Kentucky Fried Chicken, more commonly known as KFC, is one of the world’s largest fast food chicken chains. Founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, KFC specializes in fried chicken served in various forms. Their menu features chicken on the bone, chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, chicken pot pies, and more.
One dish that KFC does not serve everyday is chicken-fried steak. Chicken-fried steak is a Southern dish consisting of a breaded beef cutlet deep fried like fried chicken. While it contains the word “chicken” in the name, chicken-fried steak is traditionally made with cube steak or other cuts of beef that are battered and fried.
So does KFC serve this non-chicken menu item everyday? Let’s take a closer look at KFC’s history and menu options to find out.
A Brief History of KFC
Colonel Harland Sanders began selling fried chicken from his roadside restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky during the Great Depression. His secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices set his chicken apart from the competition.
In 1952, Sanders franchised his chicken concept as Kentucky Fried Chicken. He sold franchise rights to hundreds of franchisees who opened KFC restaurants across the United States. KFC established its distinctive brand image with Colonel Sanders as the iconic logo.
Over the years, KFC expanded its menu with new chicken offerings and side dishes. However, the core of their business remained fried chicken recipes developed by Colonel Sanders himself. KFC has grown to over 25,000 locations worldwide, becoming the second largest restaurant chain after McDonald’s.
The KFC Menu
KFC’s menu heavily focuses on fried chicken options. Their flagship product is the Original Recipe chicken, marinated in that secret blend of 11 herbs and spices. Customers can order a bucket of chicken on the bone or pieces like breasts, legs, thighs, and wings.
Other popular chicken items include:
- Extra Crispy chicken – chicken fried longer for a crisper exterior
- Grilled chicken – chicken breasts grilled instead of fried
- Popcorn chicken – bite-sized fried chicken
- Chicken tenders – breaded chicken strips
- Chicken pot pie – chicken with veggies in a flaky pie crust
- Chicken sandwiches – fried chicken fillet on a bun
KFC also serves a variety of side dishes and desserts including mashed potatoes, coleslaw, biscuits, corn, mac and cheese, potato wedges, cookies, and more.
However, despite their name, Kentucky Fried Chicken does not actually serve chicken-fried steak. Let’s look deeper at what this dish is and why it’s not on the menu.
What is Chicken-Fried Steak?
Chicken-fried steak is a Southern American dish consisting of a thin cut of beefsteak coated in flour, battered, and pan-fried. The meat is cooked like fried chicken, leading to the name chicken-fried steak.
While the exact origins are unclear, recipes for chicken-fried steak date back to the 19th century after the advent of beef tenderization techniques. It became popular across Southern diners and cafes. The economical cut of meat could be tenderized, breaded, and fried into an affordable and filling meal.
Today, chicken-fried steak is made by:
- Pounding cube steak or other cuts of beef to tenderize
- Seasoning with salt, pepper, and spices
- Dredging in flour to coat
- Dipping in egg wash or buttermilk
- Coating with breadcrumbs or batter
- Frying in oil until golden brown
The end result is a crispy fried steak mimicking the look and texture of fried chicken. It’s usually served topped with cream gravy along with sides like mashed potatoes, greens, biscuits, or cornbread.
While a Southern staple, chicken-fried steak is less common at fast food chains. The preparation is more labor intensive with the pounding, dredging, and frying steps. Let’s see why KFC has not added this menu item.
Why KFC Doesn’t Serve Chicken-Fried Steak
There are several reasons why chicken-fried steak is not part of KFC’s regular everyday menu:
They Specialize in Chicken
As the name implies, Kentucky Fried Chicken is focused on serving fried chicken. Chicken is core to their brand identity and they have honed recipes specifically for frying chicken in their signature style.
Adding chicken-fried steak would be a departure from their specialty. While they could conceivably fry steak using their methods, it does not align with their brand as a fried chicken chain.
Added Complexity
Preparing chicken-fried steak requires more involved steps like pounding, breading, frying thick steaks, and making cream gravy. This adds complexity versus KFC’s typical process of frying batched chicken pieces.
