KFC Entrees Ranked Worst To Best
From Colonel Harland Sanders' humble beginnings at a service station, KFC has grown into a worldwide phenomenon. This fried chicken restaurant can be found in more than 140 countries. Of their 23,000-plus locations across the globe, more than 4,000 of the restaurants are in the United States.
For much of its history, KFC was known as Kentucky Fried Chicken. While there a lot of myths about why KFC changed their name, according to Southern Living, it was simply to shorten the name and provide fewer syllables. Taking "fried" out the the equation also had a healthier connotation. Considering the wide array of options on their menu, that's a completely believable reason.
A lot of the entrees at KFC are worth ordering. However, there are some items that you'd be better off avoiding. Instead of relying on trial and error, continue reading this definitive list of KFC entrees ranked from the worst to first. It will save you time, money, and will allow you to taste the very best menu items KFC has to offer.
12. KFC Chicken Littles
While the sky might not be falling, you're correct to be paranoid when ordering Chicken Littles from KFC. While the pictures you see of this sandwich might make your mouth water, you will be highly disappointed once you have one of these sandwiches in your hands.
First of all, Chicken Littles are tiny. Although size might not be everything, this puny sandwich is sure to leave you completely unsatisfied. Even if you have a small mouth, it won't take you more than a couple of bites to finish. By the time you're done, you'll be convinced that size matters when it comes to sandwiches.
Beyond the puniness, Chicken Littles simply don't taste good. Both the chicken and bread are annoyingly dry. KFC tries to make up for the dryness by slathering on a ton of mayonnaise — but, despite their efforts, it's still dry. The pickles, too, are underwhelming due to a lack of flavor and a flimsy texture.
You might have originally tried Chicken Littles in the 1980s but these sandwiches are completely different. Don't let nostalgia get the best of you. After being off the menu for around two decades, KFC brought back the Chicken Littles. It would have been better if these sandwiches disappeared forever because they aren't worth ordering. Save your money for something with some size and girth to it.
11. KFC Nashville Hot
Although a lot of fast food joints have unveiled killer spicy chicken sandwiches in recent years, KFC's experiment with Nashville Hot has been a dud. Nashville Hot entrees range from tenders to sandwiches, but none of them are worth your hard-earned money. The spiciness of these menu items is lacking, yet the flavor totally overwhelms everything else. You'd be smart to skip this entire line of KFC entrees.
While real Nashville hot chicken is amazing, this KFC knockoff is a joke. If you're in Tennessee and can get the real thing, don't hesitate for a moment. It's mind-blowing. What KFC considers Nashville Hot is a little bit of cayenne pepper and a whole lot of paprika. When you first taste it, the strong flavor of paprika will knock you back on your heels. You'll wait for a spicy aftertaste — but it will never come. Instead, you will be left dismayed with the unshakeable realization that you made a mistake ordering Nashville Hot from KFC.
10. KFC Kentucky Grilled Chicken
Going to KFC for grilled chicken doesn't make a whole lot of sense. You can get comparable grilled chicken at a host of other fast food restaurants — often for less money. While Kentucky Grilled Chicken tastes okay, nothing about it separates itself from the competition. Factor in bang for your buck and this is another option to ignore on KFC's menu.
Sometimes KFC's grilled chicken is extra juicy and legitimately really, really good. But be warned, there are times that the Kentucky Grilled Chicken is dried out and tough to chew. Don't risk getting a dry batch, especially when there are so many better options.
If you ignore this advice and order the grilled chicken, at least do yourself the favor of ordering a tasty side that will help you cope with the bland nature of this entree. Their green beans are a yummy option and create a meal that is both tasty and friendly for those on a low carb diet.
If you really want grilled chicken, go to Chick-fil-A for a grilled chicken sandwich... or make your own at home.
9. KFC Honey BBQ Wings
Honey BBQ Wings from KFC are another hit or miss entree. Whether you'll be happy or upset with your wings depends on the sauce. Sometimes, the sauce is too sweet and the honey flavoring dominates the barbecue aspect. At other times, the honey and the barbecue have meshed together perfectly. Unfortunately, you won't know until after you order it.
Another risk you take when ordering KFC's Honey BBQ Wings concerns the amount of sauce you will receive. Sometimes it's too much, sometimes it's not enough, and sometimes it's just right.
