KFC employee dishes out secrets behind Colonel Sanders’ world-famous recipe (2024)

FAQs

What was Colonel Sanders recipe? ›

Kentucky Fried Chicken Begins

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.

The flavorful coating is created by combining flour with 11 herbs and spices, so get ready to load up the grocery cart with salt, dried thyme, dried basil, dried oregano, celery salt, ground black pepper, ground yellow mustard, paprika, garlic salt, ground ginger, and ground white pepper.

Black Pepper is considered the 'king of spices' and rightfully so. Unlike its perennial companion, salt, which is easily available in any nook and corner of the world, the black pepper owes its origins to Kerala – a state in South India.

KFC products are fried in oil which may contain the following: Canola Oil and Hydrogenated Soybean Oil with TBHQ and Citric Acid Added To Protect Flavor, Dimethylpolysiloxane, an Antifoaming Agent Added OR Low Linolenic Soybean Oil, TBHQ and Citric Acid Added To Protect Flavor, Dimethylpolysiloxane, an Antifoaming ...

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, it is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald's, with over 30,000 locations globally in 150 countries as of April 2024. The chain is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, a restaurant company that also owns the Pizza Hut and Taco Bell chains.

KFC's original name was "Kentucky Fried Chicken." It was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952 in North Corbin, Kentucky. The name "Kentucky Fried Chicken" was chosen to reflect the Colonel's signature style of cooking chicken, which he had perfected over many years.

After retiring at the age of 65, Sanders borrowed $87 from the bank to purchase a fryer and ingredients for his unique recipe. He traveled all over the country to sell his recipe to restaurants. Selling door to door, he got rejected 1009 times, but the 1010th restaurant accepted his offer, leading to the birth of KFC.

The secret to making the perfect fried chicken is the use of buttermilk, as it helps tenderize each piece while leaving each bite juicy and crispy. After marinating, dredge your chicken pieces in the flour mixture and get to frying!

KFC deep fries its chicken for 15 minutes and then drains the oil off for another five minutes – 20 minutes in total. If you don't have a deep fryer, heat up plenty of oil in a large saucepan and do it that way.

Why is the KFC recipe a secret? ›

There are two separate spice mixing companies that each produce half of the "secret recipe" spice mix. These two products are then combined together at the store to bread the chicken. Each of these companies' contracts are managed by separate KFC employees, so at most, anyone could only come up with half of the recipe.

Our 11-in-1 spice mix is an aromatic blend of herbs and spices essential for creating a tasty dish at home.

Original Recipe® Chicken Fresh chicken. Breaded in: Wheat flour, Salt, Monosodium glutamate, Spices, Dehydrated garlic, Modified milk ingredients, Dried egg white (Egg white, Baker's yeast, Citric acid). Cooked in: Canola oil (Dimethylpolysiloxane (Antifoaming agent), TBHQ). Contains: Wheat, Milk, Egg.