The thin chicken cuts require less time in the fryer. Chicken-fried steak must be fried long enough to cook the inside of the meat thoroughly without burning the coating. The extra training and procedures are a barrier.
Slower Service
Frying whole chicken-fried steaks would slow down service speed at high volume locations. KFC focuses on quick service with buckets and meals ready for takeout. Taking time to fry steaks to order would not align with their service model.
Higher Costs
Beef tends to cost more than chicken. The cuts of meat needed for chicken-fried steak also require more preparation which adds labor costs. This would lead to higher menu prices compared to KFC’s current chicken items.
Regional Appeal
While loved in the South, chicken-fried steak has less national appeal than fried chicken. KFC’s core products have broader recognizability across their thousands of stores. A regional dish like chicken-fried steak would have lower demand outside local markets.
Times KFC Served Chicken-Fried Steak
Despite chicken-fried steak not being a regular menu item, KFC has served it for limited-time offers over the years. Here are some instances when customers could enjoy chicken-fried steak at KFC:
KFC in the Philippines
KFC locations in the Philippines served chicken-fried steak as part of their menu in the 1980s and 1990s. It was marketed as an everyday meal option along with their fried chicken. The Philippines commonly serve meats like corned beef and Spam fried in the chicken-fried style.
West Virginia Trial Run
In 1991, KFC test marketed chicken-fried steak in two cities in West Virginia. The chicken-fried steak platter came with two steaks, mashed potatoes with gravy, coleslaw, and a biscuit. Priced at $3.99, it was presented as an affordable dinner option. However, it did not expand beyond the trial.
Limited Time Offers
Occasionally KFC locations have brought chicken-fried steak to the menu for short stunts. In 2009, a KFC in Omaha, Nebraska advertised chicken-fried steak as the Colonel’s latest creation. A few other outlets have tried it as a limited-time offering. But it has not stayed beyond the short promotion.
International Versions
Internationally, some KFC outlets have served localized versions of chicken-fried steak tailored to regional tastes. In Jamaica, KFC served Jamaican-style fried steak with spicy gravy. KFC South Africa had a fried beef schnitzel coated in gravy as their take.
So while not a standard everyday menu item, KFC has played with chicken-fried steak over the years on a limited basis. The challenges of operational complexity and focus on core chicken products outweigh adding it permanently.
Would KFC Consider Adding It?
There are some factors that could potentially lead KFC to add chicken-fried steak more widely:
- If beef prices declined substantially relative to chicken, making it more cost effective
- If consumer research showed unmet demand for this menu item
- As a seasonal/limited-time offering to create buzz and variety
- If a major competitor like Chick-fil-A added it, forcing KFC to respond
- To appeal to regions like Texas where chicken-fried steak is beloved
However, the challenges of complexity, speed, cost, and straying from core competence pose obstacles. Chicken-fried steak seems unlikely to become a permanent KFC staple. But never say never – the Colonel has fried up crazier ideas before!
The Bottom Line
So does KFC serve chicken-fried steak everyday? The answer is no. Chicken-fried steak is not part of KFC’s national everyday menu. As a fried chicken specialist, KFC focuses on what they do best – the Colonel’s secret recipe fried bird.
While some individual locations may test chicken-fried steak as a promotion, the added effort makes it impractical as a systemwide menu addition. KFC is all about convenient chicken meals, not crispy cubed steaks.
But with over 25,000 stores worldwide, a chicken-fried steak sighting can’t be ruled out. The Colonel works in mysterious ways. If the demand arises, the 11 herbs and spices stand ready to fry just about anything.
The Verdict
KFC built its brand on fried chicken and that remains core to their identity and operations. While chicken-fried steak has appeared for limited tests and regional launches, the hassle factor makes it unlikely to ever be an everyday menu item at KFC locations globally.
Fried chicken lovers will have to be satisfied with the tried and true buckets, tenders, sandwiches, and sides. The chicken-fried steak will have to be sourced from dedicated Southern homestyle eateries committed to the craft. But if you ever spy a hand-breaded fried steak hiding behind the potato wedges, the Colonel may have cooked up a secret menu surprise.