KFC Original Recipe Chicken decoded by a food reporter and republished with all 11 herbs and spices to make picture perfect KFC chicken at home! 
KFC Original Recipe Chicken has been a huge part of my childhood. As a kid my aunt would walk me home from school and we would stop at the KFC that was a half a block from my school. We’d share chicken and a strawberry parfait they used to sell. Unlike the Pioneer Chicken that my mom used to buy, this food memory is one I can still enjoy anytime I wanted.
So why make a copycat recipe of it if you have one a mile down the road? Well, A: Copycat recipes are a ton of fun and B: Way, way, way, way higher quality. Have you been to a KFC in the last decade? I’ve only been a few times but was disappointed each time because the chicken pieces have shrunken… a lot. Also, and hey to each his own (I’m definitely guilty of my fair share of food sins), but KFC uses MSG in the recipe for its KFC Original Recipe Chicken. Oh, and last thing, as far as fast food goes, it tends to be pretty pricy.
So here we are all trying to decode the famous 11 herbs and spices. Everyone has theories, and according to KFC no one has EVER been right. So I have sort of watched the copycat rounds develop from a distance. Then something pretty awesome happened. 
A food reporter for the Chicago Tribune visited the nephew of good old Colonel Sanders himself. He has memories of this recipe that he used to make by the bucket. And lo and behold he has a copy of the recipe in an old scrapbook. So of course the reporter snaps a picture and proceeds to bring it back to Chicago for some serious taste testing.
Now, as a huge KFC Original Recipe Chicken fan, I’m interested. They recipe test and with the single addition of MSG find that they’ve recreated that distinct amazing flavor. 
So here it is, in all its glory. I did make a couple of adjustments in my side by side comparison during recipe testing.
- I ditched the MSG, if you want to add it back in, Accent Seasoning will do the trick and you can add 1/2 teaspoon for every pound of chicken used. It definitely seems to be the X factor here for that final kick of nostalgic flavor, so again if you want the 100% real deal, grab a canister and add away.
- I reduced the paprika by 1 tablespoon. The flavor seemed off to me, and in a comparison of color I found 3 tablespoons to be a better representation of the original. Want to stick to the recipe the Chicago Tribune uncovered? Use the full 4 tablespoons.
- Last change, but a really big one. If you were to buy some KFC Original Recipe Chicken and really inspect the breading of the chicken you will find dark specks. Yes, those specks are your herbs and spices, but guess what else they are? Uniform. Maybe to hide the recipe since shapes may give away ingredients. Maybe to prevent the overpowering flavor of biting into an entire piece of dried thyme. Either way, I pulverized the thyme, basil and oregano in my small food processor. Bingo, tiny specks. 😉
- I added more oil (truth: I used my deep fryer, but if you just add more oil, you’ll have a full deep fry in a larger stockpot) instead of the cast iron skillet fry that was done in the recipe as printed.
Thanks so much to the awesome folks at the Chicago Tribune for this KFC Original Recipe Chicken “copycat.” 
Or perhaps you want more copycat recipes!
- KFC Potato Wedges (Copycat)
- KFC Coleslaw (Copycat)
- Tony Roma’s BBQ Chicken
- Panda Express Orange Chicken (Copycat)
- Chick-fil-A Nuggets (Copycat)
Tools Used In This Recipe:
Deep Fryer: Easy for keeping temperature on point and kind of fun to use!
Accent Seasoning: The x factor, this is MSG, so use at your discretion.
Pigtail Flipper: I LOVE this tool for frying. I am able to drop and pick up pieces without removing any breading at all thanks to this awesome tool.
KFC Original Recipe Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 tablespoon dried basil leaves
- 1/3 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 tablespoon celery salt
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried mustard
- 3 tablespoons paprika (original recipe calls for 4 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 3 tablespoons ground white pepper
- 2 teaspoons Accent Seasoning , optional (I left this out)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 chicken , cut into 10 pieces (2 wings, 2 legs, 2 thighs and 2 breasts each cut in half to make 4 breast pieces)
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Add the spices to a small food processor until they're all uniform in size and the thyme, basil and oregano aren't larger in size anymore.
- Add the flour in a bowl with all the herbs and spices and mix with a whisk.
- In a second larger bowl add the buttermilk and egg together and whisk until combined.
Add the chicken to the buttermilk mixture for 20-30 minutes.
- Remove chicken from the buttermilk soak and let any excess buttermilk drip off.
- Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture on all sides, then shake off the excess coating.
Let it rest on a cookie sheet for 20-30 minutes.