If you enjoy gambling, go ahead and order their Honey BBQ Wings. You might get lucky. If you do, you can pat yourself on the back. Then again, if you roll snake eyes, you will instantly rue your decision. Be sure to get some ranch dipping sauce with these chicken wings because you'll want to coat each wing with a lot of ranch if the sauce is a disappointment.
8. KFC Famous Bowl
Is there such a thing as too much goodness? The KFC Famous Bowl may change how you answer that question. While this bowl of deliciousness is filled with a lot of ingredients that will please each of your taste buds, there's arguably too much going on at once.
A KFC Famous Bowl starts with a base of mashed potatoes. On top of that creaminess rests crispy chicken chunks, a generous amount of sweet corn, and a shredded blend of three types of cheeses. The entire bowl is then blessed with homestyle gravy.
While you will fully enjoy your first few spoonfuls, the enjoyment level eventually begins to dissipate. By the end of the bowl, you'll just be glad to have finished it. You will feel each of those 710 calories stick to your ribs almost instantaneously. Don't be surprised if you are unable to eat for the rest of the day.
Instead of going with the KFC Famous Bowl, a better idea is to pick which of the ingredients you crave the most and eat it by itself. For example, you can order the mashed potatoes and gravy by itself and enjoy it until the last drop.
7. KFC Extra Crispy Tenders
While KFC's Extra Crispy Tenders are far from outstanding, they are a safe, reliable selection. The crispiness is sure to create a pleasing texture, even if the chicken itself isn't memorable. This is also a safe choice for picky eaters because there are only a minimal number of flavors at work.
If you go with the Extra Crispy Tenders, your decision of which sauce to get with it will be the most important. Whether you like the sauce you select will make or break the meal.
At KFC, you have a choice of six sauces. The Buttermilk Ranch is a safe choice because anyone who likes ranch will love this sauce. KFC's Honey Mustard is another sauce that won't disappoint you. If you want something a little bit different, go with the Finger Lickin' Good Sauce. This KFC exclusive tastes like a combination of ketchup, mayo, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and more. Though not everyone will love it, it's worth trying at least once in your life.
The two sauces you can skip without any hesitancy are the Honey BBQ Sauce and the Sweet N' Tangy. Neither one of those is worthy of a dip from these tenders.
6. KFC Pot Pie
A classic entree from KFC that never seems to get old is their Pot Pie. After trying it for the first time, you will actively count down the days until you can eat it again — even though it's far from a healthy meal. Everything about it is so satisfying, beginning with the crust. Its flaky texture will melt in your mouth and it's never too hard or too soft. KFC always bakes it to a golden perfection.
Once you crack open the crust, you'll be met with a mixture of amazingness. The star of the program is the chicken. Each time you get a tender piece of chicken in your mouth, you'll savor it. Along with the bites of chicken, you'll find tasty carrots and peas, all of which will be swimming in a scrumptious sauce. Vegetables have never tasted so good.
The only downside with KFC's Pot Pie is the presence of the diced potatoes. It's obvious that the potato is used as a filler ingredient and it really just gets in the way of everything else. The potato doesn't have much flavor and the fibrous texture sticks out like a sore thumb. If KFC ever came out with a Pot Pie that did away with the diced potatoes, it would be significantly higher on this list — even if they're forced to raise the price.
5. KFC Buffalo Wings
If you have a hankering for buffalo wings and you start sifting through your mental Rolodex of fast food options, you will likely first think of destinations such as Buffalo Wild Wings or Wingstop. While those are superb options, don't totally discount KFC's Buffalo Wings. If you want wings fast and at a fair price, these wings from KFC will do the job in a pinch.
Unlike the aforementioned Honey BBQ Wings, you don't have to worry about the sauce for these bad boys. KFC's Buffalo sauce is consistently really good. It's similar to Frank's RedHot, although it can be argued that it's even better. The KFC version has a strong kick to it but it's not so strong that you need to eat these wings with a chilled beverage at your side. That said, if you don't enjoy spicy food, you'll want plenty of ranch to offset the spice.
When you buy wings from KFC, you can either get 6, 12, 24, or 48. If you're eating by yourself, 12 wings should be the perfect number. Six isn't enough to fill you up, while 24 is just too much to finish on your own. If you're throwing a party, getting a tray of 48 wings is guaranteed to be a hit.
