Updated March 2023 ! 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. has a vastly different menu, and more items contain dairy.
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
- Plant-Based Chicken (see Vegan Menu Guide below)
Heads Up! The Original Recipe Chicken at KFC does 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 has been discontinued. If still available at your store, it is made without milk.
Sandwiches & Wraps
- Chicken Little Sandwich (contains egg, soy)
- Double Down (no cheese; with mayo) (contains egg, soy; limited time)
- KFC Chicken Sandwich (contains egg, soy)
- Spicy Chicken Sandwich (contains egg, soy)
- The Classic KFC Wrap (contains egg, soy)
- Spicy Slaw KFC Wrap (contains egg, soy)
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. 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 do contain milk.
Salads
Heads Up! Although they are listed in the KFC allergen guide, this chain no longer offers salads.
Sides
- Coleslaw (contains egg)
- Green Beans
- Secret Recipe Fries (contains soy)
- Whole (Sweet) Kernel Corn
Heads Up! The Biscuits, Cornbread Muffin, Mashed Potatoes, and Gravy at KFC do all contain milk. KFC discontinued their Baked Beans, Corn on the Cob, 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 Turnover (limited availability)
Dipping Sauces
- Honey BBQ
- Honey Mustard (contains egg)
- Honey Sauce
- Hot Sauce
- Ketchup
- KFC Sauce (contains egg)
Heads Up! At last check, the Ranch and Buffalo Ranch Dipping Sauces contained dairy. Their Buttery Spread also contains milk.
KFC Vegan Menu Guide
- Plant-Based Chicken (see country specific information below)
- Green Beans
- Secret Recipe Fries
- Whole Sweet Kernel Corn
- Hot Sauce
- Ketchup
- Apple Turnover (limited availability)
KFC Plant-Based Chicken by Country:
U.S.: Beyond Fried Chicken Nuggets are vegan (but contain soy), and available for a limited time at KFC stores in the United States. The nuggets are fried in the same fryers as their chicken, so they might not be considered vegan for some people. KFC has released Beyond Chicken three times, but always with limited availability and “while supplies last.”
Canada: Plant-Based KFC by Lightlife is available. This is a meatless, vgan 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.
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)
Average Reader Review
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What Others Are Saying ...
ONLY FRIED CHICKEN I CAN EAT
Many of us who are dairy free can’t eat dairy, but aren’t vegan. So I’m always pleased to see something like fried chicken made dairy free for a niche like myself, also let’s be honest the extra crispy recipe is way better than the original too!!!
Response from Go Dairy Free
You’re not a niche – there are millions of “just” dairy free consumers just like you! So glad you can enjoy this Alex!
Limited Menu at Some Locations
My local KFC does not have at least a third of these dairy free options. They might be available at bigger locations. I was very disappointed.
Extremely helpful
Great reliable information.
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…