Review: KFC's New Side Is Coming For Culver's Cheese Curd Crown

KFC's list of tasty fried food is about to get a little longer as the chicken chain is venturing into new, cheesy territory. Wisconsin-style cheese curds are now available as part of a collaboration with celebrity chef and one of the stars of the hit TV show "The Bear," Matty Matheson. This rollout comes shortly after KFC added some of the best fast food menu items in 2025.

New options include a number of $5 bowls, the star of which is Matty's Cheesy Nuggy Gravy Bowl. This poutine-inspired creation features fries, brown gravy, chicken nuggets, and fried cheese curds. The curds are also available as a side, which is why The Takeout called me in. As a Wisconsin native and self-proclaimed cheese curd expert, I needed to see if the new curds on the block could stack up to a Midwestern classic: Culver's.

In a battle of the curds, I set out to discover which fast food behemoth really fries up the best cheese. The results were admittedly surprising, but in the end, one curd clearly reigns supreme.

Cheese curds are a major part of Culver's menu. The chain even created a holiday for the gooey, crunchy little morsels: October 15, aka National Cheese Curd Day. Culver's infamous CurderBurger took the poppable snacks and blew them up to burger-sized proportions, and in 2025, the chain released jalapeño cheese curds. Clearly, the Midwest-based brand knows how to curd. 

You can snag the classic side in three sizes at Culver's: a medium for $4.59, a large for $6.79, or a family size for $9. These prices are current at the time of writing, based on my location. Naturally, the calorie counts rise with the sizes, as a medium runs you 490 calories, a large 980, and a family size 1,480.

As a newcomer to the cheese curd game, KFC offers only a single size, with a 10-piece option for about $4. This serving is listed at 350 calories. You can order one of Matty's Cheesy Nuggy Gravy Bowls for $5 and 740 calories, or make it a combo featuring a drink for around $9. KFC hasn't specified whether these new offerings are limited-time or permanent fixtures.

I'm going to betray my Midwestern roots just a touch and admit that Culver's cheese curds are not amazing. Give me a ButterBurger and some frozen custard all day, every day, but I actually prefer the fries as a side. It's not that the curds are bad; they're just very distinct. I'm not the only one in my state who thinks so; Culver's curds are divisive in the land of cheese.

One undeniable positive is the portion size. I ordered a standard medium and wound up with 25 curds of varying sizes in my bag. 11 were multi-bite-sized, while the rest were smaller, poppable pieces.

All of the curds were evenly coated in a thick, seasoned, crispy breading that stands out from the more traditional beer batter. I don't love the heavy breading. A cheese curd should be about the cheese, and for Culver's, the breading steals the show. The cheese itself is actually two different types: un-aged yellow and white Wisconsin cheddar. I like the dual colors for the slight taste difference and also because it's fun to bite into a piece to see what color you pulled. These cheese curds are squeaky –– an absolute must –– but could be more melty. On the whole, Culver's makes a solid side, but it's far from the best option out there.

Despite being served in a cardboard sleeve, the KFC cheese curds look like something you'd receive at a sit-down restaurant. The 10-piece delivered exactly 10 curds of varying sizes, though they tended to be on the larger end of the spectrum. The breading, in contrast to Culver's, is more of a traditional light and crispy shell that allows you to get a peek at the white cheese inside.

These curds are on the greasy side, but that's to be expected when eating a chunk of deep-fried cheese. I found the cheese itself to be savory and squeaky. All around, a very good cheese curd.

For scientific purposes, I also ordered a Matty's Cheesy Nuggy Gravy Bowl to see how the curds fared in their natural environment. As expected, the chicken and fries were good, while the curds were plentiful enough that they didn't get lost among the other ingredients. The only issue was that my gravy was poured into the bottom of the container, and the food was stacked on top. I honestly thought the gravy was missing the first few bites until I finally struck brown gold at the bottom. For a $5 bowl, this is a good amount of food, and the cheese curds add a nice textural element.

The pros and cons of each of these cheese curds are clear. For Culver's, portion size is a clear win, with the amount in a medium order more than twice what you can get at KFC. Yes, the former's price is higher, so you should get more curds. However, Culver's offers three sizes, while KFC only has one. Still, despite being the king of Midwestern fast food, Culver's can't compete with KFC in the taste department. The thinner, more traditional breading makes a huge difference. Add in gooey, chewier cheese, and KFC simply created an all-around better offering.

I also preferred the KFC curd once it had gone cold. An unfortunate reality of eating fried cheese curds is that they do a terrible job of retaining heat, so eating a cold one is unavoidable. The breading at Culver's gets even harder once it's cooled. While the KFC curd loses its melty interior, the outside remains largely the same. Consistency is appreciated in the cheese curd world, and KFC has found it.

Making cheese curds is involved, but it's hard to create an objectively bad one. Don't get me wrong, I've had them, but neither of these restaurants is the culprit. The Culver's contestant is a creature all its own, and maybe that's good in a cheese-saturated market, but KFC created something that feels representative of what the cheese curd should be: gooey, crispy, melty goodness.

I hit the drive-thru for both KFC and Culver's to pick up my curds. After bringing them home for a quick photoshoot, I tasted both and evaluated them based on taste, texture, and appearance. Neither restaurant was aware of this review when preparing the cheese curds. All prices are current at the time of writing and may vary by location.