16 Discontinued KFC Items We Really Want Back

KFC is best known for its craveable chicken, homestyle sides, catchy marketing slogans like "it's finger-lickin' good," and the white-bearded, kindly Colonel. His real name was Harland Sanders, and he first served his chicken from a Kentucky motel that he owned. The unique recipe with all those herbs and spices was developed in 1939, and the ingredients have never been formally publicized. The Colonel sold KFC to investors in 1964, and, like other fast food chains, this fast food giant frequently changes its menu to mirror evolving customer demands and industry trends. Its menus in other countries are also different from those in the U.S.

No one doubts that KFC's menu will always feature tasty, salty Original Recipe and Extra Crispy chicken. But while some new menu items connect with consumers, others fall flat. Certain ones made people wonder what the heck KFC corporate was thinking and were pulled quickly. And then there's the Double Down chicken sandwich that had twice as much of everything: chicken filets, slices of cheese, and bacon — but no bun. KFC introduced the Double Down in 2010, pulled it, and has brought it back for limited times since then. The novelty sammy is a real teaser, drawing old and new fans into the restaurant and putting the brand in the spotlight, but the ones shared below seem to be gone for good in the U.S., and we really want them back.

Introduced in the 1990s, KFC's Popcorn Chicken was touted as a step above chicken nuggets. These were made with 100% premium white breast meat and weren't as flat and formed as the ones at other fast food eateries; they were rounder and offered on their own or with a side and drink in a combo. Unfortunately, in 2023, KFC's Popcorn Chicken was discontinued – this happens when menu items aren't big sellers or the company wants to make room for new ones. 

If you loved KFC's Popcorn Chicken, take heart, because the chain knew better than to totally eliminate bite-sized pieces of boneless chicken as a menu item. Popcorn Chicken has effectively been replaced with hand-breaded Original Recipe chicken nuggets in eight- to 50-piece sizes and combos. They look like Popcorn Chicken reinvented and renamed, and so our wish has come true: They're baaaaack, sort of, and we'll have the 50-piece, please.

Are pickles and chicken a match made in heaven? KFC thought so back in 2018 and introduced Pickle Fried Chicken. Its packaging even featured a green pickle cartoon in the logo and green-and-white checkerboard paper. The recipe used Extra Crispy chicken pieces and added a thick, creamy sauce that had a pickle juice base enhanced with buttermilk, vinegar, garlic, onion, and seasonings, and the final touch was a few pickle slices. At the time, KFC may have introduced it to compete with Chick-fil-A, which uses pickle brine in its recipes.

KFC didn't soak this chicken in brine but rather used the pickle sauce to top the fried chicken in meals and sandwiches. Pickles are an acquired taste, and consumers likely thought that this was overkill because of the super-sour flavor. The company upgraded its regular chicken sandwich a year later by adding crinkle-cut pickle slices, but Pickle Fried Chicken was eventually pulled. It seems as though most consumers prefer just a slice or two pickle-wise, but the discontinued version had a strong kick to it.

KFC's rotating menu of sides has generally included fries, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes (with or without gravy). Diners could also pick from bean salad, chicken livers, and chicken gizzards back in the 1970s, but we don't want to see those, ever again. The mac and cheese, corn, and delicious biscuits are still there, but another favorite was discontinued in 2020 — Potato Wedges.

Here's why we want those chunky, crispy wedges back: Unlike fries, these treats had the skin left on and were substantial enough to hold a satisfying dip of KFC's gravy. They qualified as a homestyle side like coleslaw and mashed potatoes but managed to be satisfyingly greasy. Even though customers have tweeted their protests and started an online petition, KFC moved on and switched the wedges with a substitute: The chain rolled out shoestring-cut Secret Recipe Fries and claimed at the time that the response had been positive. These fries are more similar to what various fast food competitors offer, but with KFC spices.

