Colonel Sanders’ nephew has accidentally leaked the secret recipe for KFC’s original recipe chicken.
Of all the delicious KFC staples, the secret recipe for KFC’s iconic fried chicken is by far the most sought-after.
Though KFC was incorporated in 1955, Colonel Harland Sanders had actually been perfecting the recipe in the decades prior.
Sanders was a traditional man and would enjoy making traditional, American dishes that his mother used to serve him, which included pan-fried chicken, country ham, fresh vegetables, and homemade biscuits.
He knew his flavours. And, in the early 1940s, shortly after opening his first restaurant and motel, the newly-appointed Kentucky Colonel had finally perfected his “original recipe” chicken.
The rest is history, as in 1952 in North Corbin, Kentucky, the first-ever Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant opened its doors.
And things went from strength to strength. In the years following on from its debut, KFC restaurants began popping up all over America and, slowly, the rest of the world.
People were hooked on the Colonel’s chicken. And, as a result, KFC today stands as one of the most successful fast-food restaurants of all time with over 23,000 outlets all over the world.
But there’s one undeniable star of the show, the Colonel’s timeless Original Recipe chicken.
But it’s a well-kept secret. The Colonel’s lips remained sealed regarding his infamous recipe right up until his death in 1980.
No one knows the true original recipe, and the only information the Colonel ever revealed was that it contains “eleven herbs and spices,” and that it is made of ingredients that “stand on everybody’s shelf”.
Many have tried to figure it out, but very few have even been close to fully replicating the Original Recipe Kentucky chicken.
That is, until now. Joe Ledington, nephew of Colonel Sanders, may have just accidentally let the cat out of the bag.
He met with a Chicago Tribune journalist to go over some old documents, and on the back of Sanders’ will, there was a handwritten note, allegedly containing the recipe for the chicken!
Although Ledington is now backpedaling, claiming this isn’t the recipe, and the chain is denying the whole thing.
A spokesperson said to the New York Times, “Many people have made these claims over the years and no one has been accurate — this one isn’t either.”
Check out the apparent recipe below…
11 spices — Mix with 2 cups white fl
1) 2/3 Ts salt
2) 1/2 Ts thyme
3) 1/2 Ts basil
4) 1/3 Ts oregano
5) 1 Ts celery salt
6) 1 Ts black pepper
7) 1 Ts dried mustard
8) 4 Ts paprika
9) 2 Ts garlic salt
10) 1 Ts ground ginger
11) 3 Ts white pepper
After hearing the news, some social media users shared their thoughts on the ingredients, one wrote: “This is great and I’m sure makes delicious fried chicken, but half the magic of @kfc is their pressure-cooking deep fryers!”
While another commented: “Well KFC is not using the recipe, otherwise it would not be messed up as it is today! Not sure the last time I even went to KFC!”
“KFC chicken is far too salty. The secret recipe is probably mostly sodium,” a third chimed.
