15 Best KFC Secret Menu Items To Try in 2026
There’s a pretty good chance you had no idea that a KFC secret menu even existed. Despite ranking in the top five chicken fast food chains in the U.S., according to QSR, KFC isn’t one of the chains most often brought up when people talk about their favorite off-menu fast food hacks.
So, the thought of a Kentucky Fried Chicken secret menu might seem a little bit odd. What is on the KFC secret menu, anyway? How does one go about ordering from the secret menu for KFC?
Well, we’re here to answer all of those questions!
This lineup of 15 top orders from the secret menu for KFC is tried and tested by fans of the franchise nationwide and beyond. If you’re looking to expand your horizons beyond the posted menu with some KFC off-menu items, start here.
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The 15 Best Items on the Secret Menu at KFC
1. Zinger Stacker
The Zinger is a beloved regular-menu standby at KFC, so it’s no surprise that the Kentucky Fried Chicken secret menu has its own add-on for anyone who’s left craving more.
The regular, on-menu Zinger is simply a classic chicken sandwich with chile relish and a spicier version of KFC’s secret sauce for some added kick. It’s not all that different ingredients-wise from the original, but tastes a world apart.
The Stacker from the KFC secret menu, as you may have guessed by now, is just the “double cheeseburger” version of the Zinger.
Ordering this one should be simple: if you’re not confident that your server knows what “Stacker” means, just ask for an extra patty, and usually extra cheese, on your Zinger.
How To Order
- Zinger Burger (or Spicy Chicken Sandwich)
- Extra Zinger Chicken Patty
- Extra Cheese (optional)
2. Extra Bacon
Good news for lovers of all things cholesterol-packed: you can add bacon to just about anything at KFC. This is possibly the easiest hack on this list to pull off, as all you need to do is ask to add bacon to whatever menu item you fancy.
This KFC menu hack is a very easy way to add a little bit of texture to your typical order and has remained a KFC secret menu standby for a reason!
How To Order: Simply ask for extra bacon to be added to whatever you are ordering.
3. Double Down
The classic chicken sandwich is a KFC mainstay, with the brand’s offering frequently ranking on lists of the best fast food chicken sandwiches. Therefore, it figures that the KFC hidden menu would include a variant so outrageous it’s hard to imagine who came up with it.
The Double Down sandwich at KFC is the stuff of county fair food-vendor dreams (and cardiologist nightmares). Instead of a fried chicken patty between pillowy buns, the Double Down is a cheese-and-bacon sandwich where the bread is replaced with a chicken patty on either side of the filling.
If you’ve ever felt that your KFC sandwich didn’t have nearly enough chicken, this is the KFC secret menu hack for you! No one’s pretending this is one of the healthiest items at KFC, but it’s by far one of the most beloved KFC secret menu items.
As such, most staff will probably know how to make it — at this point, the recipe is an open secret and it’s only a KFC secret menu item in name. But if they don’t, ask for cheese, bacon, and secret sauce between two chicken patties.
How To Order
- 2 Breaded Chicken Patties
- Bacon
- Cheese
- Secret Sauce
Top Tip: You can also make a Zinger Double Down with two Zinger chicken patties when the Zinger Burger is on KFC’s regular menu.
4. Triple Down
The Double Down is already one of the wildest lunch or dinner food ideas you’re likely to find at your favorite fast-food pit stop. But your KFC meal can never have enough of the eponymous fried chicken; at least, that seems to be the rationale behind this much more indulgent KFC secret menu item.
If replacing the bun of your sandwich with two chicken patties doesn’t satisfy your craving for high-protein fast food, why not try adding yet another patty in between? That’s the basic idea of a Triple Down, which, as the name suggests, is simply a Double Down with an extra chicken patty in between.
How To Order
- 3 Breaded Chicken Patties
- Bacon
- Cheese
- Secret Sauce
As you can imagine, you’ll need to ask for extra bacon, cheese and sauce compared to the KFC Double Down to fill this larger “sandwich.”
5. Taco Bell-KFC Crossover Burrito
Here’s a little-known fast food fact: Taco Bell and KFC are owned by the same parent company: Yum! Brands. As such, they’re often in the same building, which gives the staff of both restaurants access to a much wider range of ingredients.
That means that some of the most fun and unexpected KFC secret menu items actually combine elements of both restaurants’ menus. One of our favorite ways to capitalize on this is by asking for KFC chicken in your favorite Taco Bell burrito.
As some of the best fast food chicken tenders are found at KFC, we recommend going with those, but you can really opt for any boneless chicken order.
Of course, this KFC and Taco Bell secret menu combo order doesn’t work if your local KFC doesn’t happen to share a building with a Taco Bell, so skip ahead if that’s not a possibility for you.
