Ordering vegan at chain eating places can include numerous struggles. Many nationwide institutions have meat-centric menus and unsubstantial plant-based choices, such because the dreaded iceberg lettuce salad with tomatoes. On the flip-side, they are often your starvation’s saving grace if no different possibility is on the market. KFC is a type of eating places.
For the time being, the vegan choices at KFC are restricted to sides and drinks—and maybe sometime, plant-based hen will grow to be a nationwide menu staple. Right here’s order vegan at KFC within the meantime.
KFC
Does KFC have vegan hen?
Fried hen is the principle attraction of KFC’s menu. Given the uptick of plant-based meat choices at nationwide chains together with Burger King, Fatburger, ShakeShack, and extra, you’d suppose that KFC would supply a everlasting vegan model of its hottest possibility. Nevertheless, as of 2026, that’s sadly not the case.
KFC used to supply plant-based fried hen made in collaboration with Past Meat, which has a lot of fast-food partnerships beneath its belt. Earlier partnerships embody McDonald’s, Carl’s Jr., Del Taco, and Panda Specific.
KFC’s story with Past started again in August 2019, when the fast-food chain trialed plant-based hen within the type of nuggets or wings at a lone Atlanta location. It was extremely profitable, promoting out in simply 5 hours. In 2020, a brand new recipe was trialed at places in Nashville, TN; Charlotte, NC; and Southern California, and acquired an outpouring of help.
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Making a chicken-like taste and texture that may attraction to the rising lots of flexitarians was a high precedence of each Past CEO and founder, Ethan Brown, in addition to former KFC US president, Kevin Hochman.
“What we’re attempting to copy is a tenderloin the place you even have the muscle fibers. The feel is a little more pleasing than what we’d name a ‘chewed-and-glued.’ It’s a unique know-how,” Hochman informed Fortune in September 2021. “Our plan is to attempt to replicate that Kentucky Fried Hen as shut as we are able to, clearly with out utilizing the animal. Plenty of that’s about how the hen cuts and tears and the mouthfeel. The gold customary is the hen tenderloin or hen strip.”
In January 2022, KFC’s Past Meat nuggets, comprised of soy and wheat protein, went nationwide at greater than 4,000 places. Public opinion of the meat-free possibility was divided; some prospects had been firmly in favor of them, whereas others discovered them to be a lot denser and costlier than standard hen.
Some had been bothered by the cross-contamination with standard hen, because the nuggets had been fried in the identical oil. On the alternative aspect of the spectrum, many vegan and vegetarian prospects settle for this as an inevitability of ordering a plant-based possibility at a significant fast-food chain. Barring any allergic reactions, whether or not or not a vegan chooses to order one thing the place there’s a threat of cross-contamination with animal merchandise is a private selection.
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However, as of writing, KFC’s Past Hen is now not. The 2022 launch was meant to be a limited-time launch coinciding with the brand new yr. In Yum!’s Q1 2022 earnings name, the KFC guardian firm revealed that the plant-based hen “elevated the model and boosted relevance, leading to extra media impressions than another product launch within the model’s historical past.” Yum! didn’t reply to VegNews’ inquiry if the plant-based hen would return, or if there are plans to trial a brand new kind of vegan meat.
Clients outdoors the US are a lot luckier with regards to plant-based choices at KFC. All places within the UK have a vegan hen burger on the menu, that includes a crispy cutlet made by the old-school meatless model, Quorn. Now, let’s put apart our jealousy and get to what’s really vegan on KFC’s US menu.
Vegan choices at KFC
With out Past’s hen nuggets, there aren’t many substantial plant-based objects on the KFC menu stateside. And sadly, the fast-food chain discontinued a lot of its vegan-friendly choices, together with corn on the cob, baked barbecue beans, inexperienced beans, home salad, applesauce, and the apple turnover.
Nevertheless, should you’re hungry and never within the neighborhood of a extra vegan-friendly restaurant, you possibly can assemble a small snack out of a handful of sides when you wait to your subsequent meal.
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1 Candy corn
KFC might now not supply corn on the cob, however you possibly can go for the candy corn as an alternative, which is made with simply corn and nothing else. Add this dairy-free aspect dish to your order for a serving to of hearty veggies.
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2 Secret Recipe Fries
These crispy fries are seasoned with onion, carrot, and tomato powder in addition to sea salt and a contact of MSG. They add some much-needed carbs to accompany your aspect of candy corn.
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3Potato Wedges
This iconic menu merchandise was taken off the menu in 2020, however on the time of writing, potato wedges are again on the menu at KFC.
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4Apple Pie Poppers
KFC might have nixed its apple turnover, however these by accident vegan apple pie poppers are a scrumptious substitute. Vegan dessert is difficult to return by at mainstream fast-food chains, so contemplate ordering further.
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5 Condiments & drinks
French chef Fernand Level, the daddy of recent French delicacies, as soon as stated, “Within the orchestra of an ideal kitchen, the sauce chef is a soloist.” We’re inclined to agree–what’s eating with out sauce, in any case? So far as condiments at this fast-food institution go, you’ve a handful of choices to select from. The ketchup is vegan, so that you received’t have to fret about consuming plain fries. The recent sauce can also be appropriate for vegans.
You received’t need to accept simply water (although, no shade if that’s what you need). The vegan drink choices embody Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, Starry, and a wide range of iced teas and lemonades.
For extra plant-based tales like this, learn:
Kat Smith is a Queens, NY-based freelance author and editor who loves cooking and discovering native vegan hidden gems.
