What Makes Publix Fried Chicken So Crave-Worthy? We Dug In

When our family moved to Birmingham, Alabama, from the Northeast about seven years ago, there was one thing I was very much looking forward to trying: Southern food. While I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the city (it turns out I love it), I already knew that I was a fan of Southern cuisine, from pulled pork and fried green tomatoes to collard greens and shrimp and grits, and I suspected — rightly — that the range of options and quality would be better down here, where many of those foods originated. 

One I was looking forward to the most? Fried chicken. While I don’t eat it often, I love a good Southern-style fried chicken. 

For about five or six months after we moved, I ordered it from wherever it was available. However, I was surprised to find that there was one place where it was consistently and unexpectedly delicious: Publix. 

I’m not a food snob (and fried chicken is a distinctly un-snobby food), but when I first picked up a family pack of Publix chicken, I wasn’t looking for an experience. I was doing what millions of busy parents across the country do when the afterschool schedule is tight: putting dinner on the table quickly. But when we got home and started eating it, I was surprised by how well made it was. 

My family agreed, and we started making Publix fried chicken one of our go-to meals. The thing is, it’s always good. The chicken is consistently juicy and tender, with a thick, well-seasoned coating that is very crisp. It’s not terribly greasy, and the spice mix has an unexpectedly delicious flavor. It’s even tasty the next day, eaten cold as leftovers. 

It turns out, I’m not the only one who feels this way. There are Reddit threads dissecting what makes Publix fried chicken so good, with commenters digging into the ingredients and examining the setup to see if there’s something in the spices or the frying system. 

In one thread, commenters say things like, “Is it the best to-go fried chicken? Cuz I think it is” and “When I lived in Nashville, Publix was where I went for fried chicken if I needed it at the last minute. … It was always fresh and always consistent.” And it’s not just Reddit; fans on TikTok love Publix Fried Chicken too: 

So what’s the secret? 

I reached out to Publix to learn more about the ingredients they used or how the chicken was made. They were coy, saying only, “Our Publix deli fried chicken is always fresh, never frozen. Each piece is double-hand-breaded using our unique breading recipe. This delicious product is crispy and freshly fried throughout the day.” 

While that doesn’t offer a lot, eagle-eyed commenters on Reddit have uncovered a few clues about the Publix process. “They double dip their chicken in their flour mixture,” notes one Redditor, and continues: “They use only water to dip (no eggs).”

Another commenter, wondering whether they use faster food-service-style pressure fryers, was quickly corrected by another: “Just a standard fryer. They have like a setup in front of their fryer to make dip and flour in front of the fryer…but it is a normal fryer, pretty much.” 

But the biggest secret may lie in the ingredients list. A thorough scan reveals some unusual items — two in particular: Celery seed and “inactive dried yeast.”

Celery seed is easy enough to understand — and is likely what gives the chicken its earthy, herby flavor. However, “inactive dried yeast” was a bit of a head-scratcher. So, I reached back out to Publix, and they clarified that it’s nutritional yeast — a flaky yellow powder packed with umami flavor. It’s popularly used as a vegan alternative to cheese in soups, on toast, or on popcorn. That’s likely what gives the breading a deeper, more complex yumminess.

In fact, a highly rated copycat recipe includes both nutritional yeast and celery seed, receiving good reviews from fans, including former Publix employees who wrote comments such as: “I worked at a publix deli for a few years and this is pretty much spot on, I believe.” 

If you live near Publix and haven’t tried their fried chicken, it’s definitely worth a shot. If not, you might consider adding these ingredients to your own recipe.