KFC’s menu once included two strips of their signature fried chicken wrapped in a tortilla, with lettuce, tomato and a kicky black pepper mayonnaise. It was a simple, tidy fried chicken snack, and the sauce elevated it into something really tasty. It silently disappeared from menus a few years ago, and it is missed! Gone but not forgotten, KFC Chicken Twister.
How to Make KFC Twister
The good news is that the wrap is easy to recreate. Frying chicken similar to KFC isn’t too hard. This isn’t quite KFC’s notorious secret blend, but it’s hopefully as close as you can get without a whole lot of corporate espionage. We love KFC recipes and this one comes close to the top of our favorites list.
The chicken in this recipe is delicious on its own, with any kind of dip you like, but it does shine particularly well in this copycat KFC Twister recipe, with a few fresh veggies and a touch of peppery mayo.
KFC Chicken Twister Recipe
Course: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings10
minutes15
minutesSimple and tasty, the KFC chicken twister is a unique combination of fried chicken strips with a tempting sauce that delivers every time.
Ingredients
1 pound 1 boneless skinless chicken breast (sliced into strips) or 1 pound pre-cut chicken strips (if using frozen, bring up to room temperature before preparing to fry
Canola or vegetable oil for deep-frying
6 flour burrito-size tortillas
1 chopped large tomato
1 cup 1 shredded romaine lettuce
- For the dredge:
1 egg
1 cup 1 milk
2 cups 2 plain flour
1/8 teaspoon 1/8 baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons 2 1/2 salt
3/4 teaspoon 3/4 pepper
1/8 teaspoon 1/8 paprika
1/8 teaspoon 1/8 garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon 1/8 chicken stock powder
1 large sealable plastic zip bag
- For the pepper mayo:
1 1/2 cup 1 1/2 regular mayonnaise (not light)
1 teaspoon 1 lemon juice
1 teaspoon 1 freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- For the chicken strips:
- Bring the oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
- Spoon flour, chicken stock powder, pepper, paprika, garlic powder into the zip bag, seal, and shake vigorously until combined
- Whisk the egg thoroughly in a medium-sized bowl and add the milk
- Pat the chicken strips dry if necessary and add half about of them to the plastic zip bag with the flour mixture (so you aren’t crowding the bag). Seal them and shake until the strips are all evenly coated, then remove them and set aside. Repeat for the other half of the strips
- One at a time, dip each strip in the milk and egg and return to the flour mixture. When you have about four strips ready, seal and shake again until the strips are completely coated
- Add the prepared strips to the fryer. Don’t add more than four at a time, because it will crowd the oil, and stir gently every few minutes to prevent them from sticking
- Fry until golden and crispy, and fully cooked. This should be about 10 minutes but will vary depending on the oil heat and the size of the strips. Chicken should always reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Allow cooked strips to drain on paper towels
- Repeat until all of the chicken is cooked
- To Assemble
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, pepper, and lemon juice
- Lightly heat the tortillas in a pan or the oven on low heat until they are warm but still soft
- Spread about a teaspoon of the pepper mayo down the middle of the tortilla, leaving an inch or so at one end (so rolling isn’t messy)
- Place lettuce, tomato and 1-2 of the strips on the tortilla
- Roll up like a burrito, tucking the bottom and leaving the top open
- Repeat until all Twisters are twisted and serve immediately
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Conclusion
If you’ve fried chicken before (or fried anything, really) you’ll know that it isn’t an exact science. Go by the temperature of the meat, not the time.
Freshly ground black pepper (rather than pre-ground) really does make a difference; in a recipe like this, where the pepper is a star, it’s worth the extra step. And you may want to double the recipe for the mayo and keep it covered in the fridge for a few days to use as a dip at another meal.
If you need a quick weeknight meal, use frozen chicken strips or tenders. Just follow the directions on the package, and follow the rest of the KFC Twister recipe.
Who knows if KFC will ever bring the Twister back—but now we don’t need them to.
