Why Doesn't KFC Taste Like It Used To?

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Founded in 1930 by the now legendary Colonel Harland Sanders, Kentucky Fried Chicken (which later changed its name to KFC) has been in business for about a century. That's a lot of time for a restaurant to tweak its signature recipes. Comments posted on the Complaints Board between 2010 and 2023 reveal that some consumers have felt KFC's 11 herbs and spices just aren't as prominent anymore, calling the chicken bland. People have said sides like coleslaw and macaroni salad lack flavor, too. At least one person felt the gravy had gone from being great to resembling "grease mixed with flour."

KFC has a history of contentious recipe changes. The New Yorker noted in 1970 that the Colonel himself couldn't stand that the chain changed his signature gravy recipe to cut costs and make it simpler to prepare. In 1976, The New York Times reported on how Sanders heavily criticized the chain for using powdered spuds instead of fresh ones to make KFC's mashed potatoes. He likened the side to "wallpaper paste."

One possible reason the chicken seems different is that the company changed its cooking oil. During the 2000s, KFC switched from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil to low-linolenic soybean oil to cut down on trans fats. Many people have alleged that this changed both the flavor and texture of its fried chicken. Food scientist Ted Labuza told Time that chicken fried in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil "is crunchier, and you don't get that feeling of fat coating your mouth." In fact, KFC had previously tried using trans-fat-free canola oil but rejected that option because it deadened the flavors of the all-important herbs and spices.

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Customers have noticed a difference in meat texture as well. One Redditor said, "The chicken tastes like legit the same bulk chicken tenders you can buy at Walmart. It's real bland and mushy." Comparing the restaurant's offerings to poultry from a grocery store might not be far off the mark. A KFC spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider in 2015, "KFC uses only top quality poultry from trusted companies like Tyson and Pilgrim's Pride — the same brands customers know from their local supermarkets."

Of course, change isn't all bad. It's how businesses stay relevant. That can mean adjusting menu items in response to various factors, including cost concerns and local tastes. In fact, you may find that the food at KFC is very different in other countries. But changes the chain has made in the U.S. might have affected the flavors and textures of classic offerings in ways that are hard to ignore and even harder for some people to like.