Ryuji's "Buzztucky Fried Chicken," Shelved for a Year: Closing In on KFC with Three Spices and a Two-Step Coating

Ryuji says a new chicken recipe only gets released when it surpasses the previous year's. This one, Ryuji says, "seriously surpasses it," and so it was deliberately not made into a sponsored deal. With a sponsorship, things like the release date get decided for you, and Ryuji wanted to post it on Ryuji's own terms, about a week before most people start planning their Christmas menus.

The recipe was actually finished around Christmas the previous year. But releasing it then would have pushed it into New Year's, and putting out a Christmas chicken recipe at New Year's would have felt half-hearted. So it was shelved for a full year before being released. Ebisu had eaten this chicken while Ryuji's chicken recipe book The Great Chicken Guy was being made, was blown away, and had proposed doing it for a video.

Either chicken breast or thigh is fine. Ryuji says that "if anything, breast is recommended," while adding that both are delicious. The reasoning is that at KFC, both breast and thigh pieces are good. This time, one breast and one thigh are used so the flavors can be compared. The two weigh almost the same.

The three spices are garlic powder, allspice, and table pepper. Since garlic powder appears often on Ryuji's channel, Ryuji explains that allspice is about the only thing viewers will need to buy. Bread flour is used for the coating (Ryuji almost said cake flour at the start but corrected it).

First, poke holes in the meat with a fork-like tool so the seasoning soaks in more easily. This goes for both the breast and the thigh.

Next, even out the thickness. Thigh and breast differ quite a bit in thickness, so it's best to match them as closely as possible. The thigh only needs a light pounding, but the breast should be carefully pounded flat with a bottle. Making a single cut in the breast makes it easier to spread out. Ryuji repeatedly stresses that uniform thickness is important for even cooking.

When cutting, aim for pieces close to the size of KFC pieces. Since it's hard to get the same bone-in cuts, the idea is that at least matching the size makes it feel more like KFC. Cut the breast once into large pieces first, then check the direction of the grain to decide how to cut. Ryuji prefers cutting across the grain, which gives a texture that falls apart tenderly when bitten. It's best to cut from the thicker part first, and one piece of meat yields three pieces.

The seasoning amounts are given per piece of meat.

• Salt: 2/3 tsp
• Ajinomoto: 10 shakes
• Table pepper: 2/3 tsp
• Allspice: 1/4 tsp
• Garlic powder: 1/3 tsp

On the rather large amount of Ajinomoto, Ryuji says, "Kentucky definitely has it in there." The pepper is also on the generous side, based on Ryuji's view that KFC contains quite a lot of it. However, Ryuji strongly recommends using powdered table pepper rather than black pepper. Black pepper is too sharp and won't give a KFC-like flavor.

Too much allspice makes the aroma overpowering, so keep it to about 1/4 tsp. Even so, Ryuji says "the deliciousness of KFC is the aroma of allspice" and insists viewers buy it. When Ebisu asks what else it can be used for, Ryuji answers that simply rubbing it into chicken and grilling it is delicious and makes it taste a bit like fried chicken. Garlic powder, Ryuji says, definitely makes it tastier.

When all of this is massaged in well, what Ryuji calls an "oriental aroma" starts to come through. To let it penetrate to the center and get closer to KFC, marinate for 10 to 15 minutes if possible.

While the meat marinates, make the coating powder. Measure 100 g of bread flour into a tray (for two pieces of meat; halve it for one) and mix in 10 g of Aji-Shio.

Bread flour is chosen because it gives a firmer texture than cake flour and comes out crispy. As for why Aji-Shio is used, Ryuji explains that "the amount works out just right, and its particles are finer than salt and Ajinomoto, so it blends naturally with the fine bread flour." It can be made with salt and Ajinomoto, but Aji-Shio blends better. Since KFC's coating itself is seasoned, the goal is to season the coating too. Ryuji calls this the "magic powder" and says the aroma of the spices is already clearly noticeable at this point.

Add 1 tbsp of bread flour and 2 tbsp of water to the marinated meat and massage it in. When Ebisu asks whether it shouldn't be sparkling water, Ryuji answers that plain water is fine, since some people won't have it.

This serves as a batter that coats the meat directly. According to Ryuji, skipping this step means the powder won't stick properly and you won't get that KFC quality. The more moisture there is, the more powder it picks up, giving a craggy, crunchy coating like KFC's.

You might think you could just combine the seasoning and batter from the start, but then the water and flour dilute the flavor and the meat itself won't get seasoned. That, Ryuji explains, is why it's done in two steps. Ryuji also notes it's not much extra work, since you just add two ingredients after marinating.

Then coat the meat generously in the magic powder. If the skin looks like it's coming off, stretch it taut and spread it out before applying the powder, and it will stick when fried. There will be a bit of powder left over, which Ryuji asks viewers to forgive.

Ryuji recalls trying many combinations centered on allspice. It started with the karaage sold as a hot snack at convenience stores. It uses allspice, and when you eat it, it tastes like fried chicken. While thinking about why it tasted that way, Ryuji realized it was close to KFC's flavor. So Ryuji explored which spices to pair with allspice to get closest to KFC, and this blend is where that led. Ryuji says there was also the premise of not wanting to use a lot of spices for home cooking.

