KFC's Latest Menu Item Is ... Pizza?
Anyone who has had a Double Down chicken sandwich knows that KFC is no stranger to using chicken in place of bread, and they've gone and done it again. KFC is launching the Chizza, pronounced "cheet-za," in the U.S. on Monday, February 26. The Chizza is comprised of two pieces of fried white meat chicken topped with marinara, mozzarella, and pepperoni. It's like a less-saucy chicken parm, but with pepperoni. It's like a pizza, but with a fried chicken crust. It's a Chizza.
Before the official nationwide launch, KFC is turning one of its Manhattan locations into a "Chizzeria." The pop-up will be at its store at 242 E 14th Street on Friday, February 23 and Saturday, February 24 from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET. Visitors will get to try one Chizza per person, for free. Once it hits stores everywhere in the U.S. on Monday, it will be available a la carte for $9.99 or as a combo meal with fries and a medium drink for $12.99 (prices may vary by location). In the mood for a Chizza snack? You can order a half-Chizza for $5.99.
This dish is new to Stateside customers, but not to the world: The Chizza has been on global menus since 2015. It has debuted in Korea, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Germany, Spain, and Mexico, and now it's finally making its way to the U.S.
The U.S. is ready for Chizza
The Chizza has made its way around the Internet for as long as it's made its way around the world, and American audiences have been clamoring for it for years. A Reddit thread from 2018 featuring a pepperoni and bacon Chizza from the Netherlands has hundreds of comments from folks chomping at the bit to try one. In an environment (the Internet) where being contrarian and loud is standard, you'd expect to see more denigration of the concept — and there are some nay-sayers — but the desire for the Chizza is strong. At least, in this format; there was a version released in Singapore topped with pineapple, mozzarella, something called "chicken ham," and cheese sauce that CNET called "a journey into regret."
The idea of making pizza with a chicken crust has taken off with the rising popularity of the keto diet over the last few years. With a breaded chicken crust, the Chizza is not keto, but the concept has been well explored. Domino's released a fried chicken-crust pizza/loaded chicken nuggets dish in 2014, and "chicken parm pizzas" with crusts made out of fried cutlets have been popular on social media. This also isn't the first time KFC has combined chicken and pizza. In 2021, the chain collaborated with Pizza Hut to make a popcorn chicken pizza with a pan crust, KFC gravy, cheese, corn, and popcorn chicken.