Back in the '80s, when KFC was still called Kentucky Fried Chicken, it had small chicken sandwiches that were about the same size as White Castle Burgers. It was everything basic — the same kind of small, square dinner bun, but with a slim fried chicken patty, a slice of dill pickle, and mayo. The price for a single sandwich was $0.39, or three for $1, and as you can imagine, they could be eaten in one bite. The original Chicken Little has been discontinued for decades, but fans got into an uproar at the time. One of them was actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who once admitted that he wrote a letter of complaint about the discontinuation to KFC when he was a child.

KFC introduced another small sandwich, the KFC Snacker, in 2005, but that was different. It used a sesame seed bun that held one strip of Extra Crispy, lettuce, and mayo. Things have continued to change; the KFC Snacker was replaced in 2012 with a smaller sandwich called ... the Chicken Little. However, if you check out KFC's menu, you'll see it still looks like the Snacker. Even though the name is back in circulation, KFC's current palm-sized sandwich is a far cry from the first incarnation, which we want to see back — for the same price.

It may have been hard being the first major fast food chicken chain, so it's not surprising that KFC went for the beef early on, starting with a spin-off in the late 1960s. It was christened Kentucky Roast Beef (KRB), but, honestly, couldn't they have come up with something more catchy? The first KRB opened in Las Vegas in 1968, and 100 more followed over the next two years. Some were even called Kentucky Roast Beef 'n' Ham, but that still doesn't seem like a great selling point.

The success was short-lived — Kentucky Roast Beef wasn't able to sell its costly meat menu items at fast food prices. By the end of those two years, all of the restaurants had been shuttered. It's unfortunate that KRB didn't flourish, because the Colonel probably had some amazing recipes for beef and ham. At least we still have Arby's.

Nashville, Tennessee, is known for the Grand Ole Opry, the Hermitage, and Nashville hot chicken. The latter is usually fried chicken slathered with melt-your-eyeballs hot red sauce, served with pickle slices and white bread. KFC presented its version in 2016, and it was sold boneless or on the bone, with biscuits and sides. The chicken had a marginally sweet, smoky taste but wasn't as spicy as the authentic versions. It had the pickles, too, but was missing the bread.

Purists complained about KFC's Nashville Hot Chicken on social media, and KFC itself admitted that the biscuits were a substitute for the bread. Even though some reviewers liked this newfangled chicken, it wasn't spicy enough for others. KFC debuted Nashville Hot Chicken and Waffles in 2019, but Nashville Hot Chicken in general was eventually discontinued, though the chain continued to sell Nashville Hot Sauce afterward. The latter was discontinued in 2023 along with several other items. That's a shame because that Nashville Extra Crispy had just the right spiciness.

Strawberry lemonade is sweet and tart, the perfect drink to wash down a bite of savory KFC chicken. KFC's version, pulled in 2023, was ever so slightly sour, which made it better than some of the sickeningly sweet versions that are still out there. If you could get past the bright pink color, this tasty drink was cool, refreshing, and even better in the summertime when sipped slowly through a big straw.

This drink was taken off KFC menus at the same time as Nashville Hot Sauce, and it may or may not come back. For now, KFC's drink menu includes regular lemonade, sweet tea, and sodas. KFC's first signature drink, Mountain Dew Sweet Lightning, tastes like peach and honey soda, is yellowish-orange instead of pink, and is carbonated. This seems to have filled the void left by the missing Strawberry Lemonade, but it's not even in the same category. You'll have to settle for plain lemonade for the time being and buy strawberry lemonade in grocery stores if you can find it.

KFC's venture into plant-based chicken started out strong, through a partnership with Beyond Meat. This was a significant investment, and both companies worked to create a soy- and wheat-based product that mimicked the taste and texture of the Colonel's chicken. The first version was introduced at an Atlanta KFC in 2019 and quickly sold out.

