10 KFC Side Dishes, Ranked Worst To Best

When you decide to eat KFC, you're almost definitely focused on the chicken itself. After all, it's the chain's namesake and main appeal. However, just because you love the chicken at KFC doesn't mean it's the only thing you have to think about when you're getting a meal there. Side dishes can make or break any fried chicken-based meal, which is why you should have a strategy when it comes to the kind of sides you pick at Kentucky Fried Chicken.

The chain offers a variety of different sides from which to choose, but not all of them are created equally. Some are delicious and only enhance the flavors present in the fried chicken entree of your choice. Then others are lackluster and don't add much to the meal, or are so overpriced, I could never imagine ordering them again. I tried 10 of KFC's side dishes and ranked them from worst to best to give you a better idea of what to expect when you order each one. They're ranked according to flavor, but I also considered texture and price in determining their final spot in the ranking. Hopefully, you'll have a bit more clarity the next time you want to switch up your KFC sides order.

KFC's mashed potato poppers are a new item on the menu, which may make you feel inclined to give them a try. After all, why would the company decide to add another potato-based dish if it wasn't able to compete with the variety of other potato dishes on the menu? I was saddened to discover, though, that the mashed potato poppers are not very good at all. The inside of the poppers seems to be the cheapest, lowest-quality mashed potatoes I've ever tried. They're not rich or creamy like you might expect the homemade variety to be. Rather, they have a dry but mushy texture that's an immediate turn-off.

On the exterior, you'll encounter a layer of crunchy breading. It adds a much-needed layer of texture to the dish, but it doesn't do anything for it in terms of flavor. Ultimately, this side dish is about as bland as it gets. If you do decide to order them, make sure you have some gravy for dipping to avoid that intense dryness.

For a lot of people, eating fried chicken means having a side of mashed potatoes. It's a combo that just works, with the crispness and juiciness of the chicken along with the rich, creamy density of the potatoes. At KFC, you can get mashed potatoes and gravy, but it's also possible to snag plain mashed potatoes. This may be the way to go if you're watching your sodium intake or you're just not a gravy person. That being said, I found these mashed potatoes to be pretty uninspiring without the gravy on top.

The mashed potatoes at KFC are especially smooth, and without any kind of texture to speak of, they start off kind of boring. These mashed potatoes don't taste like much of anything at all. This is not a side dish I would recommend ordering unless you're opposed to gravy for whatever reason. Just make sure you have some salt and pepper or hot sauce on hand to give them the boost of flavor they so desperately need.

Not only can you order KFC's mashed potatoes on their own, but you can also get the gravy by itself. Admittedly, this side dish is significantly more delicious than plain mashed potatoes, since the gravy is super flavorful. Is it perhaps too salty for some? Sure. But if you're the kind of person who loves rich, decadent, and yes, salty gravy, this stuff is bound to be a hit. It may seem like ordering the gravy all on its own is strange, but it works well as a dip for your chicken or even some of the other side dishes.

Even though KFC's gravy is good, it doesn't make much sense to buy it as a separate side dish. You don't get much gravy, but you're charged as much as you would be if you were to get a full serving of mashed potatoes and gravy. The price point just doesn't work.

What would a fast food restaurant be without fries? Although KFC is probably better known for its mashed potatoes than it is for plain fries, this is still an option on the menu that you might want to check out. They're not the best item on this list, but compared to some other fast food fries, these are pretty solid. The fries have a nice crispness, and their taste isn't bad. Although they could be more flavorful (and arguably a bit saltier), they have more going on in the flavor department than many other fast food establishments' fries.

There are several other potato-based side dishes on KFC's menu, though, and I don't think I would choose these fries over the other available options. After all, you can get fries everywhere, and it's not exactly what I want when I'm eating fried chicken. Maybe this is a solid pick if you're ordering a sandwich from the chain, but otherwise, it's safe to skip the fries.

Unfortunately, there aren't a ton of fresh-tasting dishes on KFC's menu. You'll find a lot of fried dishes and plenty of carbs, but there aren't many menu items that can break up all that heaviness with something light and fresh. The coleslaw is one of the only exceptions. This cabbage- and mayo-based salad has a lovely crunch to it, and because the cabbage is chopped into such small pieces, it's quite easy to eat. Luckily, the dressing isn't too thick or heavy, so you can appreciate those nuanced, vegetal flavors.

