For nearly 70 years, KFC's menu has evolved with various chicken offerings always coming
and going. Whether it's the classic Chicken Little sandwich, or the spicy Nashville hot
sauce, the ideas are always innovative. This is what the menu looked like the year you
were born.
The story of Kentucky Fried Chicken is, at least at the beginning, also the story of
Colonel Sanders. Born in 1890, Sanders got a late start in life. He worked all kinds
of jobs before eventually taking over a service station in Kentucky in 1930, at the age of
40. Things were not easy, but eventually, Sanders earned a name for himself thanks to
the fried chicken he offered at the station. That location became the original Kentucky
Fried Chicken, then named Sanders Court & Café. Over time, it grew into a roadside attraction
with dine-in seating for up to 142 patrons.
"Kentucky Fried Chicken! In Kentucky! When's that ever gonna happen?!"
The menu focused on fried chicken, and over the next decade, Sanders continued to perfect
his recipe of 11 herbs and spices that season the Original Recipe that KFC still offers
today. However, that wasn't the only thing that made Sanders' chicken stand out. He also
had a unique way of frying his poultry, which guaranteed a consistent fry every time, while
also shortening the frying process. That way workers could churn out more chicken quickly.
At the ripe old age of 62, Colonel Sanders decided to take his restaurant idea on the
road, opening the first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise location. But rather than offering
the franchise opportunity to his friends and neighbors in nearby Kentucky locales, he headed
a little further afield. He left for Utah to open the first KFC franchise location in
Salt Lake City.
The first franchised Kentucky Fried Chicken menu wasn't that different from the menus
you'll see today. Somewhat limited, the first menus included boxes of fried chicken in various
quantities, alongside the still-popular sides of chicken gravy, mashed potatoes, and coleslaw.
Instead of the iconic KFC biscuits that you'll find on the menu today though, the older combos
featured hot rolls and honey instead. A "thrift box" of nine chicken pieces to feed three
to four people was just $2.25. While the "regular box" with three pieces of chicken, whipped
potatoes, gravy, a hot roll, and coleslaw came out to just $1.10.
It was shortly after that KFC formalized a menu item that would become an iconic piece
of Americana and recognizable to diners all over the world: the KFC Bucket. Though Kentucky
Fried Chicken had technically sold buckets of chicken before, the official red and white
take-out bucket with 15 pieces of chicken, hot rolls, and a pint of gravy was a hit when
introduced. As you would expect, it featured Colonel Sander's wizened and grinning visage
and the Kentucky Fried Chicken name.
"Get Kentucky Fried Chicken / come on everyone / have a finger-lickin' good time!"
The bucket was marketed as a solution for busy housewives in the late '50s and early
'60s. All they needed to do was pick up a bucket of chicken from KFC and then add a
salad or vegetable to the meal for a complete, balanced dinner for the average family. Housewives
could get out of the kitchen for a change, while still fulfilling their maternal duties,
and everyone enjoyed some "finger-lickin' good" fried chicken in the process.
It didn't take long at all for KFC to grow from that single franchise location in Salt
Lake City into a North American sensation. By 1964, there were hundreds of Kentucky Fried
Chicken locations across both the United States and Canada. And after a lot of wooing, Colonel
Sanders decided to cash out and sell the company for a whopping $2 million and an annual salary.
Unfortunately, the deal didn't make him happy, and his displeasure all came down to menu
changes.
Following Sanders' departure, the new owners decided to change the chicken gravy recipe,
opting for a recipe that was easier to make for the average employee, and that was a lot
faster to make, as well. One executive said at the time:
"Let's face it, the Colonel's gravy was fantastic, but you had to be a Rhodes Scholar to cook
it. It involved too much time, it left too much room for human error, and it was too
expensive."
Colonel Sanders became infamous for visiting KFC locations around the United States and
sampling the gravy, letting franchisees know exactly what he thought about their work.
While he personally aimed for gravy so good that:
"it'll make you throw away the durn chicken and just eat the gravy."
He would frequently pronounce the gravy at the franchise locations as too runny, too
gluey, and just plain bad.
