I tried KFC’s festive menu including a sell-out returning burger – it tastes just like Christmas dinner in a bun
KFC has unveiled its festive menu for 2024 - and one burger tastes just like Christmas in a bun.
The fried chicken chain launched the four-item range today including two sharing gravy buckets starting from £19.99.
Customers can also get their hands on two new returning burgers that debuted last year.
I got a try of the new menu as it hits restaurants across the UK today - here's what I thought.
RETURNING BURGERS
First up in the taste test were two returning burgers - the Stuffing Tower Burger and Stuffing Stacker Burger.
The Tower Burger comes with an original recipe chicken fillet, sage and onion stuffing, spicy cranberry sauce, lettuce and cheese slices, all in a soft brioche bun and costs from £7.49.
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The Stacker Burger, from £8.99, is exactly the same but you get two slices of cheese and two chicken fillets.
Both burgers are similar to the Zinger Stacker burger, which comes with two slices of cheese and sweet chilli sauce, except the sage and onion stuffing and cranberry sauce gives them a festive twist.
I tried the larger, slightly more intimidating looking, Stacker Burger first and my initial thought was just how tall it was.
And in reality, it was too hard to hold, even with two hands, and all the fillings quickly fell out.
When I did crunch down, it was almost impossible to get all the ingredients in one bite because it was so enormous.
That said, on second bite I managed to get a bit of everything and was surprised at how tasty it was.
The cranberry sauce wasn't too sweet and the sage and onion stuffing combined with the chicken nicely.
If I had to compare it to something else I'd say it tasted just like Christmas dinner.
Next up was the Tower Burger, which basically tasted the same, except it wasn't so much of a tussle to get a decent bite in.
Overall, the balance of flavours between all the ingredients was much better as well.
The burger cost £7.49 when bought as an individual item too - £1.50 cheaper than the £8.99 Stacker Burger.
GRAVY BUCKETS
Next up were the two gravy buckets - the Gravy Double Bucket and the Gravy Triple Bucket.
The double comes with six pieces of original recipe chicken, eight hot wings or six mini fillets, four regular fries, two large gravy pots and a bottle of soft drink.
The triple comes with six pieces of original recipe chicken, six mini fillets, eight hot wings, four regular fries, two large gravy and a bottle of soft drink.
The two buckets cost £19.99 and £23.99 respectively.
KFC does usually offer a Gravy Mega Box not at Christmas from £5.49 which comes with one piece of original recipe chicken, a chicken breast fillet and two hot wings plus a regular gravy portion and fries.
However, both the festive buckets are supersized meaning they're more suitable for groups or families.
I only tried the Triple Bucket as it comes with all the same ingredients the Double does, and first up were the hot wings.
They were super crunchy and packed a spicy kick that wasn't too hot, but they barely had any flavour and there was little meat on the bones.
The mini fillets up next were tender and juicy, with a nice bit of crunch on the skin and the KFC original recipe seasoning came through much stronger than the wings.
The original recipe chicken definitely won out of the three chicken options though.
Each piece had a good balance of skin to meat, and the seasoning on the skin was well spread out meaning each bite tasted the same.
The chips, however, were a let down and had a floppy and damp texture.
The original recipe seasoning gave them a smoky kick, but some fries barely had any seasoning on them.
The gravy dip was rich, salty and actually the original recipe chicken, eight hot wings and mini fillets all worked really well with the sauce.
That said, it was a bit gloopy, especially as it cooled down.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
In other fast food news, McDonald's has launched its own Christmas menu including two new items.
Plus, Popeye's has also unveiled its own festive menu featuring a twist on an iconic chicken sandwich.
How to eat for cheap
Eating out can burn a hole in your budget, says Sun Savers editor Lana Clements, but there are a few tricks to get a meal for less.
SECRET EATS: Mystery diners can get a free meal in exchange for giving feedback on their experience.
There are a number of firms that recruit people to dine and review.
You need to sign up to one that will give you a location and a brief on what to asses on the visit.
Try Hgem, which works with restaurants including Dishoom, Flat Iron and Brewdog.
Normally, you pay for the food and then get reimbursed for your visit. Apply at mysterydining.net.
Service Scan works with fast food outlets as well as top-end gourmet establishments. See service-scan.com.
LEARNERS: You can get cut-price food by sampling menus from trainee chefs. Catering colleges often have restaurants with delicious meals that are whipped up by students.
They are usually only open in term time and you will have to dig around to find your nearest venue.
For example, The Stables Restaurant is part of Oaklands College in Hertfordshire. Or you could try the Scholars Restaurant at City of Glasgow College.
DO IT FOR THE KIDS: During the holidays, numerous chains run kids-eat-free or cheap offers that cut the cost of going out as a family.
For example previous offers have seen up to two children get a free meal all day at Bills when one adult ordered a main dish. The kids’ menu includes mac and cheese, as well as fish fingers and chips.
At Subway, children got a 4in sub, snack and drink for free when an adult bought a foot-long sub.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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