What this guide covers: The frying oil KFC uses for its fried chicken, based on KFC's 2007 companywide oil-switch announcement and ingredient documentation reported since.
KFC fries every piece of chicken in low-linolenic soybean oil, a reformulated soybean oil it switched to in 2007. It is still a seed oil, and KFC no longer offers grilled chicken at most US locations. There is no seed-oil-free order at KFC.
Ordering around the seed oil
Order this
Nothing at KFC is seed-oil-free. If you are eating here anyway, the sides carry less exposure than the chicken: corn on the cob, green beans, and mashed potatoes with no gravy. The coleslaw is mayonnaise-based.
Skip this
All fried chicken (Original Recipe, Extra Crispy, tenders, nuggets, the sandwiches), the fries and potato wedges, and the biscuits. Every one is cooked in or made with seed oil.
Ask about this
Grilled chicken. A small number of KFC locations still carry it; most discontinued it years ago. If a location has it, that is the only non-fried protein on the menu.
What can't be made clean
The chicken. KFC is a fried-chicken concept with one soybean oil fryer and, at most locations, no grilled option to order instead.
What oil KFC uses
In 2007, KFC moved away from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil to low-linolenic soybean oil across its US restaurants, primarily to eliminate trans fat from its fried chicken. Low-linolenic soybean oil is a variety bred or processed to reduce linolenic acid content, which improves stability at high frying temperatures without needing hydrogenation.
It's still soybean oil, and soybean oil is a seed oil regardless of the linolenic-acid modification.
Contains seed oil: per KFC's 2007 oil-switch announcement
Frying oil: low-linolenic soybean oil, replacing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil since 2007.
Why the 2007 switch happened
The change was a trans-fat reduction move, not a shift away from seed oils. Partially hydrogenated oils were the primary dietary source of artificial trans fat at the time; low-linolenic soybean oil let KFC remove trans fat while keeping a seed-oil-based fryer setup, rather than switching to an animal fat or a non-seed plant oil.
Our Pick
Fatworks Pasture-Raised Beef Tallow
Beef tallow is a traditional animal fat with a high smoke point, historically used in commercial frying before the industry-wide shift to seed oils. For at-home cooking reference.
Frequently asked questions
Does KFC use seed oils?
Yes. KFC has fried its chicken in low-linolenic soybean oil since a 2007 companywide switch away from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Soybean oil is a seed oil.
What oil does KFC fry its chicken in?
Low-linolenic soybean oil, a variety of soybean oil bred/processed to reduce linolenic acid content and improve stability for repeated frying. KFC switched to this oil in 2007, replacing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, primarily to remove trans fat.
Why did KFC switch its frying oil in 2007?
The 2007 switch away from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil was driven by trans-fat concerns, not a move away from seed oils generally. Low-linolenic soybean oil is still a seed oil, just a reformulated one with 0 grams trans fat per serving.
Is low-linolenic soybean oil different from regular soybean oil?
Yes, technically. It's a variety of soybean bred or processed to lower the linolenic acid content, which makes the oil more stable at high frying temperatures and reduces the need for hydrogenation. It's still soybean oil, and still classified as a seed oil.
Sources
- The Daily Meal -- The Type Of Oil KFC Uses For Its Fried Chicken -- Reports KFC's 2007 switch to low-linolenic soybean oil, replacing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil
What to keep at home instead
Fried chicken at home is the clearest win here: dredge, then shallow- or deep-fry in beef tallow, which is more stable and far lower in omega-6 than the soybean oil a chain fryer uses.
Best Cooking Fats to Replace Seed Oils: the full ranked list →
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