KFC founder's nephew finds 'secret seasonings' scribbled in family scrapbook

17 January 2024 , 12:25

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Have you ever wondered what the secret herbs and spices are? (Image: Getty Images)

KFC is a tasty treat, and the fact that the 11 herbs and spices in the coating are top secret serves to make it all the more delicious - but maybe the seasonings aren't so secret after all.

The chicken at KFC is 'finger-licking good', and the coveted recipe is notoriously kept under wraps. But Colonel Sanders' nephew allegedly let slip the closely-guarded recipe for the brand's world-famous fried chicken spice blend.

Joe Ledington reportedly showed a Chicago Tribune journalist a handwritten list of ingredients and measurements behind the popular fast food, and people have been left gobsmacked and desperate to try it for themselves.

Ledington, 67, told the Tribune in 2016: "That is the original 11 herbs and spices that were supposed to be so secretive." The top-secret recipe was tucked away in a scrapbook belonging to Ledington's late aunt, Sanders' second wife.

The mix includes thyme, basil, paprika, ground ginger - and the most important ingredient of all is white pepper. "I call that the secret ingredient," Ledington told the Tribune. "Nobody (in the 1950s) knew what white pepper was. Nobody knew how to use it."

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Ledington later claimed he never showed the reporter the handwritten ingredients, and KFC says the recipe is not the real deal. In a statement to the New York Times, the restaurant chain said: "Many people have made these claims over the years and no one has been accurate - this one isn't either."

Want to try it for yourself anyway to see how similar it tastes? You can find the recipe below.

• 11 spices - mix with 2 cups white flour
• 2/3 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon thyme
• 1/2 tablespoon basil
• 1/3 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon celery salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried mustard
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 3 tablespoons white pepper

Have you tried making this yourself? Let us know whether it tasted like the real deal in the comments.

Danielle Kate Wroe