If you’ve ever bitten into a piece of original recipe chicken from KFC, you know there’s something magical about that crispy coating and juicy meat. Over the years, many have tried to crack the code on how KFC manages to fry chicken so perfectly every time. As it turns out, there’s some fascinating science and technique behind their famous fried chicken.
We’re going to talk about how KFC makes its delicious fried chicken in this article. We’ll look at how they marinate, batter, bread, and fry their chicken until it’s golden brown and crispy. You’ll also find out about the unique tools KFC uses to fry their chicken under pressure. By the end, we’ll know why this famous fried chicken has such a unique taste and texture.
The Importance of Marinating the Chicken
One of the keys to KFC’s moist and flavorful chicken is that they marinate it before breading and frying. The chicken soaks in a blend of 11 secret herbs and spices for hours before cooking. This marinade acts almost like a brine, allowing the seasonings to fully permeate the meat. As a result, the chicken takes on loads of flavor.
Marinating also helps keep the chicken incredibly moist and tender during frying. The herbs and spices break down the proteins in the meat, resulting in a more tender final product. Drying out is not a concern with KFC’s chicken thanks to this marination process.
Coating with Signature KFC Breading
Once marinated, the chicken moves onto the breading station It is first dredged in flour, which helps the breading adhere tightly to the meat The flour also contributes to making the crust extra crispy.
Next, the chicken is dipped into the signature KFC breading mixture. This top-secret blend of 11 herbs and spices is what gives KFC chicken its distinctive flavor and aroma. While the exact formula is a closely guarded secret, ingredients like salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and oregano are commonly used for breading fried chicken.
The breading forms a flavorful, textured coating on the chicken that turns deliciously crispy once fried. Applying a thick layer of this seasoned breading is key to achieving KFC’s signature crunch
Frying Under Pressure
Here’s where the magic happens – the pressure frying process that makes KFC chicken so juicy KFC uses specially designed pressure fryers to cook their chicken These pressure fryers rapidly fry the chicken under high pressure, sealing in moisture and flavor.
The chicken is submerged in oil and the fryer is sealed shut. As pressure builds, the temperature inside reaches over 250°F. The intense heat quickly sears the breading, trapping steam inside the chicken. In just 12-15 minutes, the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 180°F with a perfectly crispy crust.
When you pressure fry chicken, it cooks quickly and is moist, tender, and full of flavor. The high heat also makes the skin extra crispy, so every bite has that satisfying crunch. The juicy chicken and crispy, seasoned shell that KFC is known for are made this way.
The Special KFC Cooking Oil
You can’t achieve KFC’s level of fried chicken crispiness without using the right oil. KFC fries their chicken in a proprietary oil blend of soybean oil and canola oil. This combination of oils has high heat tolerance, which allows the chicken to fry without burning at the high temps required.
The oil is also free of trans fats and contains natural antioxidants to maintain freshness. As an added bonus, the oil is eco-friendly and derived from renewable sources. KFC’s unique frying oil withstands high temperatures for perfect crispiness without compromising flavor or quality.
Rigorous Quality Control
Maintaining consistent quality is paramount at KFC. Their team of quality control experts oversees each step of preparation closely. They rigorously inspect fresh chicken shipments and monitor cooking times and temperatures. This ensures every batch meets KFC’s exacting standards for texture and flavor.
KFC always gives customers the same crispy, juicy chicken they love because they keep an eye on every step of the process. Through decades of testing, KFC’s secret recipe and cooking methods have been fine-tuned to give us the best fried chicken experience ever.
So next time you sink your teeth into a delicious Extra Crispy drumstick, you’ll appreciate the clever cooking techniques KFC uses to achieve fried chicken perfection. Their special blend of herbs and spices, signature breading ritual, and innovative pressure frying system set their chicken apart from all the rest.
You Might Also Like
Co-authored by:
To make KFC original fried chicken, start by blending salt, thyme, basil, oregano, celery salt, black pepper, dried mustard, paprika, garlic salt, ground ginger, and white pepper in a food processor. Then, combine the seasoning with some flour in a bowl. Once youve made the breading, dip the chicken into an egg-buttermilk mixture and then the breading. Finally, fry the chicken in vegetable oil until its cooked through and crispy. To learn more about frying the chicken after you bread it, scroll down!.
Marinating and Breading the Chicken
- 1 Cut the chicken apart into 10 pieces. Two wings, two legs (snare drums), two thighs, and two breasts are what you need. You will have 4 chicken breasts after cutting each one in half. [7] A chicken that weighs about 3 pounds (1 4 kg). [8] You can also buy chicken pieces separately. For example, you could use 10 chicken breasts. Leave the skin on the chicken pieces. This will make it nice and crispy.
- 2. Let the chicken sit in the buttermilk for 20 to 60 minutes. Twenty to thirty minutes will work if you don’t have much time. [9] A full hour would be much better however. Make sure the chicken marinates on the counter; putting it in the fridge will cool the hot oil down because of the cold meat. [10] Put plastic wrap over the dish to keep the marinade from going bad. If your kitchen is very hot, you could marinate the chicken in the fridge at first and then move it to the counter halfway through the marinating time.
- 3 Dredge the chicken through the flour-spice blend. Take a chicken piece out of the buttermilk and let the extra sauce drip off. Cover both sides of the chicken with the spice-flour mix. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet. [11] Repeat this step for each piece of chicken. Work 1 piece at a time. Put the chicken pieces in the buttermilk until you’re ready to dredge them.
- 4. Leave the chicken on the baking sheet for about five minutes to cool down. Discard any leftover spiced flour. Because it touched raw meat, it is no longer safe to use. Remember to throw away any buttermilk marinade that you don’t use right away; it has been tainted by raw meat and can’t be used again.
Advertisement Part
How Kentucky Fried Chicken Is Made (from Unwrapped) | Unwrapped | Food Network
FAQ
Does KFC fry or pressure cook their chicken?
Cook. Then pressure cooked at a low temperature to preserve all the great taste we’re known for around the world.
Is KFC chicken fried in oil?
Yes, KFC chicken is fried in oil. Specifically, KFC uses a blend of canola oil and hydrogenated soybean oil, with TBHQ and citric acid added for flavor protection, and dimethylpolysiloxane as an antifoaming agent.