOT. If you ever eat at a Soul Food place get ready for a good dose of Accent. They buy it by the truck load! For those of you who want to duplicate KFC’s pressure cooking method, DONT USE YOUR HOME PRESSURE COOKER. iT COULD EXPLODE.
I have some accent on hand. I am not personally sensitive to it, it really does make food taste better. I feel like the science behind it isn’t always clear. MSG exists naturally in some food. A lot of food manufactures simply call it something else. So we are still consuming it. Chick Fil A also uses MSG in their chicken as well.
Now I know why I can’t pass a Chick fil A!
I just wanna add I worked for KFC way back when I for those of you who like Original Recipe chicken it’s all the above recipe and comment additions with the spices except its cooked in a Pressure Fryer. Very important distinction. That’s how Original recipe gets made.
For those who like the Extra Tasty Crispy, NO Breadcrumbs. You see that step where you dunk the chicken in the water and then in the flour and herb/spices mix? Yeah, do that twice, then straight up dunk fry it. Doesn’t have to be fully submerged, but at least half covered when you fry it or the center won’t get hot enough and cook through before it burns on the outside. Honestly, the second dunk and flouring before frying is the only difference between Crispy and Original other than how they fry.
Thank for your post! It is easy to understand, detailed and meticulous! I have read many other articles about the same topic, but your article convinced me! I hope you continue to have high quality articles like this to share with veryone!
Very good recipes. To make it even better, soak the chicken for 12 hours in egg and buttermilk. The acid in the buttermilk tenderizes the chicken and gives a better flavor. southern ladies have done this for years.
use peanut or coconut oil to cook in. all other oils are not good for you. the others burn at higher heat and releases cancer chemicals.
Thank you for your suggestions. I agree marinating chicken always makes it better. Thank you again!
I moved from the states to Xi’an, China. Yes we have KFC here, but like most other American fast food restaurants here, the recipes are altered. The chicken here has different seasoning. So, yes it may be recognized world-wide, but it is not the same product.
So WHAT IS THE “fine herbs” in this recipe??
You can buy it on Amazon.com or here’s a recipe:
Fines Herbes
Ingredients
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon savory (grind parsley, tarragon, chives & dill)
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon sage
Directions
1. Mix together all of ingredients & store in tightly sealed glass container.
Gary Moore: using a salt brine to the soak also helps really plump up the chicken meat. Who would have thought that “bro science” at the gym would ever come in handy: excess sodium makes you….retain water, duh! Haha!
Gary,
Avocado oil is very good for you!
It lowers you bad cholesterol and you can use it for high heat.It does not burn like olive oil.
Take care!
Sheri
I need to make this for my family! They will go crazy for this!
Oh thanks for sharing – I do love some KFC style chicken!
I think for people who can’t find Fines herbs, or don’t like MSG or want it to be as close to the Colonels, I would read what SNUGSCAT wrote. She has first hand experience. KFC does NOT use soy sauce, and DOES use a pressure cooker. Always have. If you want the real 11 herbs and spices, see her list. Play with it to find the correct amounts.
Can’t believe KFC hasn’t taken MSG off their ingredients list yet but not sure I’d want them to change things either. They are so good and am so thankful for your recipe!
If you eat tomatoes. They have sone of the highest concentration of msg in any fruit or vegetable lol. Msg is not bad for you. Check your facts first. It’s not a banned substance. Restaurant owners just put up the signs to make you feel better.
This sounds amazing! Certainly cheaper than ordering the real thing 🙂 I will definitely be trying this in the very near future.
And I’m drooling! Fried chicken is my very favorite comfort food!
Nobody does it quite like KFC i tell you. I’d rather go in to have it rather than try to duplicate it
Seems like a lot of work! lol Looks good though!
I will have to try out this recipe. I love KFC’s chicken!
What an awesome way to cook up chicken! I’m definitely going to have to try those spices.
I would love to try this! I’m a big fan of KFC fried chicken.
we no longer fry our chicken but oven bake it. I’m sure a lot of fried chicken fans will be all over this recipe
I love KFC fried chicken. I haven’t been able to eat it for a long while because of my gallbladder and boy oh boy do I miss it. This looks so good! I will have to try it!