The 1970s saw a continual commitment to the menu items that made Kentucky Fried Chicken
famous in the first place, with a few additions and expansions. Diners could still get the
regular dinner box on the early 1970s menu, with the same three pieces of chicken, coleslaw,
mashed potatoes, gravy, and a hot roll, but the price had gone up from $1.10 to $1.35.
In addition to the family bucket, KFC also introduced the Barrel in the early 1970s,
which offered 21 pieces of chicken only, for serving seven to ten people. It was labeled
as "perfect for parties." In the late 1970s, KFC changed the name of the Barrel to the
Bumper Box. By this time, you could also find new sides on the menu, such as fruit salad.
These appeared along with the standard sides that had been a part of the menu since the
1950s, including mixed bean salad and potato salad.
In 1974, KFC also introduced a new product, a variant on the original fried chicken that
you can still find today: Extra crispy chicken. Colonel Sanders, unsurprisingly, did not care
for this menu change either, calling the new menu item:
"A damn fried dough ball put on top of some chicken."
At this point, to avoid confusion, Kentucky Fried Chicken officially labeled the previous
chicken option "Original Recipe," to differentiate between the two.
In the 1980s, Kentucky Fried Chicken entered into previously uncharted territory: Chicken
sandwiches. The Chicken Little, which reappeared on menus in 2012, was introduced as a very
straightforward chicken sandwich. Small, square, and looking kind of like a slider, the Chicken
Little sandwich was as basic as it gets: Chicken on bread with mayonnaise. And people loved
them.
Meanwhile, across foreign borders, KFC was working on a different kind of chicken sandwich,
something a little spicier and bolder: The Zinger. First introduced in Trinidad and Tobago
in 1984, the Zinger featured a spicy fried chicken patty, lettuce, mayonnaise, and a
sesame seed bun. Although the menu item wasn't released in the United States until 2017,
the sandwich experienced rapid success all around the rest of the world. According to
KFC, as of 2017, the Zinger was served in more than 120 countries. More Zingers are
sold in the United Kingdom, India, and Australia than anywhere else. And Australia alone sells
more than 22 million Zingers each year.
In the early 1990s, KFC took the brand's exploration of other forms and fashions of fried chicken
further. Not to mention, but in 1990, Kentucky Fried Chicken decided to emphasize the acronym
"KFC" in an effort to avoid the poor stigma surrounding the word "fried." So right after,
rather than simply placing fried chicken on a bun and calling it a day, the brand decided
to go into even more unfamiliar waters. They introduced hot wings in 1991 and popcorn chicken
in 1992.
While, for today's diners, the KFC hot wings are a little more than a blip on the restaurant's
radar, at the time, wings were making an appearance at all kinds of fast-food locations. So, it
just made sense for KFC, with all of its chicken expertise, to get in on the game. For example,
in 1990, McDonald's was selling Mighty Wings at select locations. Then Domino's Pizza brought
wings to its menu in 1994.
The popcorn chicken received a little more attention when it arrived on the scene in
1992, but the reviews weren't always favorable. As one reviewer for the Orlando Sentinel noted:
"That whirring noise you hear is the Colonel spinning in his grave. Despite its name, there
is no popcorn involved and, judging from the portion I sampled, not much chicken, either."
"Popcorn, chicken?"
In 1993, Kentucky Fried Chicken rolled out a product called "Colonel's Rotisserie Gold,"
a roasted chicken that was designed to compete with similar products from Roy Rogers, Boston
Market, and even McDonald's. A 1993 article reported that in test markets with ad support,
Rotisserie Gold improved KFC's sales by 20 to 30 percent at individual outlets.
The Rotisserie Gold option was available in a quarter, half, or whole chicken size. It
was accompanied by some new sides like garden rice, pasta salad, and a corn muffin. One
article quoted the KFC U.S. president at the time as saying:
"KFC is clearly trying to contemporize the brand. The consumers demanded it. They said
they would come more frequently with non-fried chicken."
And while Rotisserie Gold didn't last, KFC did bring grilled chicken back on a wider
basis later. They seemed to recognize the continual modern desire for a non-fried chicken
product.
The chicken experiments slowed down in the late 1990s and early 2000s. But KFC did manage
to add one interesting new menu item to its offerings along the same lines as its chicken
experimentation of the early '90s.
