3 Ordering Tips To Get The Best KFC Chicken

KFC may not occupy the rarefied air of elite chicken joints like Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane's, and Popeyes, but you can't argue with its longevity. Established in 1952 by the inimitable Colonel Harland Sanders, KFC now operates more than 30,000 locations around the globe. When probing the chain's ongoing success (despite a few obstacles), one could easily assume the chicken's crispy texture and iconic, yet mysterious, blend of 11 herbs and spices are major contributors. However, we have some hacks to make things even tastier. 

Our ordering tips include asking for freshly fried chicken, adding an unlikely topping to your chicken sandwich, and turning the restaurant's coveted biscuits into an all-new meal (a secret menu item that assemble yourself). Some of our hacks require making a special request to restaurant staff, in which case politeness is key. Also, keep in mind staff may be unable to fulfill certain requests, and different locations may have different rules governing operational processes.

According to a representative of KFC (as reported by The Independent), the restaurant's famous gravy is made with residual deep fryer juices and chicken scraps, which are combined with water and an unknown proprietary mix of ingredients. Founder Harland Sanders was so obsessed with food quality at his restaurants that he thought nothing of throwing dissatisfying gravy on the floor when it displeased him. 

A side of gravy is the natural choice when ordering fried chicken buckets and mashed potatoes at KFC, but the condiment could also work nicely as a sandwich topping. Fortunately, you can snag a separate container of gravy with any order. At our local KFC, the restaurant offers full-sized plain and spicy chicken sandwiches, as well as the smaller KFC Snacker (with and without coleslaw). We think the full-sized plain chicken sandwich is the best candidate for gravy, but you may want to get it without mayonnaise, lest the taste be overwhelmingly rich.

Fast-food fans have an obsession with getting food as fresh and hot as possible, which results in all sorts of hacks and ordering tips. The theory is special orders (like no-salt fries and unseasoned burger patties) require staff to whip up new food, instead of taking an item from the warmer, thereby boosting the quality of the meal. At KFC, one such hack supposedly allows customers to score a freshly fried piece of chicken. 

On Reddit, a person asked for the best way to request "piping hot" chicken during his next trip to the restaurant. In response to the Reddit freshness query, one person advised, "Ask when the next batch [of chicken] is coming up. Signal you're willing to wait for it." This approach is less disruptive to the staff, which can have a more positive effect on your success. You can also (nicely) request KFC workers make a new order while you wait, but they may be thwarted by company policy or lack of time. We can't say for certain all locations will participate in this hack, but we can pass it along. 

No trip to KFC would be complete without one (or several) of the chain's tempting buttermilk biscuits. It's true the restaurant offers a limited assortment of chicken sandwiches, but opting for an ordinary bun seems unconscionable when you could be eating a flaky, buttery biscuit. Here we arrive at our next ordering tip, which entails combining KFC nuggets and biscuits for the ultimate chicken slider. For extra flavor, add sauce like sweet 'n sour, classic ranch, or honey BBQ. 

KFC introduced nuggets in 2023, though the first-ever chicken nuggets were tested in select markets the year prior. They appear to be a permanent part of the menu these days, at least at our local restaurant. According to Reddit, these nuggets "look identical to Chick-fil-A" but taste like mini versions of KFC's Original Recipe chicken. Nuggets can be purchased on their own or as part of a meal, which includes fries, two dipping sauces, a biscuit, and medium beverage. Customers can also order biscuits à la carte, which means you can whip together multiple sliders.