4. KFC Popcorn Nuggets
There's a lot to love about the Popcorn Nuggets from KFC. First of all, these nuggets are made entirely of white meat. The meat is reliably juicy and flavorful, which can't always be said about the meat you get when ordering the Extra Crispy Tenders. The Popcorn Nuggets are also crispy enough that you can enjoy the texture without it being so crispy that the focus is taken away from the all-white meat.
A great thing about the Popcorn Nuggets is you can order them on the go and eat them without any sauce. If you're running errands around the town, you can eat and drive without anything slowing you down.
If you insist on pairing these nuggets with a sauce, the Honey Mustard is your best bet. Any of the other sauces would be too overpowering, although small dips into the Honey BBQ Sauce would be an okay alternative.
While KFC doesn't explicitly tell you how many nuggets will come in your order, it's safe to say that a large order comes with about 20 pieces. They sometimes also offer an extra-large version, which comes with a whopping 70 pieces. Even though that may take a few days to eat, you won't regret it for a minute.
3. KFC Extra Crispy Chicken
While not the best entree on the menu, Extra Crispy Chicken from KFC has a lot going for it. This fried chicken has been breaded twice and the result is crispy goodness that is difficult to match. And while the outside of the chicken is crispy, you'll be pleased when you discover that the inside hasn't lost any of its juiciness.
In some scenarios, Extra Crispy Chicken is what you should order at KFC. If you aren't able to eat all the chicken right away, Extra Crispy Chicken remains great even if you need to reheat it (especially if you follow KFC's reheating instructions). Thus, if you're ordering with seconds (and thirds) in mind, this is what you should order. Alternatively, if you like to add sauce to your fried chicken, Extra Crispy Chicken is the way to go because it will hold up better.
If you go to KFC mostly for their biscuits, the soft, flaky texture of their buttery biscuits pairs well with the crispiness of this chicken.
2. KFC Crispy Colonel Sandwich
Now this is a real sandwich. Don't let KFC's tiny Chicken Littles make you think that all their sandwiches should be shunned and forgotten about. The Crispy Colonel Sandwich is fantastic by all possible measures — starting with its size. This thing is big enough to fill you up completely. It'd take about three Chicken Littles to compare size-wise.
The Crispy Colonel Sandwich begins with a glorious filet of chicken that is extra crispy. And while it sits on a bed of mayo and pickles, you don't have to worry about the filet getting soggy. I don't know how KFC does it, but the chicken in the Crispy Colonel Sandwich remains crispy no matter if you eat it right away or wait an hour to devour it.
KFC actually offers four types of Crispy Colonel Sandwiches. The Nashville Hot Sandwich shouldn't be considered, as was previously discussed. The Smoky Mountain BBQ Sandwich should only be ordered by those who adore barbecue sauce. Otherwise, it's not something to consider.
While the original version of the Crispy Colonel Sandwich is amazing, the Georgia Gold Sandwich version might actually be better. It swaps out the mayonnaise for a honey butter barbecue sauce that is breathtakingly good. Even if you think honey butter barbecue sauce sounds iffy, don't fret because it tastes way better than it sounds.
1. KFC Original Recipe Chicken
When you visit KFC, it's difficult to justify ordering anything other than the Original Recipe Chicken. It's the chicken that put Kentucky Fried Chicken on the map. It's arguably the best fried chicken in the world and it's something you could eat every day for the rest of your life and never get tired of it. Plus, after you finish eating the chicken, you can get some joy out of licking your fingers for the rest of the day.
What makes the Original Recipe Chicken so good is a bit of a mystery. No one knows the exact recipe, as KFC just states that the recipe includes a mix of 11 herbs and spices. The best guess is that those 11 herbs and spices are salt, basil, oregano, thyme, paprika, ginger, dried mustard, white pepper, black pepper, garlic salt, and celery salt.
If you're feeding a large family, you can make everyone happy by purchasing a 16-piece bucket meal of Original Recipe Chicken that also comes with eight biscuits and four large sides. Get mashed potatoes and gravy, mac and cheese, coleslaw, and whole kernel corn for the sides and you will be the hero of the household the second you walk through the door.
If you're just feeding yourself, go with the two-piece combo that comes with a breast, a wing, a biscuit, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a medium drink. You'll scarf it down with a big, dumb grin on your face.