The Sad Way KFC Lost Its 'Perfect' Original Gravy Recipe - The Daily Meal (2024)

ByKalea Martin|

When you eat at KFC, the fried chicken you taste is the same one that founder Harland Sanders created in 1939, back when there was just one location called Sanders Cafe. Its main selling point was the Colonel's fried chicken, made with a "secret recipe of 11 different herbs and spices." That very recipe, which was accidentally revealed in 2016 by Sanders' nephew, has kept KFC in business for several decades.

The chain's original gravy, however, didn't stand the test of time like the fried chicken did. The one used in restaurants today isn't the same as the one that Sanders originally came up with, and the recipe for it was never publicly revealed. One thing we do know about it is that Sanders produced gravy that was as "finger lickin' good" as the fried chicken, despite KFC's decision to replace it with a subpar version.

Why did KFC change its original gravy recipe?

The Sad Way KFC Lost Its 'Perfect' Original Gravy Recipe - The Daily Meal (5)

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Like any fast food restaurant, KFC had to streamline the cooking process in order to get orders out as efficiently as possible. The chain has always fried its chicken in a pressure cooker for fast and delicious results, but the original gravy served underwent a much slower cooking process.

As business grew, and more and more locations opened, Sanders's gravy recipe proved to be entirely unsustainable for fast food service. "Let's face it, the Colonel's gravy was fantastic, but you had to be a Rhodes Scholar to cook it," a KFC spokesperson toldThe New Yorker in 1970. "It involved too much time, it left too much room for human error, and it was too expensive."

However,Sandershimself wasn't a fan of how the new gravy tasted, publicly calling it "sludge" in The New York Times. But there was nothing he could do to change it, as he had already sold the company, only remaining on the board of directors.

What is KFC's current gravy recipe?

Though Sanders didn't take a liking to the modernized gravy recipe, many customers do. It's popular enough that a copycat version went viral. This recipe is made with a base of chicken and beef bouillon, butter, and flour, then seasoned with garlic powder, black pepper, and sage. And although people were impressed by its similar taste, as it turns out KFC's gravy is made very differently.

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As a self-identified KFC employee revealed in a TikTok, KFC's gravy is made of chicken cracklings, not bouillon, as the copycat recipe suggests. Technically chicken cracklings are made from chicken fat trimmings that are purposely fried, but according to the video, KFC's cracklings consist of the debris that falls to the bottom of the fryer. The cracklings are combined with water and powdered gravy mix, whisked, then heated in a microwave oven before being served alongside orders of fried chicken.

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The Sad Way KFC Lost Its 'Perfect' Original Gravy Recipe - The Daily Meal (2024)

FAQs

The Sad Way KFC Lost Its 'Perfect' Original Gravy Recipe - The Daily Meal? ›

And although people were impressed by its similar taste, as it turns out KFC's gravy is made very differently. As a self-identified KFC employee revealed in a TikTok, KFC's gravy is made of chicken cracklings, not bouillon, as the copycat recipe suggests.

Why did KFC change their gravy? ›

The original KFC gravy created by founder Harland Sanders contained slow-cooked chicken, a process that wasn't compatible with the demands of a fast-food chain. Therefore, the costly, time-consuming recipe was eventually replaced by the modernized version of the gravy that is sold today.

What is the gravy at KFC made of? ›

What is the gravy at KFC made of? The restaurant uses a simple combination of gravy powder, water, and – their secret ingredient – chicken crackling. This is a collection of the browned bits and pieces leftover from frying their world famous chicken.

Why is KFC original recipe so good? ›

KFC Uses A Special Signature Blend Of Herbs And Spices

A big part of what makes KFC's chicken so tasty is its highly coveted blend of herbs and spices. The restaurant's chicken is savory and herbaceous with lingering notes of pepper. The flavoring is simple but it hits all the right notes.

Who invented KFC gravy? ›

Kay Kerr and her late husband Jack owned four Kentucky Fried Chicken locations, and she personally developed the gravy recipe still used by KFC, while staying in the home of Colonel Sanders himself.

Why does KFC taste different than it used to? ›

The problem seems to stem from a change that management made in 200- At that time, KFC decided to switch from using fresh, whole chickens to cheaper, processed ones. This change may have had an adverse effect on the quality of the food, as processed chicken is often lower in quality than fresh chicken.

Why did Colonel Sanders sue KFC? ›

The lawsuit claimed that Heublein prevented Sanders from franchising his new restaurant and that it was unlawfully using his image for products he didn't develop. The lawsuit was eventually settled for $1 million and the couple was allowed to keep their eatery.

How unhealthy is KFC original? ›

Ah, the original recipe—it's the classic fried chicken that put KFC on the map. Its nutrition profile isn't the worst on KFC's menu, but it isn't the greatest, either. One original recipe chicken breast contains a fairly moderate 390 calories but comes with some serious sodium (52% of the Daily Value).

Does KFC still pressure fry their chicken? ›

Cook. Then pressure cooked at a low temperature to preserve all the great taste we're known for around the world.

Is Popeyes or KFC better? ›

Popeyes beats KFC at every level – flavor, presentation, and brand experience. It's easy to see why Popeyes is stealing market share from KFC. Popeyes, hands down, is giving consumers a better product than KFC, with the prices virtually the same on most menu items.

What ethnicity was Colonel Sanders? ›

1890–1906: early life

His mother was of Irish and Dutch descent. The family attended the Advent Christian Church. His father was a mild and affectionate man who worked his 80-acre (32 ha) farm until he broke his leg in a fall. He then worked as a butcher in Henryville for two years.

What does KFC stand for? ›

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.

Why did Colonel Sanders sell KFC? ›

As a network of franchises grows across the USA, the Colonel feels it's time to slow down, and sells the KFC Company to investors.

Why has KFC changed their menu? ›

Why Is KFC Making These Changes? "It's really to deliver our most popular products perfectly each time and to actually make room for new products," said KFC U.S. Director Brittany Wilson. KFC hopes to improve accuracy and efficiency while cutting down on service time for customers.

Is KFC gravy made from chicken scraps? ›

In a British Channel 4 documentary, "KFC At Christmas," Anne Walker, a manager at a KFC in the U.K., revealed that the special sauce is made using leftover juices and chicken scraps from the deep fryers. Some might call them yucky fried garbage, others may call them delicious nuggets of flavor.

Why is KFC chicken different? ›

They pressure cook it

When you think of someone making fried chicken, you probably think of them submerging it in a bubbling vat or iron skillet filled with oil. While KFC has always used oil, it originally used it in a decidedly different way: by basically hacking a pressure cooker.

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