Not Mayo, Not Mustard: KFC's Chicken Sandwich Gets More Savory When You Request This On The Side

The perfection of the chicken sandwich has been an enduring mission across the fast food industry for decades. Various chains have duked it out over the years in an attempt to take the top spot among diners. Across the board, however, a simple swipe of mayonnaise is typically the go-to dressing for these sorts of sandwiches. But transforming a basic KFC chicken sandwich into a saucy, savory delight can be as simple as ordering a cup of brown gravy on the side.

KFC is one of the chains with the biggest selection of sauces, offering everything from basics like Honey BBQ and Classic Ranch to some of the restaurant's more unique creations like KFC Sauce and Comeback Sauce. But, after years of hiding in plain sight, the chain's Signature Brown Gravy may actually be the best complement to the basic chicken sandwich.

An individual order of gravy is considerably more expensive than the sauces — around $1.69 versus just $0.20 — but the serving size ensures that there is lots to go around. Customers can either drizzle the gravy over the top of the chicken or use it as a dip. Either way, there is plenty to ensure a juicy sandwich overflowing with rich, savory flavor — and whatever is leftover can be used for dipping the fries or potato wedges that come with a combo meal. For the real sauce lovers out there, the gravy doesn't need to stand alone, as was the case with a much-loved limited-time menu offering of the past.

Back in 2022, Canadian KFC restaurants saw the arrival of an item called the Gravy Lovers Sandwich. This masterpiece of fast food innovation featured a fried chicken fillet on a mayo-spread bun topped with Monterey jack cheese and a specialized hash brown featuring a concave top, and a container of gravy on the side. The idea was that when the customer was ready to tuck in, they could lift the top bun and fill that fried-potato gravy boat to the brim, both maximizing the quantity of gravy in every single bite and ensuring every aspect of the sandwich stayed nice and crisp.

Without the specially crafted hash brown, you might not be able to exactly replicate this sandwich, but pouring gravy over the top of the standard sandwich isn't too far off — and is certainly worth exploring. As one customer wrote of the Gravy Lovers Sandwich on Facebook back in 2022, "It has no right being this tasty." But even without the limited-edition sandwich, there's no reason that this gravy trick should only be applied at KFC.

According to our reviewers, the gravy at Popeye's is better than the stuff at KFC anyway, so chicken sandwich aficionados should consider this move no matter where they're dining — including at home. There are plenty of chicken sandwich recipes that beat what you'll find at any drive thru, and many of them can also benefit from being doused in a simple chicken gravy. Plus, when you whip up a homemade copycat KFC chicken sandwich recipe, you'll have plenty of room to experiment with all the simple additions that transform gravy, getting creative and dialing in to your personal palate.