KFC and All Fried Chicken

season salt ,pepper, garlic powder,,, then they all have special seasonings

I happen to know the answer to this (for KFC at least) - it used to be a variety of herbs and such, but it was proven in the 90s via lab tests that the current secret ‘recipe’ is as follows : flour, salt, pepper, MSG (mono sodium glutomate - a nasty flavour enhancer ) it is said cost cutting /profit making is the reason.

pretty disapointing.

Matter of fact, the 14 secret spices of KFC HAVE been analyzed in a lab, and here’s what they found:

flour
salt
pepper

That’s it. The sample came from a disgruntled employee. It was a package of the “secret stuff” used by the chain.

But I suspect there is MORE, added at cook time. Here’s my guess: use the above 3 AND a few shakes of nutmeg.

Let me know what happens.

I knew a guy in college who made the best fried chicken I have ever tasted. He was a black guy of course. I mentioned to him the ‘fourteen secret herbs and spices’ in the breading of KFC. He said you don’t want to put herbs and spices in your breading, they just burn and you can’t taste them anyway. He said you want to use nothing but salt and pepper. I thought that was strange, but as they say, the proof is in the pudding. (Well, in this case, in the chicken.) His dream was to open a restaurant, and I wonder if he ever did. He said he learned to make fried chicken from his grandmother, and where he came from everyone made it like that, there was no secret or anything.

Well years later I got a book called ‘Big Secrets’. The author of this book used chemical analysis and spectroscopy to find the secrets of food, like the secret formula for Coca Cola, and KFC. He had KFC breading analyzed and they found no herbs or spices in it! Just salt and pepper! I always thought that was interesting.

I worked at KFC once for 3 weeks in high school (long story), and was there long enogh to learn their secret for hot & spicy chicken: they marinate the pieces in Tabasco in a plastic bag in the fridge for 24 hours. Someone I knew who’s brother was a manager at Popeye’s said they did the same thing for their spicy chicken.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

11 SECRET HERBS AND SPICES LIKE KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN

2 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. onion salt
1 Tsp. celery salt
1 Tsp. rubbed sage
1 Tsp. garlic powder
1 Tsp. ground allspice
1 Tsp. ground oregano
1 Tsp. chili powder
1 Tsp. black pepper
1 Tsp. sweet basil leaves, crushed
1 Tsp. marjoram leaves, crushed fine

Combine all ingredients as listed in a small jar with a tight fitting lid (baby food jars work well). Shake mixture to combine. Stores for months. Keep out of direct sunlight, heat and humidity.
(makes about 1/3 cup)

TO USE:
Mix together 4 Tsp. mixture, 1 c. flour, 2 tsp. packed light brown sugar and 1 Tsp. salt. Place in doubled plastic food bag and add chicken to coat. Fry.

–February, 2001 Menu Minder