But once the smoke cleared and the nuggets went nationwide in 2022, a few issues came to light. Some consumers weren't on board with the taste or claimed that the plant-based chicken was too dense. Besides that, there were worries about cross-contamination since Beyond Meat's Fried Chicken was fried in the same oil as the regular chicken — the Beyond product prices were also higher than regular chicken. Beyond Chicken is no longer a KFC menu item, but the first try garnered a lot of media attention. It may be brought back again, once KFC and Beyond Meat fine-tune the recipe, preparation, and presentation. We think it's a good option for people who won't or can't eat poultry, and we think it needs to come back.

Introduced in 2019, the KFC Cheetos Sandwich looked like a hot mess, but fans jumped right on board. And in New York City, locals were treated to a pop-up party that featured a KFC Mac and Cheetos Bowl, Cheetos hot wings, and Cheetos fries for just four hours. This groundbreaking novelty sandwich was a real crowd-pleaser, with a basic hamburger bun with mayonnaise and a bed of crispy Cheetos under a chicken patty. The chicken was drizzled with a Cheetos sauce, and some speculated that the oil used to cook the chicken was infused with Cheetos dust. Who are we to argue? Whatever the case, the odd combination worked: Who can deny the deliciousness of chicken and cheesy crunchiness?

This over-the-top sandwich could be compared to a ham and cheese sandwich topped with potato chips, but taken to a much higher level. To much disappointment, the KFC and Cheetos creation was only offered for a limited time, but it certainly made everyone take notice. Bring it back, KFC, pretty please, with Cheetos on top (or bottom, we don't care).

A close cousin to the Double Down chicken sandwich, KFC's Double Down Hot Dog was a second example of how chicken patties can replace bread in sandwiches. In this case, a chicken patty was formed into the shape of a hot dog bun and had — you guessed it — a hot dog inside; mayo, mustard, ketchup, and cheese were optional. It was introduced in 2015 in the Philippines, to some rather choice words. Business Insider called it "ridiculous," while People deemed it both "absurd" and the "Frankenstein of Meats." This was a very limited release, with comparatively small numbers of DD Dogs offered for only two days.

So why didn't this menu item make it to the U.S.? It might have incited controversy because of its basic outrageousness, but so what? This bunless, cheese-covered hot dog was small in size and couldn't have been much worse for you than cheese-stuffed pizza crust topped with pepperoni and sausage or a filled tostada wrapped in a tortilla. We want the Double Down Hot Dog back, even if it wasn't here in the U.S. to begin with.

KFC announced that its Kentucky Fried Chicken Wings were being phased out in early 2023, along with other menu items. A la carte wings are still listed on KFC's online menu, though prices and availability may vary depending on location, and the original array of sauce options is no more. The chain still has the nuggets as well, but those just aren't as satisfying as these little wings were.

Introduced in 2019, Kentucky Fried Chicken Wings were sold plain, or with Honey BBQ, Buffalo, or Nashville Hot sauces. KFC had sold wings before these new ones, but this was the first time that so many sauces had been offered. The Kentucky Fried Chicken Wings themselves replaced KFC's Hot Wings, which didn't have as much meat on the bones. KFC shouldn't have done away with the Kentucky Fried Chicken Wings, because, let's be honest, how can a fast food restaurant that specializes in chicken not have these?

Think about this: If you go on a picnic and take fried chicken, what dessert goes with it best? Yep, apple pie. And if you didn't want to have an entire pie with your KFC order, the perfect choice was on the menu — the beloved Apple Turnover. KFC wasn't the only fast food chain to have a dessert like this, and McDonald's still does.

KFC's turnover had a sweet apple-cinnamon filling wrapped up in a flaky crust, and boy, was it a great way to end the meal. So what does KFC have for dessert these days? Not much, as it turns out. There are brownies and a chocolate cake drizzled with a vanilla glaze. This looks like a Bundt cake that you might find in a grocery store and can satisfy sweet tooth cravings. But these items just can't compare to a warm apple turnover — we're hoping KFC will bring that back someday.