- Add oil to a deep fryer or a large pot that is at least 5 inches high so that the chicken can be fully submerged.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees and fry in small batches for 15-18 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the oil and add to a drying rack on top of a clean cookie sheet.
- If you add it to a paper towel or newspaper the bottom of the chicken will steam from the heat and become soft.
Recipe Notes
So here it is, in all its glory. I did make a couple of adjustments in my side by side comparison during recipe testing. More details of how/why available in the post above this recipe card.
I ditched the MSG.
I reduced the paprika by 1 tablespoon.
I pulverized the thyme, basil and oregano in my small food processor.
I added more oil
Thanks so much to the awesome folks at the Chicago Tribune for this KFC Original Recipe Chicken "copycat."
Neat.
Today I tried a blind attempt to do the KFC recipe, and it was not bad at all. I used dried bread that I grounded in breadcrumbs, and I mixed pepper, Delhi curry powder and paprika in it. Then I covered my pieces of meat like you did, with flour, egg and my spiced breadcrumbs. I sprayed all the stuff with oil, and then I air fried all of it. Since it was my first try, I cooked at 160 °C for 30 minutes and then 200 °C for 10 minutes. At the same time I cooked tempura veggies and tempura potato cubes the same way. At my biggest surprise, especially considering it was air fried, it looked nice and the chicken was very tasty. Maybe I’ll try to reduce the cooking time, because 40 minutes is very long compared to 10 minutes in a deep fryer, and most probably a KFC expert won’t be happy with my mix, but it was nevertheless delicious. Hard to tell if it was healthier than deep fried, though, because I added the equivalent amount of a few spoons of oil on the chicken.
I’ll try your spice mix next time, but not the buttermilk. I don’t see the need to soak the chicken. In case it’s too stiff, I can simply tenderize it with a rolling pin. Of course no MSG.
Anyway, it works well with air fryers too.
Thanks for your feedback.
This tastes NOTHING like KFC chicken! Don’t waste your time making it!
Ok, so I’ve been trying multiple fried chicken recipes for over 20+ years, and have attempted to duplicate every recipe under the sun from Paula Deen to KFC and everyone else, ever. Literally.
I am NOT a professional chef, however I do know a whole lot of things and stuff and have catered many many things with tremendous success. I really pride myself on my various recipes, both borrowed from others and heirloom family secrets passed down for generations.
This recipe I followed ‘to the Tee,’ per se, minus the Accent seasoning, aka MSG. That stuff, although often used in a lot of food, us not good for anyone at all. But, hey, that’s just me. Long story short, no. This recipe tasted nothing like KFC. At least not the KFC that I’ve ever tasted, and I’ve had it in multiple states, in many different kitchens; deep-fried and also using a pressure cooker, fry daddy, what have you. Slightly, just slightly… But alas, no uh uh.
So, being the weirdo culinary foodie OCD perfectionist that I am, I threw in a few tweaks. I added a little cumin, salt-free off-brand seasoning ala Mrs. Dash-like stuff I literally just randomly picked up somewhere, a few shakes if poultry seasoning and of course used garlic POWDER, not garlic salt. I also added Louisiana Hot Sauce to the marinade, just a few dashes to make the marinade slightly pink in color. I used gallon-sized Ziploc bags and separated the chicken into 2 gallon bags and doubled the marinade recipe to accommodate for the massive amounts of chicken I fried, haha. I actually made this for Christmas dinner this year because my family just loves fried chicken, being the Yankees that have a southern cooking soul that we are. I also only used drums and thighs. White meat takes too long, in my opinion.
I used canola oil, not vegetable oil, and in a cast iron pan/Dutch oven in small batches – max 4 pieces at a time, depending on the size of the chicken parts. Yes, very time consuming, but very much worth the time!
Long story short, the chicken we had was absolutely amazing and everyone claimed it was the best I’ve ever made.
Side note: add just a little more flour, maybe a half cup, so 2.5c. of flour instead of just 2c. flour. We also really enjoy using Crystal with garlic brand hot sauce.
Enjoy!!! ??
When I make friend chicken I only fry it for three minutes, then bake for 10-15 minutes, or else, if I were to fry for 12 – 15 minutes, the result would be a very dark, almost burned looking chicken. How do you keep your chicken from looking to dark?
Maybe your oil is too hot? Do you use a thermometer to check the temperature?
It’s actually teaspoon, not tablespoon.
