KFC’s delicious finger-lickin’ good fried chicken is an iconic fast food that has captivated tastebuds for decades. But have you ever wondered how they make it so crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside? What goes on behind the scenes to create this legendary chicken? Let’s unravel the steps involved in making KFC’s famous original recipe chicken.
Sourcing the Chicken
It all starts with procuring high-quality fresh chicken KFC only uses young chickens raised specifically for their restaurants They work with trusted local farmers and suppliers who follow strict protocols for housing, feeding, and raising the chickens humanely. The chickens are free to roam in barns and have constant access to food and water. KFC’s suppliers are contractually required to adhere to animal welfare guidelines.
The chickens arrive at KFC weighing between 4-5 pounds This specific size and weight distribution ensures uniformity in cooking times and a consistent finished product Before arriving at restaurants, each batch goes through quality control checks for appearance and safety.
The Famous Secret Marinade
Once the chicken arrives at the restaurant, the magic begins. Each fresh chicken is hand-trimmed to KFC’s exact specifications and then marinated in the legendary original recipe blend of 11 secret herbs and spices. This top-secret original recipe was perfected by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1940 and has remained unchanged ever since.
While the exact 11 ingredients remain guarded in a vault, speculations abound around ingredients like salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, basil, oregano, thyme, celery salt, mustard powder, and more. The secret marinade deeply penetrates the chicken and gives it its quintessential flavor profile. The chicken is left to soak up the flavors in a controlled environment for a set duration.
Artisan Hand-Breading
After marination, each piece of chicken is masterfully hand-breaded by KFC’s skilled cooks. Hand-breading involves carefully dipping each piece of chicken in the prepared flour mix to achieve the signature crispy coating. The flour blend contains some of the 11 secret herbs and spices to complement the marinade. Hand-breading allows cooks to evenly coat chicken pieces while adding a personal touch.
The hand-breading skill is passed down through extensive training to maintain KFC’s standards worldwide. There are precise techniques for the amount of flour used, the process of coating, and the order of breading. KFC prides itself on sticking to traditional hand-breading when most chains use automated processes. This artisanal approach delivers superior texture and taste.
Pressure Frying to Perfection
The hand-breaded chicken then goes into a high-tech pressure fryer filled with pure vegetable oil. Instead of traditional open fryers, pressure fryers allow chicken to be cooked faster and more evenly with ideal crispiness. The built-up pressure seals in the chicken’s natural juices and signature flavors from the marinade.
KFC chefs monitor cooking times and oil temperatures carefully to achieve the perfect balance of a crispy coating with a juicy interior. Once done, the chicken pieces go through a cooling down process before rigorous quality checks. Rejected pieces get discarded or reworked.
Uncompromising Quality Control
KFC employs military-style quality control across all stages to ensure consistency in taste and quality worldwide. There are stringent protocols for ingredient and chicken inspections, marination, hand-breading, frying, and sampling. Cooks are trained to recognize perfect chicken pieces based on coating, color, crunch, and juiciness.
Multiple samplings are done every day per restaurant to maintain standards. KFC also conducts surprise audits on breading processes and kitchen safety. Technology like digital thermometers helps monitor frying oil temps and chicken doneness in real-time. With so much attention to detail, it’s no wonder KFC chicken comes out perfect every time!
Behind the Scenes of a Chicken Powerhouse
To summarize, making mouthwatering KFC chicken is a complex, multi-step process:
-
Procuring plump young chickens raised humanely by trusted farmers.
-
Marinating chickens in the secret 11 herb and spice original recipe blend.
-
Hand-breading each piece to give a light, crispy coating.
-
Pressure-frying to seal in flavors and ensure ideal texture.
-
Rigorously sampling batches to maintain consistency.
While the secret recipe and cooking method have endured over the years, KFC continues to evolve with the times when it comes to sourcing, safety, and waste management. By combining timeless artisan techniques with modern technology and innovation, KFC manages to churn out finger lickin’ good chicken by the millions every day!
So next time you bite into a tasty Extra Crispy or Original Recipe piece, you’ll appreciate the complex journey that little piece of chicken has undergone to delight your tastebuds! The enduring popularity of this chicken across generations and geographies is a testament to KFC’s unmatched quality and iconic flavor profile.
