KFC Tuesday Special: The $10 Bucket of the Day, Every Weekday Explained
The KFC Tuesday special is now one day of a five-day lineup. Since 4 May 2026 the $10 Bucket of the Day has run Monday to Friday at participating restaurants: 24 nuggets with four sauces on Monday and Friday, eight drums and thighs on Tuesday, ten wings with two sauces on Wednesday and eight tenders with four sauces on Thursday, each for $10 in the restaurant, on kfc.com or in the app, and not on third-party delivery platforms. Tuesday’s bucket works out to $1.25 a piece against $2.37 in the standing eight-piece bucket. Below, every day is priced against the same food at menu prices, measured for calories, protein and sodium per head, and dressed into a dinner with the add-ons.
The weekday lineup
| Day | The bucket | Price | Per piece | Same food at standing prices | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 24 nuggets, four sauces | $10.00 | 42¢ | $16.34 | $6.34 less (39%) |
| Tuesday | Eight pieces, drums and thighs | $10.00 | $1.25 | $18.99 | $8.99 less (47%) |
| Wednesday | Ten wings, two sauces | $10.00 | $1.00 | $21.08 | $11.08 less (53%) |
| Thursday | Eight tenders, four sauces | $10.00 | $1.25 | $15.35 | $5.35 less (35%) |
| Friday | 24 nuggets, four sauces | $10.00 | 42¢ | $16.34 | $6.34 less (39%) |
Standing comparisons use this site’s reference prices on the review date. Wednesday is measured against whole wings à la carte, a larger piece than a wing segment, so its saving is an upper bound. Prices and participation vary by restaurant; while supplies last; tax extra.
Two add-ons run beside every day’s bucket: two individual sides and biscuits for $5, or two large sides and four biscuits for $10. Neither the bucket nor the add-ons appear on DoorDash, Uber Eats or Grubhub; the offer is a restaurant, kfc.com and app price.
Tuesday: eight drums and thighs
The original $10 Tuesday, unchanged in shape: eight pieces of dark meat, drums and thighs, no white meat option, no sides. At $10 the piece price is $1.25 against $2.37 in the standing eight-piece bucket and $2.00 in the sixteen, which makes it the cheapest bone-in chicken KFC sells on any day. Measured on the nutrition guide’s figures for a drumstick and a thigh, a bucket of four of each carries 1,640 calories, 124 g of protein and 5,240 mg of sodium. Split four ways that is 410 calories, 31 g protein, 1,310 mg sodium a head, before sides and before the sauce cups nobody adds to bone-in chicken anyway.
Monday and Friday: 24 nuggets
The bookends of the week are the same bucket: 24 nuggets and four sauces, 42¢ a nugget against 53¢ in the 36-piece bucket and 58¢ in a 12-piece order. On the guide’s figures for the 12-piece, 24 nuggets carry 1,200 calories, 78 g of protein and 3,030 mg of sodium, or 300 calories, 20 g protein, 760 mg sodium a head for four, which is six nuggets each. The four sauce cups add 5 to 130 calories apiece depending on the cup; the sauce board lists every one.
Wednesday: ten wings
Ten wings and two sauces for $10 is a dollar a wing. The only standing wing on the board is the Original Recipe whole wing at $1.99 à la carte, a larger piece than a wing segment, so the arithmetic saving of $11.08 is