KFC’s gravy is one of the most popular items included in the fast-food chain’s menu. In fact, it has become a yearly tradition for multiple British families to stop by the food giant on Christmas Eve for a pot of the thick condiment.
After seeing how the famous sauce is made, they may end up changing their minds.
Image credits: Channel 4 Entertainment
A video from 2020 showing the behind-the-scenes of a KFC kitchen in the UK has revealed the off-putting process behind their iconic gravy.
In the clip, which has recently resurfaced on social media, Channel 4 is granted a sneak peek into the gravy-making process at Chorley and Buckshaw, Northern England. Anne, one of the employees, is tasked with making up to 200 liters of the sauce “to make sure no customer goes without” on Christmas Eve.
The fast-food chain was also promoting its new menu item, the gravy burger.
A staff member was tasked with making 200 liters of the condiment "to make sure no customer goes without" on Christmas Eve
Image credits: Channel 4 Entertainment
Image credits: Channel 4 Entertainment
The process begins with the staff member stirring chunks of chicken scraps and meat juices, pressing the mix through a sieve to make the base. Let’s just say that what is left on the sieve doesn’t look exactly appetizing.
Then, she spoons the mixture into a clear plastic tub containing hot water and meat residue and places the brown liquid inside the microwave to thicken it.
“This video is the reason I refuse to ever eat KFC in my lifetime,” one person commented on the YouTube video, which has almost 170,000 views.
The process consists of mixing chicken bits and meat juice, pressing the mix through a sieve, and heating it up in the microwave to make it thicker
Image credits: Channel 4 Entertainment
Another wrote: “Disgusting. Have you seen the state of those chickens?”
“That gravy looks like what came out of my Doberman when it got hold of my curry one time,” a third user said.
But KFC employees have also taken to social media in the past to showcase what goes on in their venues.
In 2020, a staff member posted a TikTok video revealing how they make the gravy with chicken bits that “come off while in the fryer and go to the bottom.”
"This video is the reason why I refuse to ever eat at KFC in my lifetime," one person commented
Image credits: Channel 4 Entertainment
Image credits: Channel 4 Entertainment
The employee points their camera at the meat offcuts, which they refer to as “crackling”, inside a plastic container. As they explain, the uninviting bits are clumped together because they have been stored in the fridge.
The worker then pours hot water, stirs the mix, and adds a special seasoning mix to add flavor and thicken the condiment.
Just like the Channel 4 example, the worker is seen heating the gravy inside the microwave to make it extra thick.
The process finalizes with the TikTok user pressing the mixture through a sieve and putting the sauce into the famous red-lid pots to be ready for consumption.
Another KFC worker revealed on TikTok that the sauce is made with chicken bits that "come off while in the fryer and go to the bottom"
Image credits: Channel 4 Entertainment
Image credits: Karlo King (not the actual photo)
"I wish I never saw this,” one user commented, while another said, “This is grim.”
However, others defended the chicken fast-food chain, pointing out that gravy is made using leftover pieces from cooked meat along with its juices. "People in the comments obviously don't understand what gravy is,” a person commented.
Another added: "It's nice to know actual chicken/chicken bits go into it rather than just some artificially flavored instant gravy."
You can watch Channel 4's video about the gravy-making process below
Image credits: Channel 4 Entertainment
While the sauce is made with a base of real chicken, the chain's gravy recipe has changed over time. 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.
Therefore, the costly, time-consuming recipe was eventually replaced by the modernized version of the gravy that is sold today.
Earlier this year, an American McDonald’s employee went viral after revealing that many of the chain’s beloved breakfast menu items, like folded eggs and hot cakes, are pre-made and stored in plastic containers instead of served fresh.
Most people defended the famous fast-food chain's gravy recipe, but others were not so sure
