KFC does use specialized pressure fryers, but not regular pressure cookers.
The specialized pressure fryers that KFC uses helps KFC achieve their signature juicy, crispy chicken by cooking the chicken faster under pressure in oil.
The pressure fryer cooking of KFC chicken is a method of cooking chicken that was pioneered by Colonel Sanders to lock in the moisture and flavor of the KFC chicken.
The commercial pressure fryers were developed from early experiments with pressure cookers and allows for quick and consistent cooking of large batches of the chicken, which is important for fast food efficiency.
The way KFC fries their chicken in their pressure fryers is through first breading and loading the raw chicken, submerging the chicken in oil and sealing and pressurizing.
The raw breaded chicken pieces are placed into trays.
Then the trays with the raw breaded chicken pieces are lowered in a vat of hot oil.
The pressure fryer is then sealed, and as the oil heats up, the moisture that evaporates from the chicken in the pressure fryer, results in the chicken having a tender, juicy interior as well as a crispy skin.
Pressure frying the chicken, cooks the chicken must faster than traditional open frying.
The pressure frying also seals in juices, which makes the KFC chicken taste much better and more flavorful.
And the pressure frying also creates a distinctive crispy exterior.
And the pressure frying also allows for high volume and consistent cooking for fast food places like KFC.
Colonel Sanders adapted the pressure frying method from early pressure cookers, but the modern KFC pressure fryers are also large, safe and commercial pressure fryer units that are central to making the KFC famous chicken.