When the KFC Double Down was released nationwide in 2010, it instantly became part of the cultural zeitgeist. It was joked about on late night shows and pointed as to why Americans were so obese. Yet, in the four years it was on the menu, I never tried it. However, once it was gone, I regretted not taking the time to seek it out.
Thankfully, many companies have learned that nostalgia is a great way to boost sales, and my chance to try the sandwich has come. The KFC Double Down was rereleased on March 6th and is (currently) only expected to be offered for four weeks. In lieu of buns, there are two 100% white meat chicken Extra Crispy filets. Between them are two slices of cheese, two slices of bacon, and Colonel’s real mayo or spicy sauce. As I always like to try the original version first, I opted for the mayo over the spicy.
Usually, the 10-minute travel from the restaurant to home can have a negative impact on an item, but in the case of the Double Down, it ended up working in its favor. Before leaving, I checked to make sure my order was correct and noticed the cheese was unmelted. When I got home, it was perfectly gooey after sitting in its foil bag.
I was actually shocked by the size of the sandwich. I knew it would be big, but it was bigger than I thought. Cutting it in half was easy and made eating it a less daunting experience.
I got about as perfect of a first bite as you could possibly want. The crispy, tender chicken filet was a great base for the melty cheese, smokey bacon, and creamy mayo. The familiar blend of KFC spices shined but didn’t overpower the sandwich. All four ingredients worked together to create a unique flavor that made me understand why people started petitions to bring back the Double Down.
My only real issue is the lack of nutritional information. I like being somewhat informed about what I’m eating, but KFC has only released the calorie numbers. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as looking at the original sandwich’s stats, as the 2023 version is 410 calories more than the 2010 one. It’s safe to assume the other numbers must also be much higher.
While I cannot compare it to the original, the 2023 KFC Double Down was an absolute delight. Gimmick foods rarely live up to the hype, but the Double Down certainly exceeded my expectations. It isn’t an item that I would eat with any regularity, but I would love to see it receive the Shamrock Shake treatment and be released yearly for a limited time.
Purchased Price: $8.99
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 950 calories (other nutrition numbers aren’t available)
The mayo is so unnecessary.
No, it definitely needs some sort of sauce inside. I’d choose ketchup instead but that’s just me.
I have a suspicious feeling that the chicken breasts are seasoned and cooked like chicken-fried-chicken. That’s very different from the original. The original was awesome.
I loved this when it first came out and have been wanting it to make a cameo appearance again for years. However, my experience was a let down. First of all, they should have had the same sauce as they did originally…not just a plain mayo. Also, my KFC/Taco Bell hybrid gave me a pretty much completely wrong item. I received a sandwich that isn’t even on the menu, lol. It was chicken breast (only 1,) the cheese and mayo, no bacon there, and on a bun. It was a nice sandwich and just definitely wasn’t a double down…
Irregardless, they still really needed to keep the original sauce.
charge more give u less
It is so delicious but the price is horrible they could have kept it at $7 or $8 it would have been a major major hit
I tried the spicy one, it seemed a little shy on the sauce,,,, It might be a better idea to dip it in a sauce, so you could control how much, and not have it squirt out everywhere.
A lot of the breading came off on one side while eating it, I think I would like it better if it were original recipe, instead of extra crispy. Now that I’ve tried it, I doubt I will order it again