The KFC chicken pot pie was intended as a reinvention of an American classic.
"Classic."
"Fresh."
"Lunch is here."
"Scoot over genius."
"Classic."
"Fresh."
The 13-ounce pot pie included two and a half ounces of chicken smothered in a sauce developed
in partnership with Campbell's Soup Company. The ingredients included cream, chicken stock,
and seasonings. Other ingredients included white potatoes, peas, and carrots. And it
was all topped with a pie crust developed in partnership with Pepperidge Farms.
An international medical crisis helped put a new item on KFC’s menu. In 2005, the world
was dealing with the avian flu scare, which somewhat unfairly gave a bit of a bad name
to our favorite poultry. Poor sales on KFC's part resulted.
So, KFC launched its Snacker sandwich in March 2005. Very similar to KFC's previous Chicken
Little sandwich, which was more slider-like in nature, the Snacker was an extra crispy
chicken strip with lettuce and pepper mayonnaise on a sesame seed bun. It was a little more
like the Zinger, only without the spicy chicken. But the Snacker's real appeal may have come
from its price: Just $0.99 per sandwich.
The launch of the Snacker came just at the right time and was one of the most successful
product launches in KFC history. Some KFC locations reported sales of as much as 1,000
sandwiches per week, with 100 million Snackers sold in the United States in just six months.
KFC’s executive vice president of marketing at the time said:
"The KFC Snacker is a huge hit with consumers because it satisfies their need for a high-quality,
affordable, portable chicken sandwich. The KFC Snacker is an example of how KFC is becoming
more relevant to today's consumers. We are appealing to individuals as well as families
with products that are in tune with their lifestyle needs."
In 2009, KFC launched another hit item. Though, once again, this option was focused on the
international market. Krushers is a line of drinks, both dairy and fruit-based, with add-in
toppings. For example, Krushers available in India include the Strawberry Storm, which
features crunchy strawberries in a creamy yogurt and dairy slush. There’s also the
Chocopeanut Bolt, with chocolate cookies, peanut butter, and syrup all blended together.
Originally introduced in Australia, though no longer available in that market, the Krushers’
launch was the largest beverage launch in Yum! Brands, Inc. history. In some international
KFC locations, there are now even in-store Krushers experiences, with bars where you
can build your own Krushers beverages. That's not surprising considering the Krushers product
has developed a huge following around the world, with dedicated Facebook pages, petitions
to bring it back to previous markets, and even memes. When KFC removed Krushers from
Australia, regional publications called it the end of an era.
For the start of a new decade, KFC decided to take things to an entirely new level when
it came to its chicken sandwiches. After a wildly successful market test, KFC launched
the Double Down, a chicken sandwich made with no bun. Instead, the sandwich is two thick
chicken filets, either fried or grilled, holding together two pieces of bacon, two melted slices
of cheese, and sauce.
"It's got two of everything! Two pieces of cheese, two pieces of bacon…"
"And two pieces of chicken."
Of course, while some diners were thrilled with the idea, evidenced by the launch's success,
many speculated over the sandwich's nutritional value. After all, it does seem like an awful
lot of fried chicken. KFC was quick to refute claims of inflated caloric content, however,
and pointed out that with its 540 calories, the Double Down was similar in calorie count
to many fast-food burgers. Meanwhile, in 2010, KFC decided to permanently
add its Colonel's Catch fish sandwich to its menu. The sandwich, made of Alaskan Pollock
and topped with tartar sauce and a sesame seed bun, was previously only available to
diners during Lent in select markets.
In 2012, KFC decided to bring back a 1980s favorite, the Chicken Little sandwich, with
a few adjustments that, unfortunately for KFC, weren't that well received. This is especially
true considering that many diners still had the Snacker sandwich in the back of their
minds.
Slightly more expensive than the $0.99 Snackers, at $1.29 each, the new Chicken Littles weren't
quite so slider-esque as the previous Chicken Littles from the 1980s. For starters, they
had an oblong bun rather than a square bun. The new version also featured an item not
on the previous sandwich: Pickles. The key difference between the new Chicken Littles
and the previous Snackers? The Snacker featured a sesame seed bun and lettuce rather than
the pickles.
