KFC Chizza hits US menus giving everyone a taste of the epic food mash-up

The KFC Chizza is where fried chicken meets pizza. A favorite food menu item in KFC restaurants around the world comes to the U.S. It is time to forget the slice when there is a tasty crust of all those 11 herbs and spices.

Many people look at global quick service restaurant menus and wonder when or if those food mash-ups will come to locations closer to home. Even though some people might make a detour on their travels to try one of these food choices, the longing to have that taste at the local drive-thru is great.

Now that the KFC Chizza has come to U.S. restaurants, everyone can dig into this bold, flavorful food. While the menu item is described as a pizza-meets-fried chicken mash-up, the idea is more than just a slice served in a different way. Some people might see a nod to a classic Italian dish.

According to KFC, the Extra Crispy filets are topped with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni. To be clear, there is no pizza crust, dough, or bread item. It is chicken, sauce, cheese, and topping.

Based on the photos, it will be interesting to see how the sauce tops the KFC fried chicken. Sauce on a fried food can be good and bad. As long as that Extra Crispy Chicken does not get soggy, it will be successful.

KFC touts this idea as all the pizza flavors but with a chicken crust. It might not necessarily be cutting out those carbs, but it is definitely a fork and knife food. It would be impossible to fold and eat this menu item like a pizza slice.

Although this idea is meant to reference a pizza slice, it almost sounds like a take on a chicken parm. The fried chicken might be a little crunchier and there is pepperoni on top, but there are similarities between the two foods. Maybe it is time to put some pepperoni on a chicken parm.

Overall, many people will want to try the KFC Chizza at least once. That first order might be about the hype, but KFC is betting on return orders. It remains to be seen if this quick service restaurant food will become the new Friday night order.

Has there been other versions of the KFC Chizza?

Looking back at global KFC menus, there have been other versions of the KFC Chizza. Previous options were more like a chicken cordon bleu, fried chicken topped with ham and cheese. While this idea had its merits, it is not necessarily as fun as a fried chicken pizza.

Some of the versions had pineapple with the fried chicken, ham, cheese, and sauce. Given that the Hawaiian pizza is a controversial topic, it had food worlds divided. Other more recent versions were closer to a traditional pizza slice.

While this food idea goes back almost 10 years, it seems that KFC is doubling down on big, bold, hearty dishes. Following the menu addition of Smash'd Potato Bowls, it seems that it salads or calorie conscious options are not the focus. These food options are meant to be indulgent or comforting. In those scenarios, no one is worrying about the calorie count.

The KFC Chizza hits menus on February 26 for a limited time. It will be sold as full double stacked Chizza,  small Chizza (which is just one filet) and as a combo with Secret Recipe Fries and a drink. Check with local restaurants for availability and pricing.