However, you could always order from both separately if getting delivery or have both nearby. This just may result in you needing to reheat the food slightly.
If you happen to have the opportunity, there are all kinds of crossover hacks you can try after getting the KFC chicken burrito: dipping your chicken drumsticks in Taco Bell sauces, adding KFC sides like coleslaw to Taco Bell tacos; the list goes on!
How To Order
- KFC Boneless Chicken
- Taco Bell Burrito of Your Choice
6. Custom Chicken Bowl
Chicken bowls are a mainstay on KFC’s regular menu, but they’re also a classic feature of the KFC secret menu because they’re so customizable. If you don’t want to stick with the mix-ins dictated by the menu, you can ask for any sauce, topping or other mix-in your heart desires to make a customized version.
Of all the KFC items that are ripe for customization, the chicken bowl is easily the standout, so consider that next time you’re bored with more of the usual.
How To Order
- KFC Bowl of Your Choice
- Extra Sides, Sauces and Toppings of Your Choice
7. Add Mashed Potatoes
Fun fact: Much like bacon, you can add mashed potatoes to just about any order at KFC. Whether you want something to contrast the crunch of your chicken or a little extra moisture on your sandwich, you have the option of adding mashed potatoes to all your favorite dishes.
This can, of course, simply be as a side dish, like a typical scoop of mashed potatoes, but they need not be an afterthought: KFC staff will throw some taters on just about anything you wish.
How To Order: Ask for mashed potatoes to be added to your order or get a side and add them yourself (for example, inside a sandwich) if this cannot be done by staff.
8. Poutine
We’re not sure how much of a “KFC secret menu” hack this is anymore, since KFC recently debuted a chicken bowl featuring gravy, mashed potatoes, and fried cheese curds that is somewhat similar to the classic Canadian comfort food.
But if you prefer to make your poutine the traditional way with fries instead of mashed potatoes, use this KFC hidden menu hack. All you have to do is order fries drenched in cheese and gravy.
Now that fried cheese curds are available, consider adding those in lieu of ordinary cheese when ordering this KFC off-menu item. It’ll give your poutine à la KFC a little more authenticity, even though the cheese curds on ordinary poutine don’t tend to be fried.
How To Order
- Fries
- Gravy
- Fried Cheese Curds
9. Sloppy Shots
KFC’s bite-sized chicken Fun Shots are one of the chain’s most delightful menu mainstays in the Philippines, where this KFC secret menu item was created. But because Fun Shots are very similar to the popcorn chicken available at U.S. locations, you can easily recreate this specialty elsewhere.
To make the base of a Sloppy Shots bowl, you’ll need to ask for popcorn chicken and fries in a tub. Then, the whole thing will be doused in gravy and cheese, with corn added for a little extra texture.
Staff will usually know this KFC secret menu item by name, but if not, describe that recipe, and it’s likely they’ll be able to recreate it. You could also ask for fried cheese curds to be added instead of or alongside the regular cheese.
How To Order
- Popcorn Chicken
- Fries
- Gravy
- Cheese
- Corn
- Fried Cheese Curds (optional)
10. Poppin Twister
Though it’s most popular in Australia and New Zealand, the Poppin Twister is a hidden menu wrap that’s totally possible to recreate in the U.S., since all of the key ingredients are available. Just ask for popcorn chicken, bacon, cheese and barbecue sauce in a wrap; it’s that easy!
If you’re looking for on-the-go lunch food ideas and can’t lug around a bucket of chicken drumsticks, this portable dose of fried chicken courtesy of the KFC secret menu should do the trick.
How To Order
- Popcorn Chicken
- Bacon
- Cheese
- Barbecue Sauce
- Tortilla Wrap
11. Kentucky Flatbread
The Kentucky Flatbread is a KFC secret menu item that has been seen on the regular menu before and is sometimes also known as the Kentucky Slider, despite the fact that it’s more like a flatbread taco than a slider.
It consists of chicken tenders, cheese, coleslaw, bacon and barbecue sauce, all sandwiched inside a flatbread tortilla. If you’re bored with your typical order and want the novel change in format that comes with a taco-style snack, this might be your new favorite KFC secret menu item.
Like many KFC off-menu items, this one is highly customizable as well. For example, you could recreate a discontinued item that comprises a flatbread, chicken tenders, lettuce and pepper mayonnaise (opting for ranch or spicy mayonnaise, depending on your heat preference), if that sauce isn’t available.
Do note that not all KFCs have flatbreads, so being able to get this order is highly dependent on that. However, there is always the option to order KFC to your place and customize it yourself with flatbreads from elsewhere.
