KFC pickle menu UK review: We tried the viral pickle burger, frickles and pickle Pepsi

Yesterday, KFC dropped a full pickle-themed menu and I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say it is one of the strangest fast food launches we’ve seen in a while. 

Only available in the UK until 19 April 2026, the limited-edition range includes a pickle burger, pickle loaded fries, frickles (which are fried pickles) and even a pickle Pepsi if you know how to order it. 

Naturally, I had to try it. 

Disgusting, genius or something in between? I ordered it so you don’t have to. 

What’s on the KFC Pickle Menu

KFC are going all in on pickles here. 

The main event is the pickle burger. KFC advertise it as their iconic Original Recipe fillet spiked with pickle seasoning, paired with tangy sliced gherkins, creamy pickle ranch and crispy pickle pieces, all in a glazed sesame bun. 

You can order it on its own, as a meal or as a box meal with fries, drink and extra piece of chicken. 

The pickle loaded fries are their signature fries spiked with pickle seasoning and loaded with popcorn chicken, creamy pickle ranch and crispy pickle cucumber pieces. 

Frickles, for the uninitiated, are seasoned fried pickle slices finished with cracked black pepper and are a perfect crispy, tangy side if you can’t get enough pickles from your main meal. 

At the centre of it all is something called ‘Pickle Mania’. 

KFC describe it as an “ode to pickles” and it is basically the full experience in one meal. You get the pickle burger, alongside pickle loaded fries, frickles and a pickle Pepsi Max for what they are calling an ‘all-out pickle experience’. 

How much does the Pickle Menu cost 

If you order through Deliveroo, the pickle burger on its own is £7.99. 

If you go for the pickle burger meal, that’s £10.99 and comes with fries and a drink. 

Then there is the pickle burger box meal for £13.69, which includes the burger, regular fries, a drink, an extra piece of chicken and a side. 

You can upgrade the fries in either meal to pickle loaded fries for an extra £2.99, but you cannot choose frickles as your side, they will cost you £2.99 separately but you can still pick from the classic sides like mash, corn on the cob or that world famous gravy. 

If you want to try everything properly, the Pickle Mania meal costs £13.49 and includes the pickle burger, pickle loaded fries, frickles and a pickle Pepsi all together but this bundle can only be ordered direct at KFC. You can’t get pickle mania through Deliveroo or other delivery apps. 

The bit I didn’t realise until after ordering 

So, I ordered my meal through Deliveroo, thinking I was being efficient. Add to basket, try it all, job done. 

Wrong. 

What I didn’t realise is that the full Pickle Mania meal, which includes the pickle loaded fries, frickles and infamous pickle Pepsi, is only available if you order directly from KFC. 

Deliveroo does not have pickle Pepsi! 

Expectation vs Reality 

The pickle loaded fries were supposed to be covered in creamy pickle ranch, but mine had barely any sauce at all. It was mostly seasoning and popcorn chicken, which made them feel a bit dry and very intense. 

There were also no visible pickle pieces on top, which is such a missed opportunity for something that is so aggressively pickle themed. 

The burger did not quite match the description either. Instead of one full piece of chicken, mine was made up of two smaller fillets (maybe this is how it’s supposed to be but nowhere in the description did it say that!). Still tasted fine, just not what you expect visually. 

And then there was the pickle Pepsi... 

Not only could I not find it on the menu, but when I tried to DIY it by asking for the pickle juice on the side, it did not turn up either. Which makes sense now I know the pickle Pepsi only comes as part of the full Pickle Mania meal, which you can only order directly from KFC but I don’t understand why it’s not an option on delivery apps too! 

First impressions

The first thing that hit me was the smell. 

As soon as I opened the bag things were very pickle heavy. No confusion about what I ordered there. Full pickle from the second I opened the bag. 

Which is a good sign. If you are doing a theme, commit to it. 

The delivery driver had another stop before me which is something that tests your patience in ways nothing else really does. Watching your food go in the wrong direction is a humbling experience, especially when you know your chips are coming to you cold... But that was only the start of my pickle pain. 

Did it look like the pictures 

Short answer. No. 

