KFC is known for its chicken delicacies. KFC cannot be referred to as a vegan-friendly food outlet. Then what are the vegan options at KFC? It won’t be accurate to say that there are no vegan options at the outlet. There is no special menu for vegan dishes at KFC.
Nonetheless, explaining your needs to the server there can surely get you vegan options.
There are a few vegan options at KFC. These options range from homestyle sides to dipping sauces and condiments. The vegan options at KFC also include salads, desserts, and applesauce. There are various options available in each of the ranges mentioned. All the vegan options available at the outlet are sufficient for a full meal.
As KFC is a chicken-based food outlet, indeed, you wouldn’t get a lavish vegan meal there. Your options will be limited to some varieties of homestyle sides with dipping sauces if you prefer them. The primary preferences, such as salads and desserts, are available at the restaurant. It is assumed that you wouldn’t have any complaints or anything lacking in those vegan options available.
Table of Contents
Vegan Options
Sides (Homestyle)
- Corn on the cob (butterless)
The corn taken to make corn on the cob is always picked up fresh. The ingredients used to make the dish are salt, sugar, pepper, butter, and MSG, along with corn. Being vegan, you should probably prefer ordering this without butter.
The corn is cooked in hot water with salt in it. A bit of milk is also used later until the corn becomes tender and nice. After this is done, the corn is dipped in butter. This is an option that you can avoid. The corn is then sprinkled with the seasoning to add flavor.
- Barbeque beans (baked) – This has sugar, caramel (color), and corn syrup within.
The baked beans at KFC include white beans. They can be canned or otherwise. Additionally, cornstarch, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, and other ingredients are used. You can ask the server to include anything else or remove anything you do not want.
The dish is cooked in a casserole in the oven. The beans usually sit after taking the dish out of the oven.
- Fries (secret recipe) – this has MSG.
The recipe and ingredients of the fries are kept secret and hence are unknown. The one thing known about these fries is their flavor. These are sprinkled with the same kinds of seasonings used to sprinkle the chicken.
There are 11 mysterious spices and herbs that the fries are sprinkled with. The outlet shifted from its potato wedges to these secret recipe fries. The response and love for these are overwhelming.
- Beans (green) – This has MSG as well.
The flavor of these green beans provided by the KFC outlet is loved by everyone who eats it. The taste is irresistible. These beans are filled with nutrients that you need in a day. The ingredients used to make this dish include green beans (canned), veggies, and seasonings.
The vegetables used include onions and bell peppers. Usually, the dish contains bacon which makes it crispy, but that can be avoided to make it a vegan dish.
- Kernel corn (sweet)
Evident from the name, kernel corn is just like regular sweet corn that you can find. The best part about these is the number of calories they carry. The number of calories depends on the size of the corn that you order and prefer.
Overall, these corns contain 70-280 calories. Going to the size, kernel corn for an individual contains 70 calories. A family-size kernel of corn contains up to 280 calories.
Dipping Sauces (Plus Condiments)
- Tomato Ketchup
- Jam Packet (Strawberry)
- Juice Packet (Lemon)
- Jelly Packet (Grape)
- Dipping Sauce Cup (Summertime Barbeque)
- Dipping Sauce Cup (Sweet N Tangy)
Salads
- House Salad (preferred without croutons)
Talking about calories, this salad has only 15 calories. This is without the dressing from KFC. The salad contains zero fat. The best part is that it also contains zero cholesterol. The sodium level in this salad is 10% overall. The total carbohydrates carry a total of 4% weightage.
- Marzetti Light Italian Salad (dressing)
Desserts
- Apple Turnovers
The apple turnovers at KFC are vegan, but it is essential to keep in mind that they contain wheat and are not gluten-free.
- Kids Meal Applesauce
KFC’s Musselman’s applesauce is a vegan-friendly option. It contains apples with vitamin C to maintain its color.
Other Vegan Options at KFC
KFC is not short of vegan sides and dishes if you know how to structure your order. They are the second-largest chain restaurant globally and are beginning to include more vegan options in its menu.
In Canada and the UK, KFC has launched plant-based KFC dishes, which have been received quite well. In the US, too, when the plant-based Beyond Chicken was released for trial, it sold out in five hours. It has not been included in the menus of all the branches yet. Still, the possibility of being more vegan-friendly beyond-meat items seems quite promising.
KFC had partnered with California vegan protein producer Beyond Meat to make beyond chicken KFC vegan-friendly items. Even though the Beyond Chicken KFC dishes are made entirely from plant-based products, they may not be free from cross-contamination.
KFC says that they use the same containers to fry these up, and if that is a no-go for you, then it is best to wait till KFC starts separating them up. Although Beyond Chicken KFC’s trial was said to have been cooked separately, there’s no telling if this will continue if the vegan options go permanent. The fries, too, are made in the same containers as their animal-based items. Until that stops, cross-contamination will remain a big issue at KFC.
Some branches separate them, but it is better to confirm with the staff before you order.
Other Popular Chains With Vegan Options
If the KFC options don’t seem to satisfy you, plenty of alternatives are available. Many popular food chains have vegan options to not lose out on a good customer base.
With a little bit of customization and some tricks, you could easily land yourself an entirely vegan meal at any of these restaurants.
Burger King
Burger King has various side dishes, including Impossible Whoppers, an incredible plant-based burger. Their entirely plant-based patty makes it possible for burger lovers to enjoy their favorites without any actual animal product involved.
Although there’s no saying if they are fully cross-contamination-free, Impossible Whoppers are still a big step toward normalizing vegan menu items. Other vegan items at Burger King include:
- Hash Browns
- French Toast Sticks
- Apple Pie
- Garden Salad (skip the cheese)
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is one place you will not find yourself short on vegan options. They have a vegan inclusive menu but, like many others, cannot guarantee a 100% lack of cross-contamination from the same containers. Nonetheless, there is a lot to choose from:
- Fresco Bean Burrito
- Crunchwrap With Black Beans (order without the beef, cour cream, or cheese)
- Veggie Power Burrito With Guacamole (without the cheese, avocado ranch sauce, or sour cream)
- Black Beans And Rice
- Taco Salad With Beans (exclude the beef, sour cream, and cheese)
- 7-Layer Burrito, Fresco Style
- Tostada With Guacamole
- Hash Browns
- Cinnamon Twists
Chipotle
Not only does Chipotle have vegan-friendly items on its menu, but they also have paleo and keto items. Here’s what you can get for a vegan-friendly meal:
- Salad With Fajita Vegetables
- Chips And Guacamole
- Burritos Or Tacos
Au Bon Pain
Vegan-friendly options at Au Bon Pain include:
- Curried Rice And Lentil Soup
- Barley And Creamy Lentil Soup
- 12 Veggie Soup
- Vegetarian Chili
- French Moroccan Tomato Lentil Soup
- Tuscan White Bean Soup
Wrap Up
KFC can be a tough spot for vegans. Even simple items like mashed potatoes contain milk and hence aren’t vegan. Their fries, which are vegan but are cooked in the same containers as their chicken, can be frustrating at times.
Customization and being informed about the menu beforehand is the key. With the expectations of more Beyond Chicken on the menus, KFC can soon become a vegan hot spot.
