The colonel's secret recipe revealed? Not so fast, says KFC (2024)

  • A reporter visited with Joe Ledington, a nephew of Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Harland David Sanders
  • The reporter was working on a story for the Chicago Tribune about Corbin, Kentucky, where the colonel served his first fried chicken
  • At one point, Ledington pulled out a family scrapbook containing the last will and testament of Sanders' second wife, Claudia Ledington
  • On the back of the document is a handwritten list for a blend of 11 herbs and spices to be mixed with two cups of white flour
  • While Joe Ledington initially told the reporter that it was the original recipe, he later said that he didn't know for sure
  • KFCsays that the recipe the reporter saw is not the real thing

By Associated Press

Published: | Updated:

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KFC is insisting a recipe discovered in a scrapbook belonging to Colonel Sanders' nephew is not authentic.

However, that hasn't stopped rampant online speculation that one of the most legendary and closely guarded secrets in the history of fast food has been exposed.

It all started when a Chicago Tribune reporter visited with Joe Ledington, a nephew of Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Harland David Sanders.

Joe Ledington, of Corbin, Kentucky, holds a 1980s photo of him with his uncle, Colonel Harland Sanders, who created his world-famous Kentucky Fried Chicken in his Corbin cafe

A handwritten list of 11 herbs and spices, jotted down on the back of the will of Claudia Sanders, the late wife of Colonel Harland Sanders who created his world-famous Kentucky Fried Chicken, is displayed

The reporter was working on a story for the Tribune's travel section about Corbin, Kentucky, where the colonel served his first fried chicken.

At one point, Ledington pulled out a family scrapbook containing the last will and testament of Sanders' second wife, Claudia Ledington.

On the back of the document is a handwritten list for a blend of 11 herbs and spices to be mixed with two cups of white flour.

While Joe Ledington initially told the reporter that it was the original recipe, he later said that he didn't know for sure.

Colonel Harland Sanders is pictured in this file photograph

Joanne Gould tried out the recipe that was discovered in the scrapbook. She said: 'I think it is safe to say that this is probably the correct original recipe'

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KFC — which is a subsidiary of Yum Brands Inc. — calls its recipe 'one of the biggest trade secrets in the world'.

It says that the recipe the reporter saw is not the real thing.

'Many people have made these claims over the years and no one has been accurate — this one isn't either,' KFC said in a statement.

The Louisville, Kentucky-based company says that the original recipe from 1940 handwritten by Sanders is locked up in a digital safe that's encased in two feet of concrete and monitored 24 hours a day by a video and motion detection surveillance system.

Joe Ledington could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.

Above, a commemorative representation of the 11 secret herbs and spices Colonel Harland Sanders made famous in his recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken

THE ORIGINAL 11 SPICES SECRET RECIPE?

Prep: 30 minutes

Soak: 20-30 minutes

Cook: 15-18 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 tablespoon salt

1/2 tablespoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 tablespoon dried basil leaves

1/3 tablespoon dried oregano leaves

1 tablespoon celery salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried mustard

4 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons garlic salt

1 tablespoon ground ginger

3 tablespoons ground white pepper

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg, beaten

1 chicken, cut up, the breast pieces cut in half for more even frying

Expeller-pressed canola oil

1 Mix the flour in a bowl with all the herbs and spices; set aside.

2 Mix the buttermilk and egg together in a separate bowl until combined. Soak the chicken in the buttermilk mixture at room temperature, 20-30 minutes.

3 Remove chicken from the buttermilk, allowing excess to drip off. Dip the chicken pieces in the herb-spice-flour mixture to coat all sides, shaking off excess. Allow to sit on a rack over a baking sheet, 20 minutes.

4 Meanwhile, heat about 3 inches of the oil in a large Dutch oven (or similar heavy pot with high sides) over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. (Use a deep-frying thermometer to check the temperature.) When temperature is reached, lower the heat to medium to maintain it at 350. Fry 3 or 4 pieces at a time, being careful not to crowd the pot. Fry until medium golden brown, turning once, 15-18 minutes. Transfer chicken pieces to a baking sheet covered with paper towels. Allow the oil to return to temperature before adding more chicken. Repeat with remaining chicken.

- The Chicago Tribune

KFCChicago

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The colonel's secret recipe revealed? Not so fast, says KFC (4)

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The colonel's secret recipe revealed? Not so fast, says KFC (2024)

FAQs

What did the colonel say about KFC? ›

At some point, KFC changed the “secret recipe” for their chicken and gravy, leading an angry Sanders, who already gained a reputation for outbursts, to refer to the food as “the worst fried chicken I've ever seen.” He even went as far as referring to the potatoes and gravy as “sludge” and “wallpaper paste.”

Did KFC reveal their recipe? ›

KFC Accidentally Revealed The Top-Secret Recipe For Its Fried Chicken. KFC has made a real thing out of how guarded a secret their recipe is for their fried chicken. But someone got their hands on what appears to be the recipe. the Tribune test kitchen tried the recipe and compared it with the real thing.

How many times was KFC recipe rejected? ›

His delicious recipe was rejected 1,009 times! He had over a thousand rejections, yet he didn't quit. He knew he had a successful idea on his hands. Finally, Sanders made his first sale in 1952 to a restaurateur in Salt Lake City, Utah.

What did Colonel Sanders always say? ›

I've only had two rules: Do all you can and do it the best you can. It's the only way you ever get that feeling of accomplishing something. No hours, nor amount of labor, nor amount of money would deter me from giving the best that there was in me.

What is Colonel Sanders' recipe for chicken? ›

ingredients
  1. 2 packages dried Italian salad dressing mix.
  2. 3 tablespoons flour.
  3. 2 teaspoons salt.
  4. 1 dash black pepper.
  5. 14 cup lemon juice.
  6. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.
  7. 2 12 - 3 lbs broiler-fryer chicken pieces.
  8. 2 cups carbonated soda water.

What oil do KFC use? ›

From this month KFC will use high oleic rapeseed oil at its 800 outlets in UK and Ireland, at an estimated cost of £1m a year. The move will cut levels of saturated fat in its chicken by 25 per cent, according to the company.

Who owns KFC? ›

Yum Brands Inc., is a restaurant company that owns quick-service chains Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC, as well as fast-casual brand The Habit Burger Grill. It is headquartered in Louisville, Ky.

Does original recipe chicken have bones? ›

To meet these changing tastes, KFC's new Original Recipe Boneless, which debuted on April 14, pairs the Colonel's original blend of herbs and spices with chicken breasts, thighs, and legs, sans bones.

Was Colonel Sanders a real colonel? ›

The cafe, which offered family-style dinners, soon gained a large clientele; and in 1935 Sanders received his honorary colonel's title from the governor of Kentucky.

What is the KFC secret recipe slogan? ›

The secret recipe is regularly identified with the phrase "eleven herbs and spices," the amount and identification of which remain a trade secret.

Is KFC owned by Israel? ›

Pizza Hut and KFC are both owned by the American corporation Yum! Brands, which is known for its investments in Israeli startups.

Why did KFC apologize? ›

KFC has apologised after sending a promotional message to customers in Germany, urging them to commemorate Kristallnacht with cheesy chicken. The Nazi-led series of attacks in the country in 1938 left more than 90 Jewish people dead, and destroyed Jewish-owned businesses and places of worship.

Why is KFC original recipe so good? ›

KFC Uses A Special Signature Blend Of Herbs And Spices

A big part of what makes KFC's chicken so tasty is its highly coveted blend of herbs and spices. The restaurant's chicken is savory and herbaceous with lingering notes of pepper. The flavoring is simple but it hits all the right notes.

Why did the colonel sue KFC? ›

The lawsuit claimed that Heublein prevented Sanders from franchising his new restaurant and that it was unlawfully using his image for products he didn't develop. The lawsuit was eventually settled for $1 million and the couple was allowed to keep their eatery.

What did Colonel Sanders do for KFC? ›

Colonel Harland David Sanders (September 9, 1890 – December 16, 1980) was an American businessman, best known for founding fast food chicken restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken® (also known as KFC®) and later acting as the company's brand ambassador and symbol. His name and image are still symbols of the company.

Why did Colonel Sanders leave KFC? ›

Branding himself "Colonel Sanders", the founder became a prominent figure of American cultural history, and his image remains widely used in KFC advertising. The company's rapid expansion made it too large for Sanders to manage, so in 1964 he sold the company to a group of investors led by John Y. Brown Jr. and Jack C.

What happened to the KFC colonel? ›

In 1976, the Colonel was named world's second most recognizable celebrity. At the age of 90, the Colonel was stricken with leukemia. Until his death in 1980, he traveled 250,000 miles a year, visiting the KFC empire that he had founded. KFC remains the world's most popular chicken restaurant chain.

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