Get free food, save money, and impress your palate by fixing these common mistakes when
ordering from one of the most delicious fast-food places — Kentucky Fried Chicken.
There aren't many restaurants that represent America's fast-food culture quite like Kentucky
Fried Chicken. Ever since its inception in 1952, KFC has continued its steady domination of the
fried chicken market not only in the U.S. but around the world. In fact, it overtook
McDonald's as the most popular and highly-searched fast-food brand in the world, according to a 2022
analysis by Business Financing. With almost 27,000 locations in nearly 150 countries,
it's safe to say that people everywhere love Colonel Sanders' secret blend of herbs and spices.
Wanna know a KFC-ecret? According to an ex-KFC employee who goes by @joshfedupp on TikTok,
you can always swap your drink for a side like mashed potatoes or coleslaw
when you purchase a combo. As obvious as this strategy may seem, he says,
"What?! Like when was this a thing?!"
This means you don't have to make that gut-wrenching decision between heartwarming
mac and cheese or crispy fries. You can even snag more biscuits if that's what
your heart desires. Just drop that soda and add another side for no extra cost.
In today's digital world, it's necessary for just about every big organization to offer
a mobile app for its customers. However, most people that eat at KFC don't bother
to look up the app before they head to the drive-thru. But the truth is
that the app offers huge benefits for its users, especially if you eat there often.
The most obvious benefit of the KFC app is its convenience. You can easily create
a profile to order your favorite items with a single click. You can choose to pick your
order up ASAP or schedule it for a later time to ensure maximum freshness. After your order,
you can track the cooking process and get updates so you know when to pick it up. The best part?
You can skip the line and go straight to the pick-up zone past other hungry, jealous customers.
The other benefit of using the app is it lets you stay up-to-date with the best specials,
coupons, and even free food. Once you sign up, you'll get exclusive coupons,
like a free chicken sandwich with an order of $12 or more, a free order of fries with meals,
or 50% off a KFC famous bowl. These coupons are likely to change over time,
so download the app and see what deals are available to you.
Picture this: You're driving home after a long day's commute and just want a little
snack — maybe a single crispy chicken leg or a side of mashed potatoes. Without
thinking about it, you pull up to your local KFC and order à la carte. You may
think ordering a single serving is saving you money, but it's the exact opposite.
Ordering any of the side menu items on their own is a rookie mistake. KFC offers great deals
on its meals, but if you just get a side, the price shoots up astronomically. For example,
only ordering mashed potatoes and gravy or mac and cheese can
cost over $3 depending on the location but drops to less than $2 with a meal.
Also, it's no secret that KFC has some of the best mashed potatoes and gravy around,
but not everyone thinks of it as more than that. If you ask nicely, you can actually get your
side of mashed potatoes added to just about any item on the menu. This means you can get mashed
potatoes in your chicken sandwich, on top of your chicken pot pie — whatever your heart desires.
"Yeah, I gotta have it."
KFC isn't just one of the most popular fast-food brands in the world — it is the number one
fast-food brand. You can find Colonel Sanders' smiling face on boxes in over a hundred different
countries. In fact, KFC was the very first Western chain to break into the Chinese market in 1987.
Although it is the signature blend of herbs and spices that made the chain so popular, KFC has
several different specialties depending on the restaurant's location. Once you venture outside of
the country, you can find some truly unique items that might make you want to buy a plane ticket.
In China, shrimp burgers are a popular option, whereas in Japan, you can snag a deep-fried
corn soup. Cheese lovers should head to the Philippines for a cheese-topped burger. Other
interesting KFC bites found around the world include egg tarts, shrimp donuts, and porridge.
One of the most famous products to come out of KFC Asia is the Chizza. The dish
involves two fried chicken filets topped with cheese, pepperoni, and pineapple,
all drowned in pizza sauce. Don't tell your doctor about this one.
If you are one of the lucky people who live near a combination KFC/Taco Bell
restaurant, this might be the most important point on the list. Yes,
these restaurants might look like nothing special from the outside,
but inside, these buildings offer an entirely new world of possibilities for your KFC orders.
