The Essential 11 Herbs and Spices to Recreate KFC’s Fried Chicken Batter

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For decades, KFC’s clandestine blend of 11 herbs and spices was the stuff of fast-food legend — closely guarded and locked away in a vault in Louisville, Kentucky. But in 2016, KFC’s secret weapon leaked when a journalist from the Chicago Tribune interviewed Joe Ledington, the nephew of Colonel Sanders. A scrapbook emerged, and in it was an old recipe, which Ledington claimed was the secret blend.

While the handwritten recipe’s authenticity is debatable, our urge to fry chicken like the Colonel is undeniable. Ever since the elusive mix featuring eleven herbs and spices spilled out, we’ve all gone wild trying to recreate the original Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe. This mixture ranges from bold paprika to garlic and a rich saltiness (in the best way) to create layers of flavor and dive bomb the palate with a complex, almost addictive savoriness. When those flavors combine with that hefty, unmistakable crunch, oh wow. Wow, wow, wow.

KFC has never officially confirmed the leak, but taste tests suggest that it’s pretty clucking close. They are: salt, black pepper, basil, oregano, thyme, dried mustard, paprika, celery salt, garlic. KFC’s signature flavor — with its savory, slightly peppery, and aromatic coating — also packs its punch from a hefty dose of white pepper (three teaspoons) and a bit of dried ginger, both of which are commonly used in Chinese cuisine. But here’s the thing: Knowing the spices is only half the battle. To truly fry chicken worthy of the Colonel, it’s all about nailing the technique, especially the batter. 

You probably already have at least half of these dried herbs and spices in your pantry, so go look. And if not, Orii sells a fully-stocked spice rack for about $50. Once you’ve acquired the spices, it’s time to prepare the ultimate fried chicken batter, and don’t forget the msg. It’s a crucial part to enhancing the flavor of your fried chicken, and many believe that KFC uses it, too, even though it wasn’t part of the handwritten recipe.

The internet will also tell you that KFC prepares its fried chicken in a way that’s uber efficient for cooking literally tons of chicken while people are in their cars waiting for it. It’s called pressure frying, and it’s the cooking method KFC uses for it’s extra crispy chicken. But really,  no one should be pressure frying anything at home because it’s dangerous. Don’t fret though. Making the crispiest, Colonel-worthy chicken at home can be easy and fun.

While pressure frying does yield perfectly moist chicken on the inside, we can accomplish this at home with a secret step that will give you the best fried chicken. Yep, it’s poaching before frying.  This may seem like a complicated extra step, but it isn’t, we promise. Oh, and about that brine — it’s non-negotiable. Marinating a chicken breaks down the tendons and maximizes flavor, and this is why you should consider an overnight brine – especially if spicy buttermilk fried chicken is a part of your family’s meal plan (it should be).