How to Make KFC Fried Chicken at Home, Just Like the Original

Prepare the Chicken

Rub the chicken with coarse salt and ginger wine, then rinse and drain. Here, Cookbeo uses chicken thighs, drumsticks, and wings. Place the chicken thighs on a cutting board, and make several diagonal cuts on the back of the meat (do not cut through the skin). This helps the chicken absorb the seasoning more easily and expands the surface area, which is especially useful when coating and frying the chicken to achieve the characteristic crispy, puffy crust of KFC fried chicken.

Similarly, make a few small cuts on the back of the chicken wings and drumsticks.

Prepare the Other Ingredients

Trim any wilted or dark spots off the ginger, then wash it. Peel the garlic and wash the chili peppers.

Next, place the ginger, garlic, and chili peppers in a mortar and pestle, or in a blender, add a little water, and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve to extract the juice, discarding the pulp. This juice will be used to marinate the chicken.

Marinate the Chicken

Place the chicken in a large bowl, then pour the ginger-garlic-chili juice over it. Add 1 teaspoon of refined salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 2 teaspoons of butter, 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, 1 teaspoon of mild chili powder, and a little sesame oil. Mix well and let the chicken marinate for about 1 hour.

Prepare the KFC Batter

When making KFC fried chicken, you'll need to prepare two types of batter: dry and wet.

Here's how to prepare each:

Dry Batter:

• 300g corn flour
• 200g tempura flour
• 2g baking powder
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon refined salt
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper

Baking powder helps the dry batter puff up, creating the crispy, flaky texture similar to what you get at KFC.

Wet Batter:

• 300g corn flour
• 200g tempura flour
• 1 egg
• 2g custard powder
• 1 can of soda (~330ml)
• 1/2 teaspoon mild chili powder
• 250ml water

Mix the wet batter until smooth, and when you lift a whisk or chopsticks, the batter should flow down in a steady stream.

Soda makes the chicken tender and gives the batter a light, airy texture, which helps create the signature crispy crust when fried. You can substitute soda with beer or sparkling mineral water, but avoid using sugary sodas as they can cause the chicken to caramelize or burn quickly at high temperatures.

Custard powder adds flavor and gives the chicken a golden color, but use it sparingly to avoid overpowering the natural taste of the chicken.

Once the batters are prepared, coat the chicken pieces in the dry batter first, making sure to cover all the slits. Then lift the chicken, shake off any excess dry batter, and dip it into the wet batter. Coat the chicken thoroughly with the wet batter, lift it out, allow the excess to drip off, and then coat it again in the dry batter. Repeat this process for all the chicken pieces, following the sequence of dry - wet - dry coating.

A key tip: After coating the chicken, it should be fried immediately. If left out for too long, the batter will absorb moisture and become soggy, leading to a poorly fried crust that may crack or peel off during frying.

Therefore, while you're battering the chicken, you should also prepare the oil and start heating it. This way, as soon as you finish battering a few pieces, you can start frying them right away, in batches, to ensure the best results.

Fry the KFC Chicken

Add enough oil to a pan to fully submerge the chicken pieces when frying. This ensures a crispy, golden-brown exterior while keeping the inside juicy and flavorful. Moreover, the chicken won't absorb too much oil.

When frying, the excess batter can break off and burn, sticking to the chicken. To prevent this, add 4-5 slices of fresh ginger to the oil. The ginger helps absorb the burnt bits and also adds a pleasant aroma to the fried chicken.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. To test if the oil is ready, stick a chopstick into the oil—if bubbles form around it, the oil is hot enough for frying.

Avoid frying too many pieces at once, as this can lower the oil temperature, causing the chicken to become soggy after frying.

The secret to crispy, long-lasting KFC-style fried chicken with a perfect golden color is to fry it twice. The first time, fry the chicken until it's cooked through and floats to the top of the oil. Then flip it to cook the other side. When both sides are a light golden color, remove the chicken and fry the next batch.

Before serving, fry the chicken a second time. Heat the oil again, then add the chicken pieces back in. Fry until the crust is golden brown and crispy, and when you press the crust with chopsticks, it should feel firm. At this point, the chicken is done—remove it from the oil and drain on paper towels.

If you're frying a large batch, remember to lower the oil temperature after each round of frying. The oil will be very hot, and adding the chicken too quickly can cause the crust to overcook or burn before the meat inside is fully cooked.

After frying, you can strain the used oil to remove any remaining debris and reuse it for frying spring rolls, French fries, or fried quail. However, avoid reusing oil too many times, as it can become harmful to health.