The Unique Way KFC Cooks Chicken (It's Not Deep Fried)

Despite how many different restaurants serve fried chicken, KFC is an international sensation, and worldwide, its red and white branding has become the icon for the dish everywhere. Many things about KFC make it stand out, including how the brand cooks its Southern-style chicken.

While other fast food places were focusing on thin hamburgers and fries that could be griddled or tossed in the deep fryer for speedy service, Sanders wanted to break the mold.. Instead of deep frying his chicken like you might at home (which takes a while to cook — longer than fast food patrons are usually willing to wait), he opted to pressure fry it. In 1939, when the first pressure cooker designed with the home in mind was released, Sanders modified it into a pressure fryer to drastically reduce cooking time without sacrificing taste. Fun fact: The original modified pressure cooker can be seen at the Sanders Cafe and Museum in Corbin, Kentucky. 

Pressure frying uses the same technology as pressure cooking; it traps heat in an airtight container, allowing the container to reach a high-pressure environment that cooks things a lot faster. Instead of using water, pressure frying uses oil to achieve its quick and crispy results. Because the heat has nowhere else to escape when pressure frying, you can cook food at lower temperatures than you would while deep frying, which can mean cooking at lower temperatures with a faster cook time. This leads to using less energy, making it more cost-effective in the long run. While frying food at home can be accomplished with a few tricks, like for example, using the best oil for homemade french fries or even frying them twice, you may want to think twice before you try pressure frying at home.

Replicating KFC chicken at home with a pressure cooker could be dangerous, but the KFC method is more efficient than deep frying in a fast food environment. While the Colonel is responsible for the pressure cooker's innovation, KFC is no longer the only fast food joint to use pressure frying to quick-cook chicken. For example, Chick-fil-A also turns out juicy tenders fast via pressure frying. But that begs the question: How do other fast food joints that prioritize speedy service cook their chicken in only a few minutes?

While some joints, like McDonald's, partially cook their chicken and freeze it for fast cooking, others turn to different methods to ensure their food is served speedily. For example, Popeye's chicken breasts are marinated before being subjected to a process called knuckling — pressing the breast and rolling your knuckles around to give it a larger surface area. Thinner cooks faster, after all. KFC's pressure frying achieves a crispy texture with less prep work. But with commercial pressure fryers ranging anywhere from $1,000 to even $30,000, the best way to enjoy pressure-fried chicken might be just to get a $5 box from your local KFC, or just make double-fried karaage chicken at home.