How KFC Makes Its Chicken Stick To The Breading Like Glue

KFC is the oldest fried chicken chain in the U.S. and got its start in a Kentucky gas station during the Great Depression. Colonel Sanders' secret recipes for the elaborately seasoned and shatteringly crunchy wings, breast, and drumsticks have endured to this day and remain a favorite nationwide and worldwide. While no one knows the secret to KFC's 11 herbs and spices blend — although, we've taken a guess at the formula — employees have shared key steps to ensuring crispy skin.

Of course, KFC's fried chicken gets dredged through wet and dry ingredients that ultimately result in a thick, crackly crust. In an interview with News.com.au, KFC managing director Nikki Lawson said that the key to making its chicken stick to the breading like glue is water. KFC employees take fresh, refrigerated chicken and dunk it in cold water before dredging through flour. According to Lawson, "We dip it in [water] because it just helps the flour adhere to the chicken."

The flour and spice mixture is what distinguishes the taste and texture of KFC's chicken from its competitors and has inspired countless copycat recipes. Who knew that a quick water plunge is the most effective way to help the dry batter stick and clump over every nook and cranny? Some fried chicken recipes call for dipping the flour- and seasoning-coated chicken back into water before frying for a crispier crust as the water prevents the oil from soaking into the flour.

While the key to getting its seasoning to adhere is water, KFC uses a cooking method known as open frying for its extra crispy chicken. This is in contrast to the original recipe, which used a pressure fryer — that is, a closed vat of oil. In our recipe for classic buttermilk fried chicken, we use a pressure frying method, opting to cover our deep frying vessel with a top once we've placed the chicken into it. We use an open frying method with our spicy buttermilk fried chicken. Apparently, exposure to air during an open fry means that the moisture on the breaded surface evaporates, expediting browning, and making the crust especially crispy.

In addition to sharing the methods for crispy fried chicken, past KFC employees have also shared other secrets. For example, we found out that the ingredient that makes KFC's coleslaw so good is apple cider vinegar. A crunchy and cooling coleslaw that hits nearly all of the five main tastes is certainly the side dish we'd order to accompany a bucket of chicken. KFC's french fries didn't measure up to Burger King's in a taste test, nor did they rank very high on our list of 25 fast food fries. But KFC is considering bringing back its beloved potato wedge fries, having released a poll to settle the wedges vs. fries debate on X back in March.