How To Order
- Chicken Tenders
- Cheese
- Coleslaw
- Bacon
- Barbecue Sauce
- Flatbread
or
- Chicken Tenders
- Lettuce
- Pepper Mayonnaise
- Flatbread
12. Drumstick Dip
Here’s a quirky suggestion from a creative KFC fan: take the skin off of your chicken drumstick and wrap it around a couple of fries. Then take that bundle of fried goodness and dip it in the sauce of your choosing, whether that be gravy, ranch, sweet and sour sauce or any other option.
While it may sound bizarre, fans swear by it, and it’s one of the easiest KFC secret menu options to try because it’s fully do-it-yourself: you don’t really have to ask for anything special to make it, except maybe a few extra napkins!
How To Order
- Fried Chicken
- Fries
- Sauce of Your Choice
Take the skin/breading off of the chicken, wrap it around a few fries and dip it into the sauce.
13. Chicken Biscuit Sandwich
This KFC secret menu hack is super easy and a must-try for anyone who prefers biscuits to the regular buns used with chicken sandwiches. All you have to do is order the sandwich of your choice and ask for biscuits instead of bread.
Do note that not all ingredients will fit in this KFC secret menu sandwich. It’s generally best to only include biscuits, chicken and sauce. However, there are still many options, from spicy chicken and ranch to a biscuit sandwich using the new hot honey chicken or plain chicken tenders and flavorful Buffalo ranch.
How To Order
- Biscuits
- Chicken of Your Choice
- Sauce of Your Choice
or
- Chicken Sandwich of Your Choice
- Remove: Bread Bun
- Add: Biscuit
14. Hot or Not Burger
If you like the spice of the Zinger chicken patty but don’t want to be overwhelmed by it, try this custom sandwich from the KFC secret menu.
With one Zinger patty and one original patty, it’s a balance of the two spice levels. This KFC secret menu sandwich then gets additions of bacon, cheese and spicy sauce, plus any other fillings you’d like, to help to keep it zingy but not too hot.
If you want the sandwich slightly milder, opt for a different type of sauce, like ranch. Opt for the spicy chicken sandwich instead of the Zinger if the latter isn’t available.
How To Order
- 1 Zinger Burger (or Spicy Chicken Sandwich)
- 1 Original Chicken Patty
- Bacon
- Cheese
- Lettuce
- Spicy Sauce
- Ranch (optional)
Top Tip: If available, we love adding mashed potato poppers or a hash brown to this sandwich as well!
15. Belgian Bites
It’s rare to find a KFC secret menu item for dessert, and this one may not be available at your location, but we couldn’t leave this secret menu item out on the off chance your location has it. Those with a sweet tooth should especially take note!
Belgian Bites are chocolate-filled doughnuts enrobed in chocolate, and as one of the few dessert-based KFC secret menu items you can order, they’re definitely worth hunting down if you’re looking for something sweet.
No special ordering necessary here, but you may have to call around to see if any locations in your area stock them.
How To Order: Ask for Belgian Bites and see if they are available. Calling ahead is a good idea if that’s all you want to order from the KFC secret menu.
How We Created This KFC Secret Menu Guide
To create this guide to the KFC secret menu, our team first outlined our favorite custom orders that we've tried and heard about online. Next, we undertook more research, uncovering fan favorite secret menu hacks via platforms like Reddit, Instagram and TikTok.
Once we had gathered all of the most popular secret menu items from one of America's favorite chicken fast food chains, we made sure we provided you with as much information on them as possible. This includes letting you in on how to order each KFC secret menu item and what additional customizations can be made, if applicable.
Just remember that these may not be available everywhere, so don't end up being too disappointed if the Kentucky Fried Chicken secret menu ends up staying a little more secret than you’d hoped! But for most of these hacks, they’re great because they’re made with components of the classic KFC meal, meaning they’ll pretty much always be on the KFC hidden menu for those who know to ask.
Also, keep in mind that menu items are constantly changing, so what was once a KFC secret menu item might one day be a full-time menu option. On the other hand, a KFC hidden menu dish may become impossible to order after a certain ingredient ceases to be available due to changes in the official menu.
And when that happens, why not try creating your own secret menu order? After all, these dishes all began when a curious customer decided to try ordering something the menu didn’t offer.
Though not as extensive as some custom menus, the KFC secret menu offers plenty of ways to enhance your dining experience. So don’t feel like a road trip pit stop or weeknight dinner at KFC means ordering the same old thing you’re starting to get bored with.
There’s much more at your fingertips if you’re willing to explain patiently, accept the possibility of a slightly wonky finished product (it happens with secret menus! and dare to ask for something different.
Just remember to always be polite with staff and be accepting if the KFC secret menu item you want can’t be created. Visiting at off-peak times to place your custom order doesn’t hurt either.
For even more ways to explore your favorite foods, check out other experiences happening on Cozymeal.
