8 Discontinued KFC Menu Items We'll Probably Never See Again

These days, there are countless fried chicken chains across the United States, offering crunchy breading, moist chicken, and sides galore. Once upon a time, though, KFC was the king of fast food fried chicken, with its buckets upon buckets of beautifully crisped legs, wings, and breasts. But over the course of KFC's long history, several of the chain's most (and, to be fair, least) beloved dishes have fallen off the menu to make way for trendier, more of-the-moment fast food offerings.

Today, we dive into some of those discontinued KFC items that once graced drive-thru menus but now only live in our dreams (and on the internet, of course). Maybe you've tried some of these dishes in the past and you long for their return, or perhaps you wish you'd gotten a chance to try them in the first place. Either way, these are some KFC menu items that we don't think we'll be seeing again. Rest in poultry.

Once upon a time, popcorn chicken was a must-try item at KFC. If you weren't much of a bucket person, popcorn chicken was a more approachable choice. There were no bones, just good old-fashioned white meat chicken and KFC's beloved breading. Whether you ordered it as a quick snack when you went through the drive-thru or made it the centerpiece of your whole meal, this was a menu item that just made sense.

These days, though, you will no longer find KFC's popcorn chicken on the chain's menu. Unfortunately, it was discontinued in early 2023 to make room for new menu items, including a limited-time re-release of the iconic Double Down. There are now nuggets that ostensibly replaced the popcorn chicken, but some folks have taken to Reddit to express their stark disapproval. After all, doesn't popcorn chicken just sound more fun than chicken nuggets? This is one menu item we still seriously miss. While we can no longer snag popcorn fried chicken from KFC, at least we still have this recipe for Taiwanese popcorn chicken.

KFC is now known as a chain that really only sells chicken — not any other types of meat. But at one point in the restaurant chain's long history, there were other types of meat on the menu, including beef and pork. Incredibly, KFC once sold country-style ribs. They made their appearance on the menu in the early 1970s. By that point, KFC was already a massively successful company, with thousands of locations all over the world, but the chain was apparently interested in diversifying its offerings.

These ribs actually sound like they were pretty good. After being coated in the same flour that's used for the fried chicken, the ribs would be pressure-cooked, then slathered with a sweet and savory BBQ sauce. But in 1973, a pork shortage shook the country's food supply, and suddenly, the ingredient became significantly more expensive. Whether KFC dropped this menu item because of that price hike or just because the ribs weren't particularly popular isn't clear, but one thing is for sure: You're almost certainly not going to see ribs on KFC's menu in the future.

Chicken nuggets are a staple on many fast food restaurants' menus, but at a chicken-focused restaurant, they play an even bigger role. Back in 1984, KFC decided it was time to get in on the chicken nugget game. After all, KFC should be the nugget experts, right? Perhaps the release of KFC's nuggets was a way to compete with McDonald's, which had created its own nuggets just a few years earlier in 1979. Admittedly, they look somewhat similar.

But KFC's Kentucky nuggets didn't last. They did have a solid run, spending 12 years on the menu. In 1996, though, they were removed, with chicken strips taking their place. After years of a nugget-less menu, KFC once again rolled out a chicken nugget menu item in 2023, although they look a bit different from the original version. Whatever KFC decides to call these small pieces of breaded white meat chicken, we can feel fairly certain that there will always be some sort of dish in nugget form on the menu.

Let's be honest: If good health is your goal, then you're probably better off not eating fast food too regularly. However, that doesn't mean that fast food restaurants don't still try to capture more health-conscious consumers. That's probably why KFC rolled out its grilled chicken back in the 2000s. There are some people who aren't going to be open to eating fried chicken super regularly, but a "healthy" grilled chicken option? That might be more appealing to them.

But KFC is not a health food company, and ultimately, its attempts at a healthier menu item didn't last. Grilled chicken is now officially off the menu. However, it appears that there are still some people who want it back. One Change.org petition calls for the chain to bring its grilled chicken back. It only has 171 signatures at the time of writing, so we're guessing that KFC probably isn't rushing to get it back on the menu anytime soon. Check out these grilled chicken recipes instead.

Yes, KFC's claim to fame is obviously its chicken, but that doesn't mean it doesn't do other menu categories well, too. Perhaps one of the most beloved KFC menu items of all time is the Little Bucket parfaits. They came in flavors like chocolate creme and strawberry shortcake and were an incredible way to end an otherwise savory meal. It all started with a base of crushed graham crackers, which was followed by a rich, creamy layer. Then came the whipped cream and the sprinkles. Simple, yes, but delicious.

This wasn't an unsuccessful item — it was on the menu from 1969 all the way until 2012, when it finally made its exit from KFC's kitchens. Some customers have demanded their return, and others have taken matters into their own hands by creating copycat recipes of the now-defunct dessert. After more than a decade off the menu, though, we'd be seriously surprised if the chain ever decided to bring the Little Bucket parfaits back.

Take a look at KFC's drink menu, and you'll notice that it looks like basically any other fast food restaurant's drink menu. It offers Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, and Pepsi, and, of course, you can always order some water. But there's one of the chain's own drinks on the menu: The Colonel's Lemonade. It's sweet, tart, and refreshing, but there was once a much better original drink on offer. It was the strawberry lemonade, and it unfortunately left the drink menu ranks at KFC in 2023. According to the company, removing strawberry lemonade — along with several other menu items — would make room for other, newer dishes that were being rolled out.

To be fair, this seems like one of the most insignificant losses on this list, considering that there's still another lemonade option on the menu. But for those who liked a bit of added fruitiness in their lemonade, KFC's drink offerings have become a bit duller.

There's something about pickles and fried chicken that, when paired together, just works really, really well. Think about Chick-fil-A's signature chicken sandwich, which is adorned with little more than a couple of slices of pickles. Delicious, right? So we can't blame KFC for trying to get in on the pickle game in a more serious way. In 2018, the chain released its pickle fried chicken, which was designed as a "very limited time" release.

One of our favorite ways to use leftover pickle juice is to make a brine, particularly for fried chicken. But that's not what KFC was doing here. Rather, the fried chicken came doused in a vinegar-forward pickle sauce. Therefore, it seems that the flavor was concentrated on the outside of the patty, not really seeping into the meat itself. You could get this pickle sauce on a variety of chicken items on the menu, including the chain's extra crispy chicken, chicken tenders, and even a chicken sandwich. Since this was such a limited-time release when it first came out, we doubt it'll ever make a reappearance on the menu again.

You've just finished your meal at KFC. Now, it's time for something sweet. Once upon a time, you could've ordered a chocolate chip cookie from the chain, but as of 2023, it's no longer an option. It was removed from the menu at the same time as a few other items, including the chain's strawberry lemonade and fried chicken wings, to make room for new menu additions. Although we can't get too excited over a plain chocolate chip cookie — after all, you can grab something similar from the bakery section of your local grocery store — it's definitely a bummer for those who like to end their meal with a sweet little treat.

No worries, though, because KFC still offers a singular dessert on its menu. The chocolate chip cake looks richer and more decadent than a basic cookie could ever be, so that could be a plus if you're looking for a more satisfying dessert. But the cookie lovers out there are unfortunately out of luck.