1) 2/3 Teaspoon of Salt
2) 1/2 Teaspoon of Thyme
3) 1/2 Teaspoon of Basil
4) 1/3 Teaspoon of Oregano
5) 1 Teaspoon of Celery Salt
6) 1 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
7) 1 Teaspoon of Dried Mustard
8) 4 Teaspoons of Paprika
9) 2 Teaspoons of Garlic Salt
10) 1 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger
11) 3 Teaspoons of White Pepper
Mix the given amount of herbs and spices in a small bowl (No Flour)
Cut down the chicken into pieces, pour the whole spice mixture, and coat them evenly in a large bowl
Mix 2 cups of milk and 2 whole eggs and pour over the chicken
Cover the bowl and leave to marinate in a refrigerator for 12-24 hours
Mix the same given amount of herbs and spices with 2 cups of all purpose white flour
Take out each chicken piece and coat evenly in the seasoned flour
Dip each chicken piece back into the milk and egg mix and coat it in the seasoned flour once more
Heat a frying oil to 350F and fry for 10-12 minutes
I don’t know if there was any alterations in the UK KFC recipe. A few year ago I tried replicating the recipe. Basically I agree with all of the herb’s and spices, however I can’t remember using ginger as I don’t like the taste. My method did not include buttermilk as there is not much call for this in the UK.
First I divided the chicken into same sized pieces and lightly floured them.
Secondly I made a simple batter as used by fish and chip shops, when the batter was a uniform consistency.
Third I tossed the herb’s etc into the batter. Note I didn’t measure any of these out I relied on smell before adding the herb’s etc to the batter, I used all dried herbs so any spare can be kept In reserve in a separate pot.
I then dipped each piece of chicken into the batter and fried until golden brown about 10 – 15 minutes.
Each batch of fried chicken was placed in a baking dish when fried. After the last of the chicken was placed in a baking tray it was baked for around 35 minutes at 200 C.
This recipe came from a very old cooking book for a Scottish fried chicken recipe, I was totally unaware that fried chicken was a traditional Scottish dish going back a few hundred years. The result was delicious and identical in taste to the original KFC, in other words Colonel Sanders only came across this recipe and gave it a lot of hype, but he did make this available to many satisfied customers via his franchise. I am searching my loft in the hope that I still have the original recipe. Please note that I am not a chef or cook, I am single and had to learn to cook for myself, as such I don’t measure ingredients basically chuck all that is required and cross my fingers. At my second attempt I did the same but let the chicken remain in the batter this enhanced but didn’t change the flavour.
Just finished eating and it was very similar in taste. Of course, in my opinion, no one can make the same thing at home without professional kitchen units even if we had the exact recipe.
The thing that didn’t actually go well for me was the crust color, too dark, and the spiciness. Even though so much pepper,I used 2 tb sweet and 2 tb hot paprika, it did not had that spicy kick. I believe there must be a chilly spice or something like that in the original.
Last, I also think tb is for teaspoons . Had enough spice to cover a couple of more batches.
Nothing like KFC
Very peppery
Very disappointed
It’s actually teaspoon, not tablespoon.
1) 2/3 Teaspoon of Salt
2) 1/2 Teaspoon of Thyme
3) 1/2 Teaspoon of Basil
4) 1/3 Teaspoon of Oregano
5) 1 Teaspoon of Celery Salt
6) 1 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
7) 1 Teaspoon of Dried Mustard
8) 4 Teaspoons of Paprika
9) 2 Teaspoons of Garlic Salt
10) 1 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger
11) 3 Teaspoons of White Pepper
6) 1 Teaspoon of Celery Salt
7) 1 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
8) 1 Teaspoon of Dried Mustard
9) 4 Teaspoons of Paprika
10) 2 Teaspoons of Garlic Salt
11) 1 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger
12) 3 Teaspoons of White Pepper
Mix the given amount of herbs and spices in a small bowl (No Flour)
Cut down the chicken into pieces, pour the whole spice mixture, and coat them evenly in a large bowl
Mix 2 cups of milk and 2 whole eggs and pour over the chicken
Cover the bowl and leave to marinate in a refrigerator for 12-24 hours
Mix the same given amount of herbs and spices with 2 cups of all purpose white flour
Take out each chicken piece and coat evenly in the seasoned flour
Dip each chicken piece back into the milk and egg mix and coat it in the seasoned flour once more
Heat a frying oil to 350F and fry for 10-12 minutes
I tried it your way Jay and it was absolutely spot on so thanks for posting this.
Hello,
I noticed some herbs and spices are duplicated in the above. Is that a mistake? For instance you have 1 tsp celery salt twice along with other duplicates? Please advise
I made a mistake when pasting the recipe. No repetition.
Yes, it happened when I copied and pasted it. Sorry.
After #11 it starts at #6 again. Weird.