Since two pieces' worth are being fried at once this time, a large 24–26 cm frying pan is used. For one piece's worth, a 20 cm pan is fine, with oil 1–2 cm deep from the bottom. Because many viewers had asked "what size is the frying pan," Ryuji reveals that the smaller one on hand is 20 cm and the larger one 26 cm, and fries in the 26 cm pan this time.

Rice bran oil is preferable, but vegetable oil is fine too. A smaller pan uses less oil and is more economical, but Ryuji shows the large-pan method for people who want to fry everything at once. Packing the meat in with no gaps means less oil is needed.

The first fry is at a low temperature of about 170°C, heated over medium heat. However, Ryuji says heat settings don't mean much, since induction, gas stoves, and portable gas burners all differ in power. Ryuji uses the power of a portable gas burner as the standard. Frying at high heat from the start won't cook the inside through, so start low and double-fry. Fine bubbles fizzing up are the signal that the meat can go in.

Fry until the surface sets; Ryuji deliberately doesn't give a set time. When Ebisu asks whether it's better not to touch it, Ryuji answers that if you don't touch it a little, it'll stick. After the first fry, the color should still be pale for fried chicken. At this point it's about 70% cooked. Take out the thigh first, since it went in first.

On the difference in cooking between thigh and breast, Ryuji answers that "thigh cooks through more easily, and breast is a bit slower." But overcooking breast makes it lose its tenderness. Ryuji adds that the difference comes mainly from thickness.

Ryuji says KFC fries under pressure, which was supposedly the company's patented technique. Applying pressure lets it fry up tender and juicy in a short time. But in terms of flavor, Ryuji thinks this recipe is good enough. There apparently are ways to pressure-fry at home, but Ryuji says it's scary and won't do it.

After the first fry, let the meat rest for about 3–4 minutes. The reason is that residual heat cooks it through to the center during resting, making it juicy.

Ryuji deliberately turns off the heat at this point. The second fry is over medium-high heat, but leaving the burner on the whole time during resting makes the oil too hot and burns the meat. The powder that has fallen into the oil also burns. So turn off the heat while resting, then after about 3 minutes, turn it back on and bring it to a high temperature. The oil can be used as is; you can clean it if it bothers you, but Ryuji says it's not necessary to go that far.

During this wait, there was also some chat about Christmas. Ryuji says people should drop the notion that "you have to be with someone at Christmas." Ebisu responds that many Christmas songs are lonely ones, and Ryuji adds that apparently more people these days don't have a partner than do. Ryuji also says that since fried chicken is Western-style karaage, it can be eaten anytime, not just at Christmas.

For the second fry, turn up the heat until large bubbles appear, then return the meat. The oil spatters only at first; this is because moisture came out of the chicken during resting, and Ryuji explains that it's part of the process that makes it juicy. The second fry colors the meat quickly, so it's over in an instant. Once the other side reaches the same color, it's done. Ryuji says this color comes from using bread flour, and Ebisu agrees it's "the Kentucky color."

On cost, Ryuji estimates that "buying the same amount at KFC would cost about 2,000 yen, but this costs less than 1,000 yen." For serving, a homemade box resembling a KFC party barrel was used.

After one bite, Ryuji says the recipe has reached its final form. Even if there's fried chicken tastier than this, Ryuji says, it would be a different kind of fried chicken; as a KFC reproduction, it ranks first among the recipes Ryuji has tried. Ryuji also mentions holding off on announcing it for a year, admitting to having really wanted to release it right away.

Ebisu says it tasted delicious from the aroma the moment it went in the mouth. Ebisu describes the coating as "Kentucky itself," praising how having both moist parts and crispy parts makes it feel like the real thing. Ryuji says that letting it sit a while and reheating it makes the coating a bit softer and even closer to KFC, while adding that freshly fried tastes better to Ryuji.

As for the breast, Ryuji notes that some people say the breast is tastier. Ebisu answers that they prefer the breast, and says it also feels more like KFC.

The seasoning is on the salty side to match KFC. According to Ryuji, the salt content is almost the same as KFC's. If you're concerned about the strong flavor, adjust it by, for example, reducing the salt in the seasoning from 2/3 tsp to 1/2 tsp. When feeding a family, fry it with lighter seasoning and let those who like strong flavors add salt afterward. Ryuji cites this as an advantage: you can't adjust the flavor of KFC's products, but you can when making it at home.

When Ebisu asks whether it can be made with drumettes or wing tips, Ryuji answers, "You can." Drumettes give a shape close to KFC pieces with a single bone, and wing tips are delicious too. Ebisu says it's worth buying allspice just for this, and Ryuji agrees, recommending buying it since allspice is sold everywhere. Since KFC at Christmas can mean long lines even with a reservation, the two conclude that you might as well make it yourself. Ryuji expresses confidence in the recipe, saying, "It'd be strange if this didn't take off."