KFC Fried Chicken Flavors You Won't Find In The US

Not all African nations that are home to KFC sell dunked wings, but places like South Africa and Namibia do. KFC Dunked wings are unique to Africa — and we wish that American KFCs would give this one a try. True, dunked wings can get a little messy, but if you love KFC chicken (and international travel) this flavor should definitely be on your shortlist.

Considering the international popularity of chicken wings, you might assume they were always a KFC staple. Yet, chicken wings weren't sold at South African KFCs until 1990 — 40 years into its fast food legacy! Moreover, South Africa is one of the largest poultry-consuming nations on earth, so it makes sense that KFC made wings a permanent menu item there in 2007. Meanwhile, chicken wings didn't become a permanent menu item in the U.S. until 2019. They were discontinued in early 2023 and returned several months later.

Dunked wings made their way onto KFC's African menus as far back as 2012. Different varieties have been sold over the years, including the fiery Ghost Pepper Dunked Wings — which sound pretty intense if you ask us. Promotional wing sauce flavors may come and go, but the original dunked wings seem to be here to stay for South Africa and Namibia.

Ke-Tiras (a name that KFC Mexico has as a registered trademark) refers to the chain's boneless tenders, a prominent menu item at KFC Mexico. "Tiras de pollo" translates to chicken strips or chicken fingers, and if you order them in a Mexican KFC you'll get to choose whether you want them "natural" or with Spicy BBQ or Jalapeño flavor. You won't find these two signature sauces in the U.S., yet they're right at home in Mexico, where the national cuisine goes big on flavor.

Chicken tenders are available at KFCs in the U.S., where they are made with Extra Crispy breading and come with a variety of dipping sauce options. KFC Mexico has comparable dipping sauces (plus regional ones like Furious Mango Dip), but the Spicy BBQ and Jalapeño Ke-Tiras come coated with sauce instead of it being served on the side.

The Ke-Tiras chicken flavors at KFC Mexico are highly popular, with social media hacks dedicated to copying Spicy BBQ Ke-Tiras at home, while food delivery websites in Mexico often rank the Ke Tiras as one of the chain's most-liked menu items.

If the thought of chicken and crab coming together leaves you scratching your head, don't count it out too soon. There are no less than 49 freshwater crab species in Vietnam, 42 of which can't be found anywhere else. Chicken in crab sauce is a relatively new item for KFCs in Vietnam, and although it may not cater to the typical American palette, we're curious to learn more.

Vietnamese fried chicken wings — also known as gà chiên nước mắm — are tossed in a marinade of fish sauce, sugar, and garlic. They are eaten all over the country and feature on Vietnamese restaurant menus in the U.S. as well. The fish sauce gives the chicken a pop of umami flavor that works really well for many diners.

Unlike fish sauce, which has a semi-transparent consistency similar to soy sauce, the crab sauce from KFC Vietnam is a deep red and much thicker — almost ketchup-like. A sprinkling of breading and seasoning is dusted on top of the sauce to give the chicken extra crunch. As it turns out, KFC Vietnam isn't the first region to pair chicken and crab this way. In late 2022, KFCs in Myanmar served Singaporean Chilli Crab Chicken. The limited-edition flavor implemented a similar dark red, flavorful sauce used in a popular Singaporean seafood dish.

In many places, KFC has gotten serious about expanding its vegetarian options beyond starchy sides — though it's worth noting that some critics say KFC's plant-based options may not be strictly vegan thanks to cross-contamination during the cooking process. KFC veggie patties can be ordered in countries that include Ghana, Denmark, England, and France, while a few European nations have launched a full-scale meatless menu that includes veggie strip mimicking boneless fried chicken.

KFCs in Sweden, Finland, Austria, Spain, and Slovakia all sell veggie strips, while Germany, Portugal, and the Netherlands offer a very similar version called veggie tenders. Veggie strips and tenders are made from mycoprotein, a meat-free food derived from mushrooms, but they contain milk and egg so they aren't vegan. Both the veggie strips and veggie tenders are typically seasoned with the chain's classic 11 herbs and spices. Side sauces vary depending on where you are; there's mayonnaise with pepper at KFC Spain, truffle dip in Slovakia, and curry mango sauce in Finland.

KFC has been masterful at pulling cultural flavors into its specialty fried chicken. Take KFC Taiwan's green peppercorn sesame karaage drumsticks, which combine green Sichuan peppercorns native to China with karaage-style fried chicken, a soy sauce-marinated delight that is often considered to be synonymous with Japan. A coating of sesame sauce enhances the aroma and makes for a fried chicken flavor that's spicy, savory, and crispy all at once. Green peppercorn sesame fried chicken isn't in American KFCs as of now, but we'd love to try it given the chance. 

You can also order Italian Herb Paper Wrapped Chicken in KFC Taiwan, a menu item that marries classic European seasonings with Asian cooking methods. Each piece of Italian herb chicken is marinated and then wrapped in baking paper before being fried in hot oil, which keeps the chicken juicy and fragrant. Paper-wrapped chicken (also known as chee pow kai) has its origins in Chinese cooking, but in the mid-20th century, it had gained serious popularity in Singapore and other parts of Asia. In the past, paper-wrapped chicken has made appearances on KFC menus in places outside of Taiwan, such as KFC Malaysia.

KFCs in Asia especially are known to highlight pepper sauces that pair with fried chicken in a way that feels both culturally nuanced and delightfully un-American. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom isn't known for having a lot of spicy foods in its traditional repertoire, but the Sweet Chilli Dipped Bites and Kansas BBQ Dipped Bites sold at British KFCs might convince us otherwise.

The most well-known sweet chilli sauce is the Thai variety, which is popular for dipping. Sweet and spicy pepper sauces have also made their mark in various Asian cuisines and enjoy a widespread presence at non-American KFC locations today. Perhaps most oddly, U.S. KFCs have also yet to ride the Kansas City BBQ wave that customers in the U.K. are privy to.

The smoky, sweet, thick sauce served in Kansas City BBQ joints compliments the char of the meat and is typically served with baked beans — which many Brits adore. And wouldn't you know it, but baked beans with a touch of Kansas City-style sauce are sold as a side dish at KFC's U.K. locations.

When KFC debuted Smoky Red Chicken at its Indian locations in 2016, customers were eager to try a flavor reminiscent of tandoori chicken, a dish that was reportedly created in Delhi, India in the late 1940s. KFC India's smoky red chicken gets its color from red chili powder and definitely brings the spice, though it misses out on the quintessential char flavor tandoori chickens gets from roasting in a traditional tandoor clay oven. 

Something else that sets Smoky Red Chicken apart from other KFC flavors is that it is grilled instead of fried. It also uses only leg pieces. Since its debut, KFC Smoky Red Chicken has been sold in other South Asian nations including Bangladesh and Nepal. While some have called out the Smoky Red Chicken for being undercooked, others have been very favorable, with some reviewers noting that it is flavorful and very, very spicy.