This Popeye's Fried Chicken recipe tastes so close to the original that I'm worried their legal team will come after me. Just kidding. But I do think it tastes very close. I watched a bunch of TikTok videos by their employees and this is basically the written version of that.
Serve this with my copycat Popeye's gravy recipe!
The first time I went to Popeye's was actually very recently. I wasn't expecting much because, you know…fast-food fried chicken. But it ended up being some of the best fried chicken I ever had!
The crust was so so crispy and the seasoning was just spot on. Not to mention, the chicken itself was probably some of the juiciest I ever had. I knew I had to try making it, so I started recipe testing as soon as I got home.
I ended up watching a bunch of TikTok videos from their employees and they revealed almost the entire process. The chicken is brined, dredged in a batter (most likely buttermilk) and then tossed in a flour mixture like 5-10 times.
Spices
If you look at the videos online, their batter is extremely orange. This tells me they either use a lot of paprika or add hot sauce. Some former employees said the same batter is used for both the spicy and non-spicy chicken so I don't think it's hot sauce. This leaves us with paprika.
The other spices are black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. I also like some turmeric for color and MSG for umami. MSG is totally optional so don't feel like you have to add it.
Yeast Extract
Yeast extract is a huge flavor component for my recipe. It's very salty and strong so one teaspoon goes a long way. Yeast extract is very sticky, so make sure to thin it with some buttermilk first so that it's easier to mix into the brine. The most popular brand is Marmite. Here is a picture of my jar:
How to dredge the chicken
First, add ½ cup of flour to the buttermilk brine. This will thicken the buttermilk so that it clings to the chicken better. Then all you do is transfer the chicken to the flour mixture and toss it 5-10 times until it is evenly coated.
How long to cook the chicken?
It took me about 12 minutes of frying at 275°F to cook the chicken all the way through (meaning the inside reached 165°F). Fried chicken always takes very long to cook because the pieces of meat you use (thighs and drumsticks) are quite thick.
It's important to keep the temperature low so the outside doesn't burn before the inside cooks. Most recipes recommend between 325-350°F but I actually recommend going lower, like 275°F. Don't worry, this doesn't negatively affect the crispiness in any way.
Popeye's Fried Chicken
Ingredients
Spice Mixture
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon turmeric (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon MSG (optional)
Brine
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon Marmite yeast extract (optional)
- 3 tablespoons spice mixture (from above)
- 4 pounds chicken parts (thighs, drumsticks, or breasts)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Dredge
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- remaining spice mixture
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the spice mixture ingredients.
- In a large bowl, add the yeast extract. Add 2 tablespoons of buttermilk and mix until the yeast extract is loosened up. Then add the rest of the buttermilk and 3 tablespoons of the spice mixture. Add the chicken and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- After the chicken is done marinating, add ½ cup of flour to the marinade and mix well. This will help the marinade cling to the chicken better.
- In another large bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and remaining spice mixture.
- For each piece of chicken, shake off excess brine then transfer to the flour mixture. Toss 5-10 times until it is thoroughly coated, then transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with all the chicken.
- Heat about 2 inches of oil to 315°F in a high-walled pot (the temperature will drop when you add the chicken). Add 3-4 pieces of chicken and cook for 10-14 minutes until cooked through*. Try to maintain an oil temperature around 275°F. After cooking, transfer to a wire rack to drain excess oil.
- Serve with my copycat Popeye's cajun gravy recipe!
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