KFC's secret recipe is the Holy Grail of fast food

What would you do if you stumbled upon that finger-lickin' recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken? Would you fry up a batch using Col. Harland Sanders' special blend of 11 herbs and spices? Would you try to improve upon it -- and then open up your own chain to rival the fried-chicken king? Well, keep dreaming. KFC's original secret blend -- handwritten by the colonel himself, on a now-yellowed piece of paper -- was moved temporarily to an undisclosed location to make way for security improvements. Here are more details about the safekeeping of one of the world's most famous corporate secrets. (Other top secret formulas here.)

By now, you are probably hankering for something fried.

How about buttermilk fried chicken from the Los Angeles Times' test kitchen? Our recipe calls for a special blend of six herbs and spices, including Hungarian paprika, crushed garlic, kosher salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper and thyme. And, unlike KFC, we don't keep it under lock and key. You're welcome to it, and the directions for frying it up are here.

Hope that scratches the itch!

--Rene Lynch

Photo: Roger Eaton, president of KFC USA, holds a commemorative representation of KFC's 11 secret herbs and spices. Credit: Brian Bohannon / Associated Press

Comments

[V.E.G.]

KFC is like the Edward Leedskalnin of restaurants. Leedskalnin always said, "It's not difficult really, the secret is in knowing how." He took the secret to the grave with him, to this day, he has no immediate family.

[Cynthia]

The 11 herbs and spices are 'common' spices found in just about every household kitchen...Colonel Sanders said so himself. I don't think it's necessarily the spices that make KFC Chicken taste the way it does...I think it's the entire process. The spice mixture, the way the chicken is prepared and also exactly how it is cooked.

Alot of people claim to know the exact 11 ingredients? That may be so, but no one knows the exact measurements of each herb & spice. Without the measurements, you will NEVER duplicate the recipe. Also, I know for a fact that the spice mixture comes in a pre-mixed powdered form.

I have been cooking for more than 20 years and I can guarantee you that it is not regular white flour that is used in the mixture. The KFC mixture does not have the same texture and taste as ordinary white flour.

Finally, I assure you that the method of cooking is especially important. Chicken will taste differently depending upon the method used to cook it. Either baked, broiled, pan fried, deep fried or cooked under pressure. Each method will change the outcome of the final product.

[John]

It really is shameless advertising. Seriously, the FDA doesn't know the recipe? They really let a large company feed millions of people something that hasn't been inspected? "Sorry, we're not telling you what's in it" "Oh, OK, go ahead then".

Ridiculous.

It really is MSG, maybe salt and pepper. Nothing special.

[Bee Jane]

More like 11 salts and peppers if you ask me - with emphasis on the salt!

[Joe Orona]

With the technology of today's times the formula of 11 herbs and spices could easly be cracked. Who really cares? It taste good so just let it be what it is. Have some respect for Col. Sanders.

[Claudia]

Welcome to KentuckyFriedCruelty.com
You are eating animal waste and supporting animal cruelty if you eat KFC.

[ralph]

If it is so secret and they need cops to protect it why would you publish the day and time of tranfer. Kinda makes KFC look as dumb as they really are. talk about the dumbing down of America. Any television station and paper that promotes this are really niave and must be lacking a little news. Maybe they don't want to lose a advertising client.

[Ben Dover]

Yawn!

[brendan]

meh... Popeye's tastes better by a longshot. No amount of shameless self-promotion like this would ever sway my opinion.

[Layne]

KFC's mashed potatoes suck.

[John Sanders]

KFC's SECRET INGREDIENT IS:::::::::

a boat load of MSG

click the link. check it out for yourself. for those people who are sensitive to MSG, also check out hydrolyzed and autolyzed proteins amongst others.. they finally got rid of trans fat. Hopefully the MSG will be the next to go. It's supposedly kinda like fast food crack. It makes you want more and throws your body into overdrive.. makes you FATTER!!! diabetes anyone?? anyone?? heh. good luck. peace

[Erin]

KFC has great mashed potatoes. I ate some the other day. They were great.

[Lailee, Bakhtiar, M.D.]

My mouth is watering.

[Mike Carter]

This is a shameless advertising stunt on the part of KFC. As if anybody could take the recipe and then rival their advertising, history, infrastructure, brand-recognition, etc. The Coke company has all the same hoopla about their "secret formula" even though they let it be published in a book.