KFC 16 pc. Tenders (No Sides): Price & Per-Tender Math
Sixteen tenders, nothing else, about $22.99 to $1.44 a tender, the strip format's floor price, with 2,080 calories and 192 g of protein in the box. It's the 16-piece bucket's boneless twin, and the largest tender order that doesn't route through catering.
◐ REFERENCE FIGURES · INDEPENDENTLY TRACKED · 31 AUG 2026
Grade = this item's percentile across the whole menu: 40% price-per-calorie + 40% price-per-protein + 20% sodium penalty. Full formula.
KFC 16 pc. Tenders (No Sides) price
| Option | Price | Calories | Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 piece | $22.99 | 2,080 | ◐ REF. |
National reference pricing on the audit date. Franchises set final prices; a spread of about a dollar between locations is normal.
The Ledger · price history on recordWhat this item has cost
| Date | Price | Move |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | $22.99 | opening entry |
Tracked at $22.99 since the ladder's top joined the audit. Volume strip pricing moves first and hardest with breast-meat markets: this is the site's most commodity-sensitive ledger.
Fact checkWhy other sites disagree about this item
Catering-quote shadowing again at the strip ladder's top: sixteen-tender counts appear on catering menus at $28 to $34 with tray framing, and listings publish those as the price. The counter sells this box at $22.99 wherever the tenders line boards. Same strips, five-dollar bow tie: the 16-piece bucket's fact-check, translated to boneless.
Full nutrition, per serving
| Nutrient | Per serving | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 2,080 | 104% |
| Protein | 192 g | 384% |
| Carbohydrates | 128 g | 47% |
| Total fat | 96 g | 123% |
| Saturated fat | 18 g | 90% |
| Sodium | 5,600 mg | 243% |
| Sugars | 0 g | 0% |
| Fibre | 8 g | 29% |
One serving, one day’s sodium
About 5,600 mg across the box: the largest single number on this site, and per two-tender portion still 700 mg like every rung. Scale changes the box total and nothing else; the portion truth is the constant this format lives by.
AllergensAllergens
Contains: Wheat, Soy, Milk, Egg. Shared fryers and prep areas mean cross-contact is possible; confirm with the restaurant if you have a severe allergy.
The buildWhat’s in the KFC 16 pc. Tenders (No Sides)
| Component | Sold on its own | Published calories |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Original Recipe tenders | KFC Single Original Recipe Tender · $2.29 | 130 as sold alone |
| 8 dipping sauces | part of this build only | not published separately |
Component figures are the standalone items’ published values; portion sizes inside a build can differ, which is why this site never adds them into an unpublished total.
What is in a KFC 16 pc. Tenders (No Sides)?
The ladder’s ceiling: the dozen‘s economics stretched to party scale. Eight people at two tenders each is the doctrine; the 16-piece tenders meal at $31.99 wraps this same count in four large sides and eight biscuits for tables that want the whole dinner delivered.
How it is made
Two to three fry cycles: the call-ahead case is strongest here of the whole strip line. Five cups standard, which sixteen tenders regard as an opening offer. Uniformity at this scale is the format’s entire logistics story: no cut negotiations, no claim-staking, every hand equal.
Who it suits, and who should skip it
Crowd-feeders with side dishes handled; the team-snack order; households treating $23 as two weeks of protein infrastructure. Below eight eaters or without a fridge plan, step down: sixteen aging tenders is a preventable outcome.
Is it worth the price?
$1.44 a tender: the cheapest finished chicken per unit on the entire board, bone-in included.
It undercuts even the 16-piece bucket’s $2.00 rate, because strips price by weight and buckets by piece. Protein-per-dollar, nothing this site tracks comes close at any scale. The whole trade is planning: this box rewards households that think in portions and punishes ones that think in sittings.
Order hacks
- Call ahead twenty minutes: three fry cycles landing together is a request, not a default.
- Cup math at scale: eight cups for sixteen tenders; five come standard. Close the gap at order.
- Two-a-head feeds eight; prep-wise it’s eight lunches at $2.87 each, which is the quiet headline.
- Freeze half on day one: tenders freeze and air-fry back better than any fried item on the board.
- Check the counter price against any catering quote: the $5-and-up gap is framing, not food.
KFC 16 pc. Tenders (No Sides) vs KFC 3 pc. Tenders Combo: value, computed
| Item | Price | ¢ / calorie | $ / 10g protein | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KFC 16 pc. Tenders (No Sides) | $22.99 | 1.11¢ | $1.20 | B+ |
| KFC 3 pc. Tenders Combo | $8.69 | 0.76¢ | $2.02 | B+ |
| KFC 5 pc. Tenders Combo | $12.19 | 0.84¢ | $1.82 | B+ |
| KFC 2 pc. Tenders | $4.29 | 1.65¢ | $1.79 | C+ |
| KFC 3 pc. Tenders (À La Carte) | $5.99 | 1.54¢ | $1.66 | B |
Computed from the prices and nutrition on this site. When a price moves, these columns move with it; only The KF Menu publishes this table.
AlternativesCompare with similar items
KFC 3 pc. Tenders Combo
$8.69
· 1145 cal · B+
KFC 5 pc. Tenders Combo
$12.19
· 1450 cal · B+
KFC 2 pc. Tenders
$4.29
· 260 cal · C+
KFC 3 pc. Tenders (À La Carte)
$5.99
· 390 cal · B
How to order the KFC 16 pc. Tenders (No Sides)
| Route | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Status | Standing menu item as of 31 Aug 2026; participation can vary by franchise. |
| KFC app & website | The reference price on this page, plus app-only offers and Rewards points. The cleanest way to see your own store’s price before ordering. Official listing. |
| Counter & drive-through | Franchise-set pricing: a spread of about a dollar around the reference is normal. AK, HI and CA run higher on KFC’s own note. |
| Delivery apps | Marked up over counter price and no Rewards earning; the delivery page ranks the routes. |
| Also inside | KFC 2 pc. Tenders Kids Meal ($5.99), KFC 3 pc. Tenders Fill Up ($6.49), KFC Mike’s Hot Honey Tenders Box ($7.00), KFC 4 pc. Tenders Combo ($9.99): the builds that bundle it. |
| Cheaper routes | current deals change without a schedule; the app row is the truth; the standing value board (Taste of KFC, $5 Bowls, Fill Ups) usually beats a promo code. |
KFC 16 pc. Tenders (No Sides) FAQs
How much are 16 KFC tenders alone?
About $22.99 at the counter: $1.44 a tender. Catering menus quote the same count higher with tray service.
How many people does the KFC 16 pc. Tenders (No Sides) feed?
Eight at two tenders each alongside sides, or eight meal-prep lunches for one strategist.
How much protein is in the box?
About 192 g: the largest protein order on the standard board.
Is this cheaper per piece than the chicken bucket?
Per unit, yes, $1.44 against the 16-piece bucket's $2.00, though bone-in pieces carry more meat each. Per gram of protein they land close; per convenience, strips win.
Do sixteen tenders keep?
Better than anything else fried here: refrigerate three days, freeze a month, air-fry back to honest crispness.
16 tenders or the 16-piece tenders meal?
The $9 gap buys four large sides and eight biscuits: the full-dinner delivery. Kitchens with sides keep the nine dollars.
How many calories are in the KFC 16 pc. Tenders?
2,080 calories, with 192 g protein, 128 g carbohydrate and 96 g fat.
How much sodium is in the KFC 16 pc. Tenders?
5,600 mg, 243% of the 2,300 mg daily value in one order. Fried coatings, gravy and sauces carry most of KFC's sodium, so swaps inside the order move the number only at the margins.
Where every number came from
THE KF MENU · SOURCE SLIP
16-pc-tenders-only · audit 31 AUG 2026
independent guide, not affiliated with KFC Corporation