KFC's secret recipe has just been leaked by Colonel Sanders supposed great great great nephew

A man who claims to be Colonel Sanders' great-great-great nephew says he's leaked the 'real' KFC secret recipe.

The first ever Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise was opened by Sanders in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1952.

Fast forward to 2025, and there are more than 30,000 restaurants worldwide, operating in more than 150 countries.

The American fast food giant always promises to be 'finger lickin' good', but has kept its 11 secret herbs and spices under wraps for decades.

Now, a man going by the social media handle @realcolonelsanders has lifted the lid of the very ingredients used by the company. Apparently...

Posting to TikTok, he lists the 11 herbs and spices, their measurements and their binders in a now-viral, two-minute long video.

It's not the only recipe claiming to be the real-deal, though.

Back in 2016, Joe Ledington, Colonel's actual nephew, revealed the recipe had been found written on the back of the last will and testament of his aunt, Claudia.

Turns out, both supposed recipes are drastically different, aside from a few shared spices.

The 2016 11 herbs and spices recipe

Ledington casually explained: "That is the original 11 herbs and spices that were supposed to be so secretive." Since then, he has seemingly attempted to backtrack, saying: "It could be; I don't know for sure."

His recipe is as follows:

• 2/3 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of thyme
• 1/2 tsp of basil
• 1/3 tsp of oregano
• 1 tsp of celery salt
• 1 tsp of black pepper
• 1 tsp of dried mustard
• 4 tsp of paprika
• 2 tsp of garlic salt
• 1 tsp of ground ginger
• 3 tsp of white pepper

But now a man claiming to be Colonel Sanders' great-great-great nephew is now saying the above recipe is 'proven fake' and 'bulls**t'.

The 2025 11 herbs and spices recipe

His 11 herbs and spices recipe is as follows:

• 1 tbsp and 1/4 tsp sage
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 pinches red/cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp white pepper
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tsp cardamon

Then add three tablespoons salt, one tablespoon MSG and three cups of flour, and mix it with cake flour.

Hie secret tip: "Use lard or vegetable oil. Add the salt and MSG to the flour after the 11 herbs and spices are mixed with the flour."

Taking to the comments section, one of the video's 8.2 million viewers joked: "Got the KFC recipe before GTA 6."

"I knew there was cinnamon and cardamon!" a second typed, as a third said: "Can we get the biscuits and mashed potato too?"

I suppose one way to find out the real deal is trying out both recipes and comparing them to your local KFC - if you have the time and patience.

But it's highly unlikely any of these recipes are the exact science, so best to take it all with a pinch - or indeed three tablespoons - of salt...

UNILAD has contacted KFC for comment.