KFC Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Vegan List & Allergen Notes (2024)

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By Alisa Fleming onApril 9, 2024Dining Out, Fast Food Restaurants

Updated August 2024! KFC (formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken) is the world’s second-largest restaurant chain by sales (after McDonald’s). They have nearly 20,000 restaurants globally. And they have a ton of menu items made without dairy! In fact, the majority of their fried chicken and many of their sides at North American locations are made without any milk. We’ve outlined them in our dairy-free menu guide below.

KFC Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Allergen Notes & Vegan Options

This menu guide includes dairy-free menu options first, followed by custom order components. Be aware of special order requirements in parentheses () next to the menu items, and see the Heads Up notes to help fill in the blanks. The information below is for the U.S. locations. Many items are the same in Canada, but there are some differences. The U.K., Australia, and Ireland have vastly different menu, and more items contain dairy. Items may vary in other countries, too.

Fryer Note:Most locations do cook all chicken in the same fryers, and the Original Recipe does contain milk. Speak with the manager before ordering if concerned about potential cross contamination with allergens.

Other Allergen & Dietary Notes: All of the items listed below are made without peanuts or tree nuts. We have noted which items below contain egg, but many can be made egg-free without the mayo or mayo-based sauce. We have also noted below which items are listed as containing soy. But the frying oil at KFC is a canola and soybean oil blend, which is not considered “allergenic.” All of their chicken and even their fries contain wheat. Only select sides and the sauces are gluten-free. For vegan options, see the Vegan Menu Guide at the bottom of this post.

Chicken

• Extra Crispy Chicken
• Spicy Crispy Chicken
• Kentucky Grilled Chicken (contains soy)
• Extra Crispy Chicken Tenders

Heads Up! The Original Recipe Chicken and Kentucky Fried Chicken Nuggets at KFC do contain milk. It isn’t noted on their allergy chart, but it’s likely that all of their chicken is cooked in the same fryers. The Nashville Hot Chicken and Plant-Based Chicken, both of which were dairy-free, have been discontinued.

Sandwiches

• Chicken Little Sandwich (see Heads Up below) (contains egg, soy)
• Classic Chicken Sandwich (see Heads Up below) (contains egg, soy)
• Saucy Chicken Sandwich (see Saucy Sauce Options below)
• Spicy Chicken Sandwich (see Heads Up below) (contains egg, soy)

Saucy Sauce Options: According to KFC all of the saucy sandwich sauces are made without milk. They include: Chipotle Ranch (contains egg), Honey BBQ, Honey Garlic, Korean BBQ, and Mango Habanero.

Heads Up! Their brioche bun on their Chicken Sandwiches (not the Chicken Little) was changed to a “buttery brioche bun” in May 2024, which is now confusing some of the KFC in-store staff and management. According to corporate, these are buttery, not butter, and are still made without milk. We have also seen the ingredients, which show no milk. It still isn’t corporate practice to butter the buns, and KFC maintains that the new buns are made without milk. But as always, verify before ordering. When Twisters are available, the flour tortillas for the wraps could be sourced locally, so make sure your location uses dairy-free tortillas.

Bowls

Heads Up! The Pot Pie and KFC Famous Bowl are loaded with milk.

Salads

Heads Up! Although they are listed in the KFC allergen guide, this chain no longer offers salads.

Sides

• Coleslaw(contains egg)
• Musselman’s Applesauce
• Secret Recipe Fries (contains soy)
• Sweet Corn

Heads Up! The Biscuits, Mashed Potatoes, and Gravy at KFC do all contain milk. KFC discontinued their Baked Beans, Corn on the Cob, Green Beans, Macaroni Salad, and Potato Salad in the U.S., which were dairy-free. In Canada, the Macaroni Salad and Potato Salad contain milk.

Desserts

• Apple Pie Poppers(contains soy; limited time)
• Apple Turnover (regional availability)

Dipping Sauces

• Honey BBQ Sauce
• Honey Mustard Sauce (contains egg)
• Honey Sauce
• Hot Sauce
• Ketchup
• KFC Sauce (contains egg)
• Sticky Chicky Sweet n’ Sour Sauce

Heads Up! At last check, the Ranch and Buffalo Ranch Dipping Sauces contained dairy. Their Buttery Spread also contains milk, but this is not used on the buns (it’s a packet). They do have dairy-free jam packets and lemon juice packets available, too.

KFC Vegan Menu Guide

• Secret Recipe Fries
• Sweet Kernel Corn
• Ketchup
• Apple Pie Poppers(contains soy; limited time)
• Apple Turnover (regional availability)

KFC Plant-Based Chicken by Country:

U.S.: KFC has released vegan Beyond Chicken three times, but always with limited availability and “while supplies last.” At the time of writing, it was officially discontinued.

Canada: Plant-Based KFC by Lightlife is available. This is a meatless, vegan chicken sandwich that is reportedly prepared in a separate fryer from their chicken, but in the same fryer as their french fries.

U.K.: An Original Recipe Vegan Burger is available. It’s made with a Quorn fillet and their famous 11 herbs and spices.

Australia: KFC launched Wicked Popcorn Plant-Based Chicken in 2022 in Australia as a limited time trial. Unfortunately, it wasn’t added to the permanent menu.

Singapore: KFC launched a meatless, dairy-free “chicken burger” in 2021. It’s made with a vegan patty and dairy-free cheese. But to make it vegan, you have to request no mayo.

This Post is for Informational Purposes Only

Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, food sourcing, and restaurant protocols are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure they can accommodate your situation. This post is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as advice.

There is always a risk for potential cross-contamination of allergens in any commercial kitchen. If cross-contamination is an issue for you, always speak with the manager to ensure that your meal can be safely prepared. Listings here do not guarantee that a restaurant is safe enough for your individual needs. Only you can make that decision.

Each location of a chain restaurant has different management and staff, and some might have different owners. This means differences in processes, ingredients used, menu options, and food sourcing can occur. Always verify the safety of your order for your needs at your current location.

Where to Find KFC

As mentioned, there are about 20,000 KFC locations around the world, but the heaviest concentrations are in the U.S. and Canada. See the websites below for addresses, hours, and online ordering.

Website: www.kfc.com (U.S.) and www.kfc.ca (Canada)

For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!