A Short History of Fried Chicken

Two traditions meet

Scottish settlers in the American South brought a habit of frying chicken in fat, while West African cooking traditions brought seasoning and frying techniques of their own. In the plantation South, enslaved African American cooks combined these influences, and their skill created Southern fried chicken as we know it.

After emancipation, many African American women sold fried chicken to travellers at railway stops, an early form of fast food.

The Colonel

Harland Sanders served chicken at a roadside restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky, in the 1930s. He adopted pressure fryers to cook it faster, settled on his blend of 11 herbs and spices, and in 1952 sold his first franchise to Pete Harman in Salt Lake City. Read our page on the secret recipe for more.

A global favourite

Fried chicken has become a world dish. Korean fried chicken is double-fried and glazed with sweet and spicy sauces. Japanese karaage is bite-size chicken marinated in soy, ginger and garlic. The Philippines' Jollibee, Indonesia's ayam goreng and Peru's pollo a la brasa, a rotisserie cousin, all have devoted fans.

Making it at home

Good fried chicken starts with seasoning, often a buttermilk soak, a well-seasoned flour coating and oil kept around 165 to 175 degrees Celsius. Chicken must reach an internal temperature of 74 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit) to be safe, per USDA guidance. Let it rest on a rack so the crust stays crisp.

Fried chicken around the US

Nashville hot chicken is brushed with a fiery cayenne paste and served on white bread with pickles. Chicken and waffles combines Southern fried chicken with breakfast waffles and syrup. In the Midwest, broasted chicken uses a pressure fryer method. Each region also has its own sides, from collard greens and mac and cheese in the South to coleslaw and biscuits across the country.

Did you know? Fried chicken is often served cold at picnics in the American South, and many cooks say it tastes even better the next day. In Japan, a holiday tradition of eating fried chicken at Christmas grew from a successful marketing campaign in the 1970s.

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