Updated 2021! 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
The information below is for the U.S. locations. Many items are the same in Canada, but there are some differences. The U.K. has a vastly different menu, and more items contain dairy, but they actually have a vegan “chicken” sandwich available. We have marked vegan options on this menu, and outlined global plant-based ventures below.
More Allergen Notes: All of the items listed below are tree nut- and peanut-free. In fact, some of the desserts are the only items with nuts at KFC. Their frying oil is a canola oil and soybean oil blend. All of their chicken and even their fries contain wheat. Only select sides and sauces are gluten-free. All of the chicken listed below is made without eggs, but skip the buffalo sauce and sandwiches, and stick with the Honey BBQ, Honey Sauce, or Ketchup for dipping. For egg-free sides, salads, and dessert, reference the vegan options.
Chicken
- Extra Crispy Chicken (Unsauced, Nashville Hot)
- Spicy Crispy Chicken (Unsauced, Nashville Hot)
- Kentucky Grilled Chicken (Unsauced, Nashville Hot)
- Extra Crispy Chicken Tenders (Unsauced, Nashville Hot)
- Kentucky Fried Chicken Wings (Unsauced, Buffalo, Honey BBQ, Nashville Hot)
Heads Up! The Original Recipe Chicken at KFC does contain milk. Their kids Popcorn Nuggets also 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.
Sandwiches
- Chicken Littles (Buffalo, Honey BBQ, Nashville Hot)
- Classic Chicken Sandwich
- Crispy Colonel’s Sandwich (Buffalo, Honey BBQ, Nashville Hot)
- Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Heads Up! Their brioche bun is made without dairy, and it isn’t standard practice to butter the buns at KFC. Nevertheless, franchise owners can take liberties, so make sure they aren’t using dairy butter on the buns (or anything else!) at your location.
Sides
- BBQ Baked Beans (vegan)
- Coleslaw
- Corn on the Cob (vegan)
- Green Beans (vegan)
- Macaroni Salad
- Musselman’s Applesauce (vegan)
- Potato Salad
- Secret Recipe Fries (vegan)
- Sweet Kernel Corn (vegan)
Heads Up! The Biscuits, Cornbread Muffin, Mashed Potatoes, and Gravy at KFC do all contain milk.
Salads
- House Side Salad (no croutons, dairy-free dressing; vegan)
Heads Up! Their croutons are made with parmesan.
Dairy-Free Dressings: Marzetti Light Italian Dressing
Desserts
- Apple Turnover (vegan)
Dipping Sauces
- Honey BBQ
- Honey Mustard
- Honey Sauce
- Hot Sauce (vegan)
- Ketchup (vegan)
- KFC Sauce
Heads Up! At last check, the Ranch was the only dipping sauce that contained dairy. But the Buttery Spread they have available also contains milk.
Plant-Based Chicken
KFC test marketed Beyond Fried Chicken in 50 locations in Southern California, in mid-2020. These nuggets and wings were 100% plant-based, dairy-free, and vegan by ingredients, but like their other fried items, they were prepared in their shared fryers. We’ve yet to hear news on if these vegan items will be returning.
In Canada, Plant-Based KFC by Lightlife is available. This is a meatless chicken sandwich that is reportedly prepared in a separate fryer from their chicken, but in the same fryer as their french fries. Lightlife meat alternatives are dairy-free and vegan.
In the UK, an Original Recipe Vegan Burger is available. It’s made with a Quorn fillet and their famous 11 herbs and spices.
In Singapore, they 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)
Average Reader Review
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What Others Are Saying ...
Delicious 😋
Food was great there is however milk in most everything on the menu
Kfc
I follow this and have never had a problem at kfc
They don't have anything dairy free
Just reviewed the allergy menu in the UK after not checking for over a year and everything now has milk in it. So can’t actually eat anything
Response from Go Dairy Free
Yes, the UK menu looks very different from the US one we’ve outlined above. Just a vegan burger and fries. They seem to use milk in the buns and batter in the UK.
Research first, don’t trust the restaurant people with your allergen information
Research first!!
I had a KFC in Florida tell me both chicken types (original and extra crispy) had milk in them—
Then a restaurant in Illinois insisted neither had dairy in them.
Correct answer? Extra Crispy has no dairy , but there is cross contamination in the fryer…
I found this out the hard way.
For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!
5 Comments
We really like KFC but we have a granddaughter that lives with us and she is severely allergic to any type of dairy. So I am guessing you are on our do not go list. Please consider having a dairy free area.
Please offer something like the original recipe that’s non dairy
Ruth
I like Popeye’s better anyway. This is another reason.
I did a similar post on my blog, its so confusing with such a mix of dairy use and non dairy use. Loads of the “creamy” products are dairy free, and I could only find reference to the fries on the UK site.
Not very impressed with their clarity
http://www.kfc.com/nutrition/pdf/kfc_allergens_aug10.pdf
your information about KFC is wrong. the original chicken has milk, so does the popcorn chicken and a few other things…