You can make KFC-style fried chicken in an air fryer with a crispy coating and classic seasoned flavor.
Ingredients
- 2–3 lbs chicken pieces (drumsticks, thighs, or wings)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- Cooking spray or a little oil
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken
- Place chicken in a bowl with buttermilk.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (overnight is even better).
- Prepare the coating
- In another bowl mix flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, basil, oregano, and mustard powder.
- Coat the chicken
- Remove chicken from buttermilk and let excess drip off.
- Coat each piece well in the seasoned flour.
- Prepare the air fryer
- Preheat air fryer to 380°F (193°C).
- Lightly spray the basket with oil.
- Cook the chicken
- Place chicken in a single layer.
- Spray the top lightly with oil.
- Cook 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway, until crispy and cooked through.
- Rest and serve
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips for Extra Crispiness
- Double-dip: flour → buttermilk → flour again.
- Lightly spray oil on the coating before cooking.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket.
This homemade version is inspired by the famous fried chicken from KFC.
If you’d like, I can also show you:
- the 11-spice KFC copycat seasoning mix,
- extra crispy KFC air fryer chicken, or
- KFC chicken tenders in the air fryer. 🍗
