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

FAQs

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.

“It's kept in a vault in Kentucky,” she told UK documentary Secrets of the Fast Food Giants. “Across KFC, only two or three people actually know the exact recipe.” The fast food chain has two different factories to make part of its recipe so no one company would ever know the entire formula.

KFC uses its Original Recipe as a means to differentiate its product from its competitors. Early franchisee Pete Harman credited the chain's popularity to the recipe and the product, and John Y. Brown cites the "incredibly tasty, almost addictive" product as the basis of KFC's staying power.

In 1991, the KFC name was officially adopted, although it had already been widely known by that initialism. Kyle Craig, president of KFC U.S., admitted the change was an attempt to distance the chain from the unhealthy connotations of "fried".

Interestingly, this was also around the time that Sanders became a “Colonel.” In 1935, Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon commissioned Sanders as an honorary colonel.

The KFC Secret Menu currently includes three items: the Zinger Stacker Twister, the BBQ Bacon and Cheese Twister, and the Kentucky Snack Box, but this menu changes regularly with snacks so exclusive they've never made it to the regular menu.

Their recipe uses 11 herbs and spices, so that's exactly who they follow on Twitter. Don't believe us? Well, the 11 people KFC follows on Twitter are: the five former members of the pop group The Spice Girls, and six men named Herb.

Hutchison sued KFC for trade-secret misappropriation under Nevada's version of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act. The parties' pleadings and affidavits indicated that general procedures for deskinning and marinating chicken were commonly known or readily ascertainable within the fast-food industry.

Hidden Symbolism:

If you look closely at the logo, you can see that the Colonel's bowtie forms the shape of a stylized chicken. This subtle detail is a nod to the company's primary product, fried chicken, and is a clever way to incorporate a chicken into the logo without being too obvious.

What oil does KFC use? ›

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 ...

PepsiCo fast food division

Reynolds sold KFC to PepsiCo to pay off debt from its recent purchase of Nabisco. In 1990, Hot 'n Now was acquired via Taco Bell from William Van Domelen, but the company was sold in 1996. In 1992, PepsiCo acquired California Pizza Kitchen.

KFC (also commonly referred to by its historical name Kentucky Fried Chicken) was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders, an entrepreneur who began selling fried chicken from his roadside restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky, during the Great Depression.

No more Finger Lickin'

As we all know, KFC has sported the slogan 'Finger Licking' Good' since we can remember, but due to the current circ*mstances surrounding COVID-19, the team behind the chicken have decided the slogan is no longer appropriate for the current environment.

The original handwritten recipe is securely kept inside a vault at KFC's headquarters in Louisville. Additionally, KFC employs various companies to contribute different ingredients to the recipe — so not even they could know the full recipe.

To discover all their secret dishes, you simply need to download the KFC app, swipe down on the main menu and hold for 11 seconds. An animated Colonel Sanders then reveals the hidden menu.

In an effort to add new items to menus, the fast food chain is removing five items that have become mainstays — Kentucky fried chicken wings, Nashville hot sauce, strawberry lemonade, chocolate chip cookies and popcorn chicken, according to USA Today.