For example, you can order a side of sour cream from Taco Bell and
throw it on top of some potato wedges or mashed potatoes from KFC. Try sprinkling
KFC coleslaw into a shredded chicken burrito. The combinations are endless.
Nothing gets fast-food fans going like a secret menu.
It's often a marketing tactic to create a buzz. But let's be honest — ordering
something from the secret menu can feel like an exclusive experience.
Probably the most popular item on KFC's secret menu is poutine. You may know this Canadian
classic of french fries doused in gravy and cheese. The crispiness of the fries harmonizes
perfectly with the richness of the cheese curds and gravy to make an incredibly satisfying snack.
Another popular option is a build-your-own-bowl. No surprises here — you get to create your dish
with any ingredients KFC offers. You can add layers of mashed potatoes, french fries,
and fried chicken, and top them off with gravy, cheese, corn, and more.
A lot of these tricks are products of mere curiosity by KFC enthusiasts. One
popular meal involves drumsticks, french fries, mashed potatoes,
and gravy. Strip the skin off of the drumstick, wrap it around a handful of
french fries, then dip the bundle into the creamy mashed potatoes and gravy.
The problem for seasonal menu fans is that favorites come and go. The
Double Down is a popular menu item that replaces sandwich buns with two
deep-fried chicken patties that hold bacon, cheese, and sauce. However,
you can simply order the ingredients and build it yourself if it's not available.
If you're a fan of "Friends," you've probably heard of, and tried to make a sandwich called,
"I call it The Moist Maker."
This famous sitcom dish involves adding a gravy-soaked piece of bread in the middle
of a sandwich made from Thanksgiving leftovers. KFC got in on the trend by
releasing a video describing how to make the Moist Maker with the filet burger.
If you like sipping on a cold drink,
it's natural to always order it with ice. As it turns out, you're best off avoiding
the frozen cubes altogether. According to TikToker and ex-KFC employee @joshfeduppp,
his first and boldest piece of advice is to never get your drink with ice. He says,
"The ice sits in that little cooler thing for hours!"
The gross truth is that it is pretty easy for your ice to get contaminated with foreign bodies.
According to an investigation by BBC "Watchdog" in 2017,
fecal matter was found in the ice at several different popular chains.
Ice machines can also become a breeding ground for mold, another health hazard.
There are several other ways that ice machines can become dirty. Dust builds up over time,
water might not drain well, and it can be tough to actually clean the parts
properly. Bottom line? Just order your drinks without ice, because no one wants dirty ice
to water down their drinks. Besides, you'll get more of the drink this way.
This mistake isn't exclusive to KFC, but it might affect KFC's food more than other
places. Just like most other fast-food restaurants, you can get your crispy,
fried chicken goodness delivered straight to your door through apps like Uber Eats,
DoorDash, and Deliveroo. However, you should avoid using these services during the busiest periods.
Not only will it take your food much longer to get to you, but it probably
won't be as fresh. It could end up sitting on the counter of your local KFC for 10 minutes
or even longer. Although this goes for just about any restaurant that you order from,
this affects fried chicken even more than other foods because the prized crispiness will quickly
disappear if the food is left in the box too long — and no one wants soggy, lukewarm fried chicken.
If you need your fried chicken fix during peak hours, it's best to get off the couch, get in your
car, and head to your nearest KFC to pick up your food instead. It might take a little extra energy,
but that extra juicy crunch you get from your first bite will definitely make it worth it.
Many KFC receipts come with a special survey at the bottom. Once you fill out the survey,
you'll get savings coupons and even free food with your next order. Some
people have reported getting 15% off their order, coupons for free sides,
or even buy-one-get-one-free deals for chicken sandwiches. But the deals don't
last forever. Make sure you fill out the survey within 48 hours to take advantage.
The best part is there isn't really a limit. You can fill out the survey, get a coupon, buy a meal,
get another receipt, fill out the survey, and so on. A never ending cycle of savings and savorings.
"Everybody's gonna want these."