Review: KFC's New Fried Pickles Prove The Fast Food Pickle Trend Isn't Always A Winner

Pickles are awesome. Fried foods are even more awesome. When the two come together in the super salty and savory union that is fried pickles, the mouth sometimes can't even handle this much of a great thing. However, most fast food chains treat fried pickles as a novelty item, and one would actually be hard-pressed to find a single fast food chain that permanently keeps it on its menu. Well, in the summer of 2025, KFC is leaning on its expertise in all things "fried" and applying it to the pickles normally found dressing its chicken sandwiches.

Wait, KFC launched as a franchise in 1952, and now, 73 years later, it's finally frying up pickles?? I feel like this should have happened by 1953. Well, they were apparently the first national chain to come to market with the idea of pickle-flavored fried chicken, so that counts for something, right? Well, after watching sister company Burger King drop some super awesome pickle fries last fall, and rival Popeyes chip in its own delicious version, KFC is finally giving it the old fried college try.

So, are KFC's Fried Pickles the greatest side item we've all been waiting for, or should we slow our horses and hold off renaming the chain KFP? The Takeout took out a giant box of them and gave them a thorough once, twice, and thrice over to see where the truth lies. Now all can be told in this chew and review. Ready?

It's up for debate as to who first came up with the idea to bread and deep fry a pickle. Many believe it was Bernell "Fatman" Austin of Arkansas' the Duchess Drive-in, who created this cajoled crunchy combo in the summer of 1963, while others give credit to the Selden brothers of The Hollywood Cafe near Tunica, Mississippi in that same decade. Over time, it became a popular item at state fairs, and later on, a ubiquitous menu item at sports bars.

KFC is finally offering up its own version to the public in 2025. It's a brand new and limited time offering. They are a side item that the company noted in its press release as, "golden-fried dill pickle slices that are the perfect crispy bite to pair with the brand's signature Comeback Sauce or ranch." The brand added that it's another example "showing KFC's renewed focus on flavor and trend-forward menu innovation."

One fried pickle nets 36 calories, 2 grams of fat, 4 grams of carbohydrates, and less than 1 gram of protein. The standard serving size of 8 fried pickles nets 290 calories, 16 grams of fat, 32 grams of carbohydrates, and 4 grams of protein.

Starting July 14, KFC is introducing Fried Pickles to its menu, available at participating nationwide locations of the chicken chain. Fried Pickles will remain on menus for a limited time only, and while supplies last. They can be found under the sub-menus Latest and Sides, Sweets, Sauces.

Like any item at KFC, they can be ordered most anytime a location is open for business, in-store, at the counter, kiosk, or drive-thru where available. Advance ordering for dine-in, pick-up, or delivery can be placed on the KFC app or website. While many items can be customized, there is no customization option with these Fried Pickles beyond choosing a side dipping sauce.

Fried Pickles come in two denominations — an eight-piece, and family size, which includes 45 pieces. The smaller one retails for $3.99 (roughly 50 cents per piece), and the large for $14.99 (about 33 cents per). The eight-piece comes with one sauce of your choice, and the family one with up to four sauces. Prices and availability may vary by location.

I popped open the box of pickles, and a waft of hot air poured out into the ceiling of the restaurant, followed by a heavenly scent of what exactly fried pickles should smell like. I looked into the box and saw a sea of similarly sized and formed orange-brown looking nuggets. A closer look revealed green flecks of dill. KFC's Fried Pickles had a greasy sheen to them that glistened in the light. While they had actual grease to the touch, it wasn't something overwhelming that would require a dozen napkins needed on standby.

After trying a few of the fried pickles I really took to its crunchiness. However, after a handful, I started to suspect that they weren't perhaps the best fried pickles I've ever encountered. But why? That crunch was really, really good.

Revelations unraveled after a bite of one, where the pickle fell into my mouth, leaving the fried skin behind all by its lonesome. I then ate the abandoned skin and the picture became crystal clear — the breaded and fried skin was a thing of flavorful beauty, and it was actually the pickle part of this concoction that wasn't remotely holding up its end of the bargain. The dill pickle slice was flimsy, almost boarding on slimy, and sadly provided no crunch to the affair. That left the fried skin to make-up for the pickle's deficiencies, and it almost was able to pull it off.

Last spring, I was given a rare chance to step into the KFC Test Kitchen, and try a wide array of Kentucky Fried items. All of them were delicious, and many of them I was not allowed to even mention their existence. One of them was Mashed Potato Poppers, which finally saw the light this past March, and lived up to my yummy memories of them. I will have to admit — when I heard that KFC was introducing fried pickles to its menus, I was rather excited that I'd be reunited with an old and tasty friend.

Not sure about you, but I had quite a Monday. In fact, it was a very fried and savory Monday. The folks over at Popeyes dropped a new Signature Sauce and a perfect item in which to dunk them in — Chicken Dippers, and I started my day munching on those. That was followed by an afternoon delight that was giving Burger King's new meaty BBQ Brisket Whopper a trial run. The night was capped off with what I thought was a sure thing, until it wasn't.

KFC's Fried Pickles were very edible, certainly very dippable, and really should have been a slam dunk, beyond the sauces. Too bad the pickles couldn't stand the heat. Speaking of, after they cooled down about 20 or so minutes later, the pickle gained a bit of a backbone and even added to the affair with a teensy bit of crunch. It was a bit too late. Maybe these were just not the best batch, or perhaps KFC is just not using the best pickles. 

On the very first day of their release, I moseyed on over to my nearest KFC in New York City to try the new Fried Pickles. I ordered them on the KFC app and picked them up in store, and taste tested them onsite for best results. I also took them home for further taste testing. They were eaten mainly without the use of dipping sauces.

While one other person taste tested the Fried Pickles with me, and their opinions were noted, ultimately, this chew and review is based on my own opinions and personal tastes, as well as past experiences with KFC products, and with fried pickles too.

The ultimate criteria to draw final culinary conclusions were based on the following: flavor, texture, appearance, aroma, value, uniqueness, pickle-ocity (it's a thing), overall lovability, and likelihood I would order it again. The short answer is ... while I applaud KFC's effort, this will be a limited time offer I can probably pass on.