Does KFC Have Gluten-Free Chicken?

When it comes to KFC chicken, there are a few reasons why it's "Finger Lickin' Good." The "secret" spices in the chain's breading — such as basil, garlic salt, and ginger — and the chicken being pressure cooked are two big aspects that make KFC fried chicken so good. While poultry is certainly the restaurant's main attraction, you'll unfortunately have to skip the chicken if you have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity because it's not gluten-free.

As you likely know, wheat and its derivatives — such as durum, graham, and semolina — are sources of gluten. KFC uses wheat flour as an ingredient in the breading for its Original and Extra Crispy recipes. As a result, all of the chain's breaded chicken breasts, legs, thighs, nuggets, tenders, and sandwich patties contain gluten.

While you might think that springing for grilled chicken instead of breaded or fried would be a strong alternative, this variety isn't gluten-free, either. KFC's grilled chicken, which was largely discontinued some time in the 2010s and is now only available at select locations, contains wheat in two forms: in the seasoning blend and in the soy sauce that's added for flavor. Because of that, none of KFC's chicken is free of gluten.

As a restaurant chain with a mostly fried-food menu, KFC doesn't have much in the way of gluten-free options. However, there are a few items among its homestyle sides that fit the bill, including the mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet kernel corn, corn on the cob, and coleslaw. When Daily Meal ranked every KFC side, we found that the mashed potatoes with gravy was the best, but if you want to keep your side gluten-free, you'll have to skip the gravy and eat the potatoes plain.

Additionally, KFC offers salads at some locations that are naturally free of gluten as long as you don't add croutons. The Caesar side salad is made with lettuce and shaved Parmesan cheese, while the house side salad is made with lettuce and tomatoes. Fortunately, you can spice up these options with any of the chain's dressings, dipping sauces, and condiments, as all of these are safe to eat on a gluten- or wheat-free diet. The chain's beverage options and the applesauce in its kids' meals are also gluten-free.

While eating a full meal at a KFC restaurant may be out of the question with such limited options, you could always order some of its sides to-go and add them to a meal that you make at home. The sides can certainly come in handy if you don't already have items on hand to complement a homemade chicken, fish, or steak dinner.