Coffee and dessert are natural companions, and KFC's discontinued Scoff-ee Cup combined the two in a way that was reminiscent of ice cream cones. It held a serving of Seattle Best Coffee, but it went a step further — you could eat the container. The cup was made from a sweet biscuit with a layer of white chocolate, and the wrapping was sugar paper. The hot coffee heated the chocolate, which melted into the hot liquid. And then, you could polish off the cup just like an ice cream cone. It wasn't a large serving, but it was just enough for a satisfying, sweet ending.

You won't see hot coffee on KFC menus in the U.S. at all these days, because the chain doesn't serve breakfast. The Scoff-ee Cup was designed by an experimental food company called The Robin Collective and was released in some of KFC's U.K. locations in 2015. This awesome little drink-slash-dessert wasn't a huge hit because the edible container melted too quickly. But KFC has had plenty of time to rethink the Scoff-ee Cup, and we'd like to see a redesigned version that can take the heat. A better name would also help because the word "scoff" doesn't have pleasant connotations.

This dessert was doomed from the start because the name itself just doesn't sound that appealing. KFC has played around with ice cream desserts from time to time and currently offers soft-serve ice cream in the U.K. But what about in the U.S.? Fans were treated to the oddly named but strangely delicious Kentucky Fried Chicken-Flavored Ice Cream for a short while, and it needs to come back.

It had a limited release in the summer of 2019, and since then, it's been crickets. The treat featured soft-serve vanilla ice cream in a unique cone flavored with cornbread and gravy, and as the final touch, the ice cream was dotted with ... are you ready for this? Candied chicken skin bits. Don't turn your nose up, because everyone knows that chicken and waffles topped with ice cream is awesome. With a few tweaks (including a new name), this ice cream dessert could be the bomb.

KFC's business is built around selling fried chicken, but in the past four decades, it has seemingly made efforts to disguise that fact. That includes shortening its name from Kentucky Fried Chicken and even giving healthier options a try. KFC gave rotisserie chicken a go in 1993 and, after a few years of testing, launched Kentucky Grilled Chicken nationwide in 2009. Oprah Winfrey was even drafted to help get the word out and promoted a coupon good for a free two-piece meal through her website. The coupons were also available via a site called unthinkfc.com. The promotion sent eaters into a frenzy, causing long lines, shortages, and even traffic snarls.

Two years after its launch, KFC doubled down on grilled chicken, increasing the breast size and relaunching the line. Barry Westrum, KFC's chief marketing officer at the time, told Nation's Restaurant News, "Our name is Kentucky Fried Chicken, but no quick-service restaurant chain in America sells more grilled chicken on the bone than KFC."

Kentucky Grilled Chicken hung around through the 2010s but was discontinued sometime around the end of the decade. Many eaters mourn its passing. One distraught Reddit user admitted "it was the only way I could stand eating their chicken." A Change.org petition was launched soon after, but so far, Kentucky Grilled Chicken remains off the menu.

In 1975, Kentucky Fried Chicken added a menu item that it hoped would further reinforce its famous slogan, "its finger lickin' good," — Country Style Barbecue Ribs. KFC's public relations department told the Chicago Daily News in 1975, "It took two years for Kentucky Fried Chicken to develop a barbecued rib good enough to serve America. But now they're doing it" (via The Commercial Appeal).

As a chain that had over 4,000 locations at the time, KFC became one of America's most prominent sellers of ribs. The ribs were at one point supplied by Jimmy Dean, and a former employee noted on the forum inthe70s.com, "The secret to the fantastic flavor was that the ribs were floured up with the original recipe Kentucky Fried Chicken flour and then fried under pressure." He added, "We would then saturate them with barbecue sauce and leave them in the warmer for a while to let the sauce properly soak in." The Country Style Barbecue Ribs were sold in multiple dominations, from a two-rib snack box to even a nine-rib set referred to as "The Thrift." In case eaters didn't want to lick their fingers after eating the ribs, Kentucky Fried Chicken offered up wetnaps as a cleaner alternative.

The ribs remained on U.S. menus until at least 1977. Many have longed for their return ever since, and in the 21st century, lucky Canadians and Australians were briefly able to enjoy KFC BBQ ribs one more time.