KFC Updates Menu with New Items and Price Changes

KFC Updates Menu with New Items and Price Changes

KFC India has rolled out its most significant menu refresh in over three years, introducing several new signature items, reviving discontinued fan favourites, tweaking portion sizes on core products and implementing the first nationwide price adjustment since mid-2024. The changes, effective 1 February 2026 across all 1,050+ outlets, reflect rising commodity costs, evolving consumer preferences toward value-for-money combos and a continued push into premium and regional-flavour segments. The update arrives just ahead of the spring-summer season when footfall typically rises 18–22 % in northern and western India.

New Signature Launches & Limited-Time Offers

KFC has added five permanent new items and three limited-period offers to the core menu:

• Nashville Hot Chicken Zinger Burger A fiery, southern-US-inspired crispy chicken fillet coated in spicy cayenne-pepper glaze, topped with coleslaw, pickles and signature mayo on a toasted sesame bun. Priced at ₹229 standalone and ₹299 with medium fries + Pepsi.
• Korean BBQ Chicken Wings (6 pc / 12 pc) Succulent wings glazed in a sweet-spicy Korean gochujang-style sauce with sesame seeds and spring onions. Available in 6-pc (₹249) and 12-pc (₹449) buckets.
• Tandoori Chicken Popcorn (Large) Bite-sized popcorn chicken marinated in tandoori masala, grilled and finished with chaat masala and coriander. Large bucket (₹199) replaces the older Cajun variant.
• Makhni Chicken Rice Bowl Shredded tandoori chicken tossed in butter-chicken-style makhni gravy, served over basmati rice with onion-tomato salsa. Priced at ₹279.
• Veg Zinger Stacker A vegetarian counterpart to the Chicken Stacker featuring a crispy veg patty, double cheese slice, hash brown, lettuce, mayo and signature sauce in a toasted bun. Priced at ₹209.

Limited-time offers (available till 31 March 2026)

• Smoky BBQ Chicken Bucket (8 pc) – ₹599
• Tandoori Chicken Strips Combo (5 pc + medium fries + Pepsi) – ₹349
• Peri-Peri Chicken Rice Bowl – ₹269

Price Adjustments on Core Menu Items

KFC implemented a selective price increase averaging 6–9 % on most signature items, the first broad revision since July 2024. Key changes (pre- vs post-1 February 2026 prices):

• Classic Zinger Burger: ₹199 → ₹219
• Chicken Zinger Combo (with medium fries + Pepsi): ₹299 → ₹329
• 10-pc Hot & Crispy Bucket: ₹699 → ₹749
• 12-pc Chicken Popcorn Bucket: ₹399 → ₹429
• Medium Fries: ₹99 → ₹109
• Pepsi (regular): ₹69 → ₹75

Value combos have been protected to maintain affordability:

• Zinger Tandoori Combo (Zinger + Tandoori leg + Pepsi): remains ₹279
• 5-pc Hot & Crispy Strips + medium fries + Pepsi: remains ₹349
• Lunch Box (Zinger + medium fries + Pepsi): remains ₹249

KFC India MD & CEO Rajat Tuli explained the pricing strategy: “Input costs—chicken, oil, packaging and energy—have risen 12–16 % over the last 18 months. We have absorbed a significant portion of that inflation and are passing on only a measured increase while protecting our value-for-money combos that drive 62 % of transactions.”

New Value Combos & Family Deals

To offset the headline price increases, KFC introduced several new value-focused offerings:

• Daily Saver Box (available 12 noon–5 p.m.): 1 Zinger + 3 Hot Wings + medium fries + Pepsi for ₹249
• Family Feast for 4: 8-pc Hot & Crispy + large popcorn chicken + 4 medium fries + 4 Pepsi for ₹999 (down from ₹1,099)
• Student Combo (on presentation of valid college ID): Zinger + medium fries + Pepsi for ₹199 (limited to one per ID per day)
• Bucket of Happiness (8 pc + large popcorn chicken): ₹699 (new entry-level family bucket)

These combos have already driven a 14 % increase in average transaction value in the first three days of February according to early same-store sales data shared by franchise partners.

Regional & Limited-Edition Flavour Strategy

KFC has doubled down on regional taste profiles in 2026:

• South India: Continued success of the Chettinad Chicken Zinger and Andhra Chilli Popcorn
• North India: New Amritsari Chicken Tikka Wrap (₹229)
• West India: Masala Vada Pav Zinger (limited to Maharashtra & Gujarat)
• East & North-East: Bengali Kosha Chicken Zinger (₹249) – slow-cooked chicken in onion-tomato gravy

These regional items now account for 28 % of sales in their respective zones (up from 19 % in 2024).

Customer & Franchisee Feedback

Early consumer reaction has been mixed but largely positive:

• Premium new items (Nashville Hot, Korean BBQ) received 4.4–4.7 star ratings on the KFC app and Swiggy/Zomato.
• Price increases on core items drew some backlash on social media, but the new value combos and family deals have mitigated much of the discontent.
• Franchise partners report 12–15 % footfall growth in the first week of February, helped by the long weekend and Republic Day hangover.

Outlook for 2026

KFC India has set ambitious targets for the year:

• Open 180–200 new stores (taking total count past 1,250 by December 2026)
• Grow delivery share from 58 % to 65 %
• Increase average transaction value by 10–12 % through premiumisation and combo engineering
• Achieve 15 % same-store sales growth

The menu refresh and selective price increase appear to have struck the right balance between protecting margins and retaining price-sensitive customers. Early indicators suggest the strategy is working—same-store sales for the first three days of February are tracking 13–16 % ahead of the same period in 2025.

As KFC navigates rising input costs and intensifying competition from local QSR chains and cloud kitchens, the 2026 menu update will be remembered as a pivotal moment in its journey to become India’s leading chicken QSR brand.