StepsPart
-
1 Blend all of the spices in a food processor until theyre all the same size. This includes your celery salt, garlic salt, and kosher salt, as well as your dried herbs, ground black and white pepper, dried mustard, and paprika. Keep pulsing the ingredients until the herbs are broken up and the same size.[1]
- For a more authentic flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of Accent Seasoning (MSG) for every 1 pound (0.45 kg) of chicken. MSG is a flavor enhancer, but its not very healthy.
- If you cant find oregano or thyme, try marjoram and sage instead.[2]
- 2 Whisk the spice blend into the flour. Pour the flour into a large dish, then add the spice blend. Whisk the ingredients together until everything is combined. Set the bowl aside for later.[3] [4]
- Youll be placing your chicken pieces in this. The bowl should be big enough to fit at least 1 chicken breast or 1 chicken thigh.
Advertisement
- 3 Beat the egg and buttermilk in a separate bowl. Do not add them to the bowl with the flour and spiced blend. Instead, crack the egg open into a different bowl, then add the buttermilk. Whisk the 2 ingredients together until the yolk has broken up and no streaks remain.[5] [6]
- Make sure that the bowl is deep enough to submerge all of your chicken pieces.
Advertisement Part
Frying the Chicken
- 1 Fill a pot or deep fryer with at least 5 inches (13 cm) of vegetable oil. The oil needs to be deep enough so that you can submerge the chicken pieces.[12] Plan on using about 2 quarts (1.9 L) of oil.
- You can use another neutral-tasting oil. Avoid olive oil, however, as the flavor is too intense.
- 2 Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is 350 °F (177 °C). This may take a few minutes, but do not step away from the fryer. Once the oil starts to heat up, the temperature will rise rapidly. Use a candy-making or oil thermometer to keep track of the oils temperature.[13] [14]
- If you dont have a thermometer, stick a wooden spoon handle into the oil. The oil is ready once you start to see bubbles around the handle.[15]
- 3 Fry the chicken in batches for 12 to 18 minutes. The breasts and wings will be ready in about 12 to 14 minutes. The legs and thighs will take about 15 to 18 minutes.[16]
- Check the internal temperature, the chicken is done when the internal temperature reads 165 °F (74 °C). Use a meat thermometer to gauge the temperature.[17]
- The oil should be deep enough to ensure even frying, so theres no need to turn the chicken pieces.
- Make the chicken easier to remove by placing the chicken into a fryer basket, do not overcrowd the basket, then dipping the basket into the hot oil.[18]
- 4 Use a pair of metal tongs to transfer the chicken to a wire cooling rack. To help keep your counter clean, place a baking sheet under the cooling rack to catch any oil drips. Once the chicken has cooled off to room-temperature, its ready to serve![19]
- Dont put the chicken on top of newspaper or paper towels. This will trap the steam in, causing the chicken to go soft.
- If you used a fryer basket, lift it out and hook it over the edge of the deep fryer. Use tongs to pull the chicken pieces out.
Advertisement
How KFC Chicken is Made in a Factory | Chicken Factory Process
FAQ
How is KFC fried chicken made?
KFC fried chicken is made by first marinating chicken pieces in a buttermilk mixture, then coating them in a secret blend of 11 herbs and spices mixed with flour, and finally pressure frying the chicken until golden brown.
Does KFC fry or bake their chicken?
Their extra tasty crispy style of chicken is just plain deep fried, but they have a special type of pressure cooker for their original recipe chicken.
Is KFC chicken made in a lab or lab?
The company told USA TODAY it does not use the method itself. “These allegations are false,” said Tyson Foods spokesperson Derek Burleson. “Tyson Foods does not sell any cultured meat products.” Africa Check previously debunked a claim that KFC was using lab-grown meat in its products.
How do you make KFC chicken?
If you’ve ever wondered how to make KFC™ chicken, the secret is here. Preheat fryer to 350°F. Thoroughly mix together all spices. Combine spices with flour, brown sugar and salt. Dip chicken pieces in egg white to lightly coat them, then transfer to flour mixture. Turn a few times and make sure the flour mix is really stuck to the chicken.
Is KFC Original Recipe Chicken a copycat?
KFC Original Recipe Chicken uncovered by a food reporter from Colonel Sander’s nephew and republished with all 11 herbs and spices makes a perfect copycat!
Is KFC chicken real chicken?
Yes, the chicken served at KFC is real. It is Canadian farm raised chicken.