Iconic fast food KFC’s delicious finger-lickin’ good fried chicken has been a favorite for decades. But have you ever thought about how they make it so crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside? What goes on behind the scenes to make this famous chicken? Let’s take a look at the steps they take to make 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.
When the chickens arrive at KFC, they weigh between 4 and 5 pounds. This ensures that the cooking times are the same and that the finished product is always the same. Before each batch gets to the restaurants, it goes through quality control checks for safety and appearance.
The Famous Secret Marinade
Once the chicken arrives at the restaurant, the magic begins. Each fresh chicken is cut by hand to KFC’s exact specifications and then marinated in 11 secret herbs and spices that make up the famous original recipe. Colonel Harland Sanders improved this original, top-secret recipe in 1940, and it hasn’t changed since.
There are a lot of rumors about what the 11 ingredients are, but the real ones are kept secret. Some of the most popular ones are salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, basil, oregano, thyme, celery salt, mustard powder, and more. The secret marinade gets into the chicken deeply and gives it its signature flavor. The chicken is left in a controlled space for a certain amount of time to soak up the flavors.
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:
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Procuring plump young chickens raised humanely by trusted farmers.
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Marinating chickens in the secret 11 herb and spice original recipe blend.
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Hand-breading each piece to give a light, crispy coating.
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Pressure-frying to seal in flavors and ensure ideal texture.
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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. Use a food processor to grind all the spices into small pieces. You can use this with your kosher salt, celery salt, garlic salt, dried herbs, ground black and white pepper, dried mustard, and paprika. Pulse the ingredients over and over until the herbs are all the same size and broken up. It tastes more real if you add 1/2 teaspoon of Accent Seasoning (MSG) for every pound (0. 45 kg) of chicken. MSG is a flavor enhancer, but its not very healthy. If you can’t find thyme or oregano, try marjoram and sage. [2] .
- 2 Whisk the spice blend into the flour. Put the flour in a large bowl, and then add the spice mix. Whisk the ingredients together until everything is combined. Set the bowl aside for later. [3] [4] Youll be placing your chicken pieces in this. At least one chicken breast or thigh should fit in the bowl. Advertisement .
- 3 Beat the egg and buttermilk in a separate bowl. Do not put them in the bowl with the flour and spice mix. Instead, crack the egg open in a different bowl and add the buttermilk. Mix the two things together with a whisk until the egg yolk is broken up and there are no more streaks. Fifth, make sure the bowl is deep enough to hold all of your chicken pieces.
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Frying the Chicken
- 1. Put at least 5 inches (13 cm) of vegetable oil in a pot or deep fryer. It’s important that the oil is deep enough to cover 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 reaches 350 °F (177 °C). Do not leave the fryer for a while, even if it takes a while. When the oil starts to heat up, it will quickly become very hot. To find out how hot the oil is, use an oil or candy thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, put the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil. When bubbles appear around the handle, the oil is ready. [15] .
- 3. Fry the chicken in 12 to 18-minute chunks. In 12 to 14 minutes, the breasts and wings will be done. It will take about 15 to 18 minutes for the legs and thighs. 16, Check the temperature inside the chicken. It’s done when the temperature inside the chicken reaches 165 °F (74 °C). Use a meat thermometer to gauge the temperature. [17] The oil should be deep enough that the chicken pieces fry evenly, so you don’t have to turn them. Put the chicken in a fryer basket, but don’t pack it too full, and then dip the basket into the hot oil. This will make it easier to take the chicken out of the basket. [18] .
- 4. Move the chicken to a wire cooling rack using metal tongs. Put a baking sheet under the cooling rack to catch any oil drips and keep your counter clean. When the chicken is cool enough to touch, it’s ready to be served! [19] Don’t put the chicken on toilet paper or newspaper. This will keep the steam inside, which will make the chicken soft. Take the fryer basket out and hook it over the edge of the deep fryer if you used one. Use tongs to pull the chicken pieces out.
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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?
For their extra tasty and crispy style of chicken, they just deep fry it. But for their original recipe chicken, they use a special kind of pressure cooker.
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.