People think they've rumbled KFC's 'secret seasoning' after spotting clue on the back of a Lays packet

There are many mysteries in life. What came first, the chicken or the egg? Do aliens exist? And for the love of god, what are the secret herbs and spices on KFC's chicken?!

We thought we uncovered the latter in 2016, when a relative of Colonel Sanders supposedly 'leaked' the alleged ingredients to the Chicago Tribune.

But now people are speculating about another leak, and there are some different herbs and spices on the list.

This one is a little bit more tenuous, we'd say, but bare with us!

Have the secret ingredients been rumbled? (Credit: Reddit: Mildlyinteresting/nplpoexists)

A KFC fan shared the ingredients found on the back of a packet of KFC-flavoured Lays in a post on r/mildlyinteresting Reddit.

"The KFC Lays chips reveal some of KFCs chicken seasonings," they said.

The image showed a picture of the crisps, which showed one of the ingredients was ‘KFC original seasoning’.

The packet then went on to list the spices – black pepper powder, white pepper powder, ginger powder, coriander powder and nutmeg powder.

But not everyone was convinced this was the same combination used to coat the chicken.

KFC's secret recipes have been shrouded in mystery (Credit: Getty)

"That’s the ingredients for this packet of chips… not their actual chicken," said one person in the comments.

Whilst another wrote: "This is an absolute red herring and I love it."

"I refuse to believe there is ginger or coriander in KFC chicken batter," someone else chimed in.

So, how do the previously leaked ingredients compare?

What is the KFC secret recipe?

Well, Colonel Harland Sanders’ nephew, Joe Ledington, revealed what he claimed to be the KFC secret recipe after finding it scribbled down in a notebook that once belonged to his late Aunt Claudia – the Colonel’s second wife.

According to Joe, his uncle’s secret KFC recipe consists of the following 11 herbs and spices:

• 2⁄3 tablespoon salt
• 3 tablespoons white pepper
• 1⁄2 tablespoon thyme
• 1⁄2 tablespoon basil
• 1⁄3 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon celery salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

These ingredients should also be mixed with two cups of all-purpose flour.

It's not a done deal, though, as after sharing the KFC secret recipe, Joe noted that the handwriting in his late aunt’s scrapbook didn’t match his uncle’s.

However, he seemed pretty confident that the recipe was the original Colonel’s recipe as he worked for his uncle growing up and could remember mixing up these exact ingredients for his uncle.

“I mixed them over the top of the garage for years,” he explained, recalling the summers he spent working at his family’s motel-restaurant complex.

Colonel Sanders' nephew spilled how he made KFC's chicken (Credit: KFC/ Instagram)

How to make the KFC secret recipe at home

According to the Colonel’s very own nephew, the instructions for the KFC secret recipe are allegedly as follows:

1. Mix the flour in a bowl with all the herbs and spices; set aside.
2. Mix the buttermilk and egg together in a separate bowl until combined. Soak the chicken in the buttermilk mixture at room temperature, 20-30 minutes.
3. Remove chicken from the buttermilk, allowing excess to drip off. Dip the chicken pieces in the herb-spice-flour mixture to coat all sides, shaking off excess. Allow to sit on a rack over a baking sheet, 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat about 3 inches of the oil in a large Dutch oven (or similar heavy pot with high sides) over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Lower the heat to medium to maintain it at 350. Fry 3 or 4 pieces at a time, being careful not to crowd the pot. Fry until medium golden brown, turning once, 15-18 minutes. Transfer chicken pieces to a baking sheet covered with paper towels. Allow the oil to return to temperature before adding more chicken. Repeat with remaining chicken.

It’s also suggested that you add a sprinkle of MSG to enhance the flavour immediately before service.

Following several tests using the formula, reporters believe that the recipe Joe shared can produce fried chicken batter that is “indistinguishable” from KFC.

Probably a bit more convincing than the Lays packet, we reckon, but good detective work, nonetheless!

Featured image: Getty/ KFC Instagram