One reviewer took a pragmatic note with the sandwich:
"I understand why anyone pining for a return to the glory days would be disappointed by
this new sandwich's misappropriation of the Chicken Little's good name, but that doesn't
mean this new trick can't be a nice sandwich in its own right."
In 2016, KFC began rolling out chicken breakfast meals around the world. Initially, locations
such as those in the United Kingdom received new menu additions like breakfast sandwiches
with fried chicken, bacon, ketchup, and a fried egg on a bun. Today, you can find a
wider range of breakfast menu items in different KFC locales, such as the breakfast menu in
Singapore. That menu features items like a platter with fried chicken, eggs, bacon, a
hash brown, and bread. It also has burritos with chicken, tomato, eggs, and bacon, and
a porridge topped with fried chicken, among other items.
While the United States didn't receive such a cool menu change as KFC breakfast options,
KFC did offer U.S. diners a new Nashville hot chicken option, which makes sense given
the Nashville hot chicken craze that was growing in the late 2010s. KFC's Nashville hot chicken
strips were seasoned with cayenne, black pepper, and paprika, and served up alongside coleslaw
and pickles to battle the heat.
KFC's foray into up-and-coming culinary trends continued in 2018 when it turned its attention
away from Nashville hot chicken, to pickle-fried chicken. Though the latter didn't quite gain
the same traction.
What exactly is pickle-fried chicken? It’s one of several limited-edition flavors that
KFC was toying with at the time. Others include a smoky mountain barbecue chicken and Georgia
gold chicken. The pickle-fried chicken was simply chicken coated with the standard KFC
breading, but then topped with a sauce that gave it a pickle-y flavor, made with vinegar,
dill, buttermilk, and other ingredients that you might expect. Diners could order the pickle-fried
sauce on their sandwiches, tenders, and extra crispy chicken.
Reviewers called the sandwich the perfect hangover food and described it as delightful
and deserving of hysteria. In a press release, KFC predicted that pickle-flavored products
would become the trendiest menu item in the coming months and maybe even years. That prediction
is yet to be seen, but it does seem that reviews for this menu item were positive across the
board, which makes its limited-time appearance that much more painful.
In 2019, KFC brought wings back in more ways than one. First, the company brought back
its traditional chicken wings. Dubbed "Kentucky Fried Wings, " they were available in four
flavors, including plain, honey barbecue, buffalo, and Nashville hot. The permanent
menu item was available in quantities of six, 12, 24, and 48. All came with a side of ranch
dressing.
According to reviewers,
"We received a spread of all four flavors and were surprised and impressed by the crispiness
and the fully-present spice factor, even in the unsauced version."
Then, KFC jumped on the plant-based meat trend, with a new partnership with Beyond Meats that
allowed for plant-based chicken-like products that the company called Beyond Fried Chicken.
Fried just like the regular chicken, Beyond Fried Chicken is currently available with
dipping sauces either as part of a combo or in servings of six or 12 pieces. However,
it's worth noting that KFC does list a disclaimer on its website stating that Beyond Fried Chicken
is not vegetarian or vegan, as the menu item is prepared in the same fryers used for the
regular chicken.
Easily one of the most scandalous menu changes of all, in 2020 KFC rocked diners' worlds
with the removal of potato wedges from the menu of sides. They replaced the much-beloved
menu item with Secret Recipe fries, which have received particularly lackluster reviews.
The fries are seasoned with the 11 herbs and spices used for the original fried chicken.
It’s a combination that some think just doesn’t work.
On the bright side? In 2020, KFC did premiere a new lineup of signature dipping sauces nationwide.
As of October 2020, diners have the option of a newly revamped line of ranch, honey barbecue,
honey mustard, and hot sauces, along with the mysterious KFC Sauce. So what is the sauce
mystery? Well, the company describes it as tangy sweet with a bit of smokiness, pairing
perfectly with Extra Crispy tenders and Secret Recipe fries.
However, is a new dunking sauce enough to make up for the disappearance of KFC's potato
wedges? Only time will tell if the beloved menu item will make a reappearance a decade
or two in the future.
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