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KFC-Style Herbs and Spices
Serves 85-90 Prep 10 min Total 10 min

KFC-Style Herbs and Spices

The home-cook take on KFC's eleven herbs and spices: a closely-guessed blend of paprika, garlic, ginger, thyme, oregano and white pepper.

Serves 85 Prep 10 minutes Units Rate

Overview

This spice blend is designed as a breading mix rather than a cooking base. It's meant to coat chicken, fish, or vegetables before frying, creating a flavorful crust. The high white pepper content creates heat without the red color; the heavy garlic and celery salts provide savory umami. This is straightforward mixing rather than roasting, a departure from traditional spice blends, but appropriate for this formula's purpose.

Ingredients

Powdered & Salt Bases

  • 2 tablespoons white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon celery salt

Dried Herbs

  • ½ tablespoon dried thyme
  • ½ tablespoon dried basil
  • ⅓ tablespoon dried oregano

Ground Spices & Powders

  • ⅔ tablespoon fine sea salt (in addition to salts above)
  • 4 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard

Method

Stage 1 - Combine Powders & Salts

  1. Pour the white pepper, black pepper, garlic salt, and celery salt into a medium bowl.
  2. Stir to blend evenly.

Stage 2 - Add Herbs

  1. Add dried thyme, basil, and oregano to the bowl.
  2. Stir thoroughly, breaking up any larger herb pieces with your fingers.
  3. Ensure herbs are evenly distributed.

Stage 3 - Add Remaining Spices

  1. Add paprika, ground ginger, dry mustard, and the sea salt (if using in addition to garlic and celery salts).
  2. Stir very thoroughly for 2-3 minutes.
  3. The mixture should be completely uniform with no visible clumps.

Stage 4 - Sift for Consistency

  1. Sift the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to create a more uniform texture and remove larger herb pieces (optional but recommended).
  2. Re-sift any remaining pieces.

Stage 5 - Store

  1. Transfer to an airtight jar or container with a tight-fitting lid.
  2. Label with preparation date.
  3. Store in a cool, dark place away from light and heat.

Notes

  • No Roasting Required: Unlike traditional spice blends, this uses ground spices and doesn't benefit from roasting.
  • White Pepper Dominance: This creates heat without the red color chile powder would add.
  • Salt Ratio: This formula is intentionally high in salt for a breading application. Adjust downward if using as a cooking spice rather than a coating.
  • Herb Texture: Finer herbs are better for coatings; break up larger pieces as much as possible.
  • For Coating: Mix 1 tablespoon of this blend with 1 cup flour and coat your protein before frying.

Variations

Spicier: Increase white pepper to 3 tablespoons and black pepper to 1 ½ tablespoons. Less Salty: Reduce garlic salt to 1 tablespoon and celery salt to ½ teaspoon. Lighter: Increase paprika to 5-6 tablespoons for more color and less pepper intensity. Smoky: Add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (reduce regular paprika to 3 ½ tablespoons).

Serving

Use in: Breading for fried chicken, fish, vegetables, onion rings, and similar fried items Typical ratio: 1-2 tablespoons mixed into 1 cup flour for coating Application: Combine with flour, dredge protein, then deep-fry until coating is golden and crispy Temperature: Use in hot oil (350°F/175°C) for best coating development

Storage

  • Store in airtight jar in cool, dark place away from light and heat
  • Properly stored, remains flavorful for 12 months
  • The salt content acts as a preservative, making this stable long-term
  • Check for moisture or clumping before each use
  • Does not require refrigeration
  • The potato starch or thickeners in real KFC flour won't be present here; adjust flour ratio as needed
  • Label with preparation date

This is a reverse-engineered blend attempting to replicate the famous KFC breading spice mix. While no one outside the company knows the exact recipe, this combination captures the characteristic warm, peppery, and herbaceous profile of the iconic fried chicken coating.

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Sides 15 minutes Serves6