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Copycat KFC Original Recipe Chicken: Home-Fried Recipe
Inspired by KFC Original Recipe Chicken Not the official recipe
- 1 hr 15 min
- Makes 1 buckets of 8 pieces
- ~$16.42 per serving~£10.58 per serving
- Save ~$7 vs KFC
- Not enough ratings yet
Eight pieces of buttermilk-soaked chicken in a peppery, herby flour coat, fried in a heavy pot. White pepper does a lot of the work in our spice mix, so do not leave it out.
Clone Score
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Rate the cloneCost at home
Save ~$7
~$16.42 each at home
- Homemade
- ~$16.42 for 1 (~$16.42 each)
- At KFC
- ~$22.99 for 1
That's 29% less.
~£10.58 each at home
- Homemade
- ~£10.58 for 1 (~£10.58 each)
Estimate · prices checked Oct 2026 · vary by location · excl. tax & delivery.
Estimate. Restaurant prices checked Oct 2026. Prices vary by location; tax and delivery fees are not included. Pantry staples (salt, oil…) are not included.
Ingredients
Chicken
Seasoned flour
- Pantry
For frying
Pantry staples are not included in the cost estimate.
Ingredient cost
- Homemade
- ~$16.42 for 1 (~$16.42 each)
- At KFC
- ~$22.99 for 1
- Homemade
- ~£10.58 for 1 (~£10.58 each)
Method quantities are for the original 1 buckets of 8 pieces.
Kitchen gear
- Heavy Dutch oven or deep pot, at least 6 qt (5.7 liters)
- Instant-read or clip-on thermometer
- Wire rack set over a tray
- Tongs
Method
-
Pat the chicken pieces dry. Whisk the buttermilk, egg and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl, add the chicken, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
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In a wide, shallow dish, mix the flour with 1 tbsp salt, the paprika, both peppers, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, ginger, thyme and oregano.
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Pour the oil into a heavy Dutch oven to a depth of about 1½ inches (4 cm); the pot should be no more than half full. Heat it to 325°F (165°C), checking with a thermometer.
-
Lift each piece from the buttermilk, let the excess drip off, and press it firmly into the seasoned flour on all sides. Set the pieces on a wire rack for 10 minutes so the coating sets.
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Fry 3 or 4 pieces at a time, turning every few minutes, for 12 to 16 minutes, keeping the oil between 300°F and 325°F (150°C to 165°C). Breasts and wings cook a little faster than thighs and drumsticks.
-
Check each piece with an instant-read thermometer: the thickest part, away from the bone, must reach 165°F (74°C). Drain on a clean rack for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips for a closer clone
- Let the coated pieces rest before frying; a coating that has turned slightly pasty sticks in the oil instead of sliding off.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk into the seasoned flour and rub it in with your fingers to make the craggy bits.
- Keep the oil temperature steady with a thermometer: too hot and the crust darkens before the meat is cooked.
- Hold finished batches on a rack in a 200°F (95°C) oven while you fry the rest.
- Never fry in a home pressure cooker; it is not built for hot oil. A heavy pot and a thermometer are all you need.
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About this dupe
UK and US
Every ingredient is sold in both countries. Buttermilk comes in small pots in UK supermarkets (two 284 ml pots or one 568 ml pot covers it); if you cannot find it, stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 2 cups (475 ml) of milk and leave it for 10 minutes. Plain flour is the UK name for all-purpose flour, and oil sold as vegetable oil is fine for frying.
vs the original
On the menu in both the US and the UK (menu status reviewed Oct 14, 2026). The chain keeps its exact seasoning private, so this is our own blend of nine herbs and spices plus salt, cooked in an ordinary heavy pot.
What it costs: ingredient costs are estimates for the amount used, from supermarket listing prices checked on Oct 14, 2026 (Target.com in the US, Trolley.co.uk for UK supermarkets). Prices vary by store and week.
Where this recipe comes from
Untested: a starting point written with AI help and checked against our recipe rules. Nobody has cooked it yet. Make it, rate how close it gets, and tell us what you changed. How we label recipes
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Copycat recipe inspired by the restaurant original. Not the official recipe. DupeEats is not affiliated with KFC.
The original
From dupeeats.com/d019 · Copycat recipe, not the official recipe. DupeEats is not affiliated with any restaurant brand.
