The Original KFC Easy Copycat Recipe with 11 Herbs and Spices
By Ayan khan Published September 27, 2025, Last Updated July 7, 2025
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The secret to KFC chicken is in the spices.
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
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!
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Check out my easy chicken recipes and the best fast food recipes here on Copycat!
Some Southern home cooks suggest cutting open of some the thicker pieces of chicken before breading so it cooks all the way through..
Waaaay too spicy. Thought thus was pretty good, but tbh didn’t taste like KFC at all. Not sure if I’ll make again, but if I do I’ll cut the pepper by half.
Ayan khan
I am so sorry you found this to be too spicy.
Terrible recipe. The outside cooks to fast (Burnt) and inside is left undone. Used vegetable shortening like suggested which I think was a bad idea. Trying now with canola oil in a normal frying pan to hopefully salvage the meal. Still yet to be determined if it even tastes like KFC chicken.
Ayan khan
I am sorry you had a hard time with this recipe, and feel it is terrible. If the outside cooked too quickly on the outside, that is a temperature control problem. 350 degrees is a standard temperature to cook fried chicken. This is not the modern version of KFC fried chicken, it was the original one Sanders sold in the 1960s. KFC the corporation has modified the recipe many times. The oil you fry the chicken does not matter.
This turned out great except the flour mixture was more a breading than a crunchy texture like kfc. Any idea what might have caused that?
AYAN KHAN
This was for the original version, so if you want it to be crunchier, I would double batter this
The ingredient list calls for “Vegetable Oil” while the instructions call for “vegetable shortening”. Is that the same thing? I thought shortening was a solid at room temperature, like Crisco or Lard.
Please advise regarding the apparent contradiction. Thank you.
AYAN KHAN
Ross, you are right, I made an error in the list of ingredients on the top. I have corrected this.
I’ve been trying to find/create a copy cat Original KFC recipe for a long time. I followed this recipe that makes an excellent KFC-like fried chicken. I took it to our reunion picnic and was able to make a side-by-side comparison with some Original KFC. I found there was a taste and smell difference, so it may be a bit optimistic to call this a copy cat KFC recipe. As your article points out, one difference could be attributable to KFC being high pressured fried. I came closer to a copy cat KFC recipe substituting tellicherry black peppercorns from India for regular black pepper.
I made this but cut down on the salt a lot as I have hypertension and it still came out brilliant! Will definitely make again. 😊
Janet Snyder
Do you have a copycat recipe for KFC Original fried chicken? I like it more than the crispy kind
Ayan khan
This is the only recipe that I have for KFC chicken.
This is the original recipe not crispy. They pressure cook the original which is why it seems different.
I loved it! It was a bit peppery and the next time I will cut back on the amount of pepper . The timing was spot on although I did use a meat thermometer to make sure the inside was cooked. Can’t be too careful. Didn’t want my family yo get sick.
Don’t cut back on the white pepper. The Col said that was the secret to the 11 herbs and spices.
Tried this and it didn’t turn out that great. The outside got done and the inside was raw. The outside got to done. I left in the times it said on the recipe. I won’t ever make this again.
Ayan khan
I am sorry this recipe did not work out for you. All chicken isn’t the same size, so cooking times may vary. One thing you can do, is to purchase a meat thermometer, and check to see if the chicken makes it to 165 degrees so you never have to bite into raw chicken.
To get the spot on KFC taste cut back the white pepper to 1 TBS and 1 1/2. tablespoons of cayan pepper and I do believe the paprika is smoked.