KFC’s promo images make everything look stacked, saucy and generous. You are expecting loaded fries with visible sauce, noticeable pickle pieces and a burger that looks like one solid fillet. 

What turned up was slightly different. 

The pickle loaded fries looked a lot less loaded in real life. There was plenty of seasoning and popcorn chicken but barely any of the creamy pickle ranch that is meant to pull it all together. Without that, they felt a bit dry (how can soggy chips be dry?!) and a lot more intense than expected. 

There were also no pickle pieces on the fries and considering how central pickles are to the whole menu, I feel robbed. 

Then the burger, instead of one full piece of chicken, mine was made up of two smaller fillets and did not look as beautiful as it’s advertisement counterpart (this is why they say don’t believe everything you see on the internet).  

The frickles also did not quite look like the pictures. They were a lot more heavily breaded than expected, less of that bright green pickle showing through and more golden crispy coating. That being said, there were plenty of them and I counted eight in my bag, so portion-wise, no complaints there. 

Nothing was horrible... it just didn’t live up to the very polished images advertised online. 

The Taste Test

The Pickle Burger

The burger is very pickle forward - no easing you into it. 

The pickle ranch has a creamy tang and the gherkins on top double down on that sharpness. The texture of the pickles was slightly different to what you might expect. They were a bit crisp, almost like they had been dried slightly, which added a welcome bit of crunch not unlike a crispy onion. 

The chicken itself was fine, still that classic KFC flavour, but this is very much a pickle experience first and a chicken burger second. It was just a shame that mine came more on the soggy side. 

Frickles

These were easily the best thing on the menu. 

Crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, salty, tangy, everything you want from something deep fried. 

If you like pickles, you will love them. If you don’t, they are still worth trying because at the end of the day they are just very good fried food. 

Also, an elite dipping vehicle for sauce. No notes. 

Pickle Loaded Fries

Very heavy on the pickle seasoning which made them almost too salty and intense. They came topped with popcorn chicken which made them feel a bit more substantial. If you like bold flavours, you will probably enjoy them. If not, they might be a bit much. 

They would have definitely been better hot. Once they cool down, they start to go a bit soggy which is standard for delivery chips but still I’m allowed to be sad about it. 

Again, the lack of sauce and pickle on mine did not help. They needed that creaminess to balance everything out. 

If you want the pickle Pepsi, here’s what you need to do

At the time, pickle Pepsi felt like a secret menu item but now I know I ordered wrong so here’s how to learn from my mistakes. 

It is not a standalone item, it is part of the full Pickle Mania meal, which you can only get when you order or pick up directly from KFC. 

So, if you are ordering on Deliveroo like I did, you are not getting it. Simple as that. 

If you want to try it, you have two options. 

Option one, go to KFC and order the Pickle Mania meal and boom: you get pickle Pepsi. 

Option two, attempt the DIY version. Order a Pepsi Max, get yourself a shot of pickle juice, pour it in and give it a mix. 

And that is it - that is pickle Pepsi. 

Is it good value for money

I spent £21.83 trying to order the full experience on Deliveroo (including all the random fees delivery apps give you).  

Meanwhile, the Pickle Mania meal is £13.49 and comes with everything exactly as it is meant to be served. So not only is it cheaper but it is also the only way to get the full, properly put together version without missing bits. 

If you are going to try it, order directly from KFC. 

Trust me on this one. 

Want to try it for less? 

If you’re a thinkmoney SmartPlus account holder, you can save on the KFC Pickle Menu (minus the pickle Pepsi) - or anything else on Deliveroo – by using PlusSave. 

I saved: 

• Total Deliveroo order: £21.83 

• Plus Save discount: 5% off  

• Savings from Plus Save: £1.09 

Which means I got my dip for free and I absolutely needed it for those poor forlorn soggy chips. 

Here’s how it works: 

• Open the thinkmoney app.  

• Tap PlusSave.  

• Choose the digital gift card or discount you want.  

• Apply it when you check out on Deliveroo.  

It’s a nice and easy way to stretch your money further without missing out on the fun stuff.