As anyone who has tried KFC’s original recipe chicken knows, there’s something magical about the crispy outside and juicy inside. Many people have tried over the years to figure out how KFC fries chicken so perfectly every time. It turns out that their famous fried chicken is based on some interesting science and technique.
In this article, we’ll explore the secrets behind KFC’s finger-lickin’ good fried chicken. We’ll look at how their chicken is marinated, battered, breaded, and fried to crispy perfection. You’ll also learn about the special equipment KFC uses for frying their chicken under pressure. By the end, the mystery behind the unique flavor and texture of this iconic fried chicken will be solved.
The Importance of Marinating the Chicken
KFC’s chicken is incredibly juicy and tasty because they marinate it first, then bread and fry it. Before being cooked, the chicken soaks for hours in a mix of 11 secret herbs and spices. This marinade is almost like a brine; it lets the spices get into the meat all the way through. As a result, the chicken takes on loads of flavor.
Marinating the chicken also helps it stay very juicy and tender while it’s being fried. Because the herbs and spices break down the meat’s proteins, the end result is more tender. The marination process used by KFC makes sure that their chicken doesn’t dry out.
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.
After that, the chicken is dipped in the famous KFC breading mix. The unique taste and smell of KFC chicken come from a top-secret mix of 11 herbs and spices. For breading fried chicken, spices like salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and oregano are often used, but the exact recipe is kept secret.
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.
Pressure frying results in chicken that is moist, tender and full of flavor in a quick cooking time. The high temperature also makes the skin extra crispy, giving you that satisfying crunch with every bite. This method yields KFC’s signature juicy chicken paired with a crispy, seasoned shell.
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.
By keeping a close eye on all stages of the process, KFC delivers the same crispy, juicy chicken customers love every single time. From marination to frying, KFC’s secret recipe and cooking methods have been perfected over decades to give us the ultimate fried chicken experience.
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.
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Start by putting salt, thyme, basil, oregano, celery salt, black pepper, dried mustard, paprika, garlic salt, ground ginger, and white pepper in a food processor. This will make KFC original fried chicken. 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.
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How Kentucky Fried Chicken Is Made (from Unwrapped) | Unwrapped | Food Network
FAQ
Does KFC fry or pressure cook their chicken?
Cook. Then they pressure cooked it at a low temperature to keep the great taste that we’re known for all over 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.