Although there are plenty of superior veggie-based dishes at other fast food restaurants, I'd still get the coleslaw at KFC, simply because I want something nice, light, and crunchy to enjoy with my chicken. If you also have veggie cravings when you're eating otherwise heavy foods, then this is a side that's worth snagging for yourself.

Yes, a potato-based side dish may be more expected for you to order at KFC, but that doesn't mean you can't get your carbs in pasta form. KFC offers another common fried chicken side dish: mac and cheese. Truthfully, I think that a lot of mac and cheese doesn't taste very good. Often, there's a blandness that's only accentuated by the creaminess and fattiness of the dish. But KFC's mac and cheese actually wasn't too bad. It doesn't taste like the homemade stuff, but the pasta has that al dente texture that makes for the base of a good mac and cheese.

The cheese sauce isn't anything too exciting, but it has a nice saltiness to it that keeps it from being too boring. The rich, creamy intensity of the sauce also makes for a nice textural touch. You've likely had better mac and cheese in your life, but it's solid as a side dish for fast-food fried chicken.

There are times when you want to keep things simple. When you're craving a side dish that's as essential and unfussy as can be, a biscuit may just be your best bet. As it turns out, KFC's biscuits are really good. First of all, these biscuits are rather dense and fatty. They have a heaviness that lets you know you're about to taste something good before you even take a bite. Once you do take a bite, though, you'll notice the richness and buttery flavor of the biscuits, which makes for a nice counterpart to the crispier-but-still-fatty fried chicken.

A biscuit is never going to be the most exciting thing on any menu, but if you're craving some bread along with your fried chicken, the biscuits at KFC are worth a try. You can even make a little chicken biscuit with your leftover chicken if you're feeling creative.

Fries are always an option when you go to KFC, but if you're looking for a potato dish that isn't mashed potatoes, I would suggest the potato wedges instead. These are essentially fries as well, but they taste significantly higher quality than the chain's Secret Recipe fries — which taste like they could have come frozen in a bag. The potato wedges, on the other hand, actually taste like they could be homemade. They're covered in a blend of herbs and spices that offer a more interesting potato experience than you'll get from most fast food restaurants.

Although these potato wedges can stand on their own, I think they're even better if you dip them in some leftover gravy. They really shine with the salty, fatty addition of gravy. This might be one time in which it is actually worth it to spring for an extra serving of gravy as a side dish.

I've already mentioned how much I enjoyed KFC's rich, buttery biscuits, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm a big fan of the chain's Mike's Hot Honey biscuits as well. It seems like hot honey is everywhere these days, so it doesn't surprise me that Mike's Hot Honey biscuits are even better than the original. It starts with KFC's original biscuits, which are then drizzled with that hot honey. There was a generous amount of honey in the order I got, which played well with the butteriness of the biscuits themselves.

I do wish that the hot honey had a touch more heat to it, but overall, these sweet, buttery, and slightly spicy biscuits come together beautifully. As long as you can stand some heat in your food, you should upgrade to these biscuits the next time you order from KFC.

The best KFC side of them all? Mashed potatoes and gravy. No, it's nothing too unusual or unexpected. In fact, it's arguably the most common side dish of them all. But when those smooth, creamy mashed potatoes meet the salty, savory gravy, it's a match made in heaven. It's a simple combo that just makes sense, regardless of what else you decide to order at KFC. However, it is important that you get a good ratio of mashed potatoes to gravy. Personally, I want more gravy and less mashed potatoes, since the latter can overwhelm the former if the gravy doesn't have enough of a presence in the dish.

I've found that these mashed potatoes and gravy make for a delicious dip when you want to enhance your fried chicken, but they're perfect all on their own. If you're only going to order one side dish from KFC, make it this one.

I selected all of the available side dishes from my local KFC and taste-tested them while they were still warm. I ranked them first and foremost according to flavor, while also taking texture and value into account. The best-ranked items on this list had a well-balanced flavor and enjoyable texture, while the lower-ranked sides either didn't have much flavor or didn't offer a very good value.