The Colonel’s Recipe, Minus The Chicken: 7 KFC Recipes Made Vegan

KFC is one of the world’s most popular fast-food chains. Since its founding in the 1950s in Salt Lake City, UT, the chicken chain has expanded to more than 30,000 locations worldwide, which collectively serve millions of customers every day. From China to the US to Japan to the UK, there’s no doubt that people love KFC’s deep-fried chicken and its signature blend of 11 herbs and spices. 

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In some markets, KFC is becoming more vegan-friendly. In the UK, for example, it currently offers a vegan fillet burger (made with Quorn chicken) that comes complete with vegan mayo. In the US, it previously trialed vegan fried chicken made with Beyond Meat, but these are no longer on the menu. In Canada, however, it still offers a plant-based sandwich made with Lightlife’s animal-free chicken. 

KFC

RELATED: 35 Tofu Recipes: From Sushi to Caprese to Meaty Vegan Chicken

If you’re not in a location with vegan KFC (or if you are, but prefer to cook your meals from scratch), it is possible to get all the flavor of this fast-food giant’s menu classics without actually going anywhere near the drive-thru. Find out how to make everything from popcorn chicken to big buckets to double-down sandwiches below, all with plant-based ingredients. 

How does KFC make its fried chicken?

KFC is known for its chicken, of course, but what truly makes this fast-food giant so iconic is its crispy, flavorful coating. While the exact recipe and process are closely guarded secrets, some details have been leaked over the years.

One of the most famous revelations was KFC’s legendary seasoning blend of 11 herbs and spices. The official recipe remains a secret, but a handwritten version, believed to be the original, was once shared by Colonel Sanders’ nephew, Joe Ledington.

KFC UK

This leaked recipe includes: salt, black pepper, white pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried basil, celery salt, and mustard powder.

After seasoning, the chicken is coated in a batter of flour, milk, and eggs before deep-frying. But here’s a surprising twist: the signature spice blend itself is vegan. This means you can recreate a similar version of KFC’s famous flavor by using the same seasoning on plant-based ingredients such as vegan chicken, tofu, or mushrooms.

How to make vegan KFC from scratch

Intrigued? Find some of the best ways to make vegan KFC from scratch below. These recipes are just as finger-lickin’ good. 

Thee Burger Dude

1 Vegan Fried Chicken Bucket

If your favorite menu item from KFC is its big sharing bucket, then Thee Burger Dude has you covered. In this recipe, recipe developer Brian Watson will walk you through how to make your own KFC spice mix, and then combine it with ingredients like vegan chicken strips (in this case, Gardein Chick’n Scallopini), plant milk, and hot sauce to make your own addictively good vegan version. “This recipe makes a ton of chick’n so it’s great if you are serving a bunch of folks,” says Watson. “If not, you should still make the full spice recipe and just have some leftovers. It’s really awesome and would go well in other dishes.”
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Zucker & Jagdwurst

2 Vegan Double Down Sandwich

KFC’s Double Down is like a burger, only instead of bread, the bun is made of chicken. The filling is usually bacon, cheese, and spicy sauce. In this recipe, Julia Jagdwurst of the blog Zucker & Jagdwurst will show you how to create something just as lip-smackingly good with ingredients like rice paper bacon, soy steak chicken, vegan cheese, and homemade vegan hot sauce.
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Francesca Bonadonna

3 Vegan Tofu Popcorn Chicken

One of KFC’s most popular menu items is, of course, its popcorn chicken. In this recipe, battered extra-firm tofu is the perfect stand-in for chicken. These bite-sized crispy balls of perfection are best served with a spicy sriracha mayonnaise or barbecue sauce. If you want the authentic KFC experience, you could also make your own skinny fries, too.
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Hot for Food

4 Vegan Fried Chicken Sandwich

Need a new lunchtime pick-me-up? This vegan fried chicken sandwich from Hot for Food—made with a blend of herbs and spices, buffalo-style hot sauce, and Gardein Chick’n Scallopini—will do the trick. “My vegan fried chicken sandwich is the real deal,” says recipe developer Lauren Toyota. “I’m talkin’ thick breaded pieces of vegan fried chicken that’s coated in all the right spices. Then I stacked it with vegan mayo, lettuce, and tangy dill pickle slices.”
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Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen

5 Copycat Vegan KFC Famous Bowls

KFC’s Famous Bowls often feature sides like mashed potato, corn, and gravy, alongside plenty of cheese and (of course) chicken. This version from Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen offers the same flavors but with crispy tofu and dairy-free cheese, all covered in lashings of vegetable gravy. “Crispy tofu is a perfect substitute for fried chicken,” says recipe developer Karissa Besaw. 
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PlantYou

6 Vegan KFC Chicken Tenders

Chicken tenders are another KFC classic. In this recipe from PlantYou, recipe developer Carleigh Bodrug will show you how to get that juicy, tender, meaty chicken texture using tofu. “The trick is freezing, thawing, and pressing your tofu before you make them,” she says. “It will be the best, meatiest tofu you’ve ever had.”
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The Pretty Bee

7 Vegan KFC Copycat Coleslaw

Finally, alongside corn and skinny fries, one of the most iconic KFC sides is the coleslaw. It’s made with standard, egg-based mayo, so it’s not vegan. Luckily, as this recipe from The Pretty Bee demonstrates, it’s simple to make a tasty copycat version with egg-free dressing, chopped cabbage, carrots, and onions. “It tastes so good,” says recipe developer Kelly Roenicke. “[It’s] exactly like the original in my opinion.”
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