Man reveals ‘leaked’ list of KFC’s 11-ingredient chicken seasoning – but there’s a knack to getting it to taste the same
IT’S been a closely guarded secret for years.
But now one man claims to have found a “leaked” copy of the 11 ingredients that make up KFC’s secret chicken seasoning.
He posted a picture of the handwritten list on Reddit, writing alongside it: “The true list of KFC’s ’11 herbs and spices’, leaked by Colonel Sanders’ own nephew in 2016.
“The list was jotted down on the back of the will for Claudia Sanders, the late wife of the Colonel.
“Colonel Sanders himself once claimed that the ingredients ‘stand on everybody’s shelf’.”
The recipe listed 2/3 of a tablespoon of salt, 1/2 a tablespoon of thyme and basil, 1/3 of a tablespoon of oregano, 1 tablespoon of salt, black pepper, dried mustard, celery salt, ground ginger and 2 tablespoons of garlic salt.
Then add three tablespoons of white pepper and four tablespoons of paprika, and mix it all with two cups of white flour.
People were quick to comment on the post, with some insisting there are other aspects to the recipe to get the authentic KFC taste at home.
“It also called for the chicken to be soaked overnight in buttermilk,” one wrote.
As another added: “The pressure cookers are the key to the recipe.”
“Pressure fryer, not cooker,” a third corrected.
“Different pressure and temperature.”
“You’re spot on with the pressure frying process being the key,” another added.
“The pressure fryer was invented for KFC by Winston Shelton,” someone else said.
“Before that, KFC used regular ol’ pressure cookers, which absolutely should not ever be used for frying on account of their propensity to explode when used for frying.
“Cooks got burned a lot.”
And others were divided as to whether or not they could be bothered to try and make the recipe at home themselves or not.
“After seeing this list, I might try and whip up a small batch and see if it tastes right,” one wrote.
“I remember having KFC as a kid and loving the taste.
“So it will be fun to see if I can recreate the experience.”
While another argued: “This also looks like too much work to make at home.
“So going to continue my ritual of going to KFC once a year, eating a bucket, getting a KFC hangover and not going for another year.”
“The taste of KFC chicken has changed from way back in the day,” someone else said.
“I remember it used to be sooo good that I would just devour it, but sadly these days it tastes like cardboard.”
When we contacted KFC, a spokesperson said: “Our finger lickin’ chicken’s 11 herbs and spices are a famously guarded secret.
“And while we love to hear our fans’ theories on what they could be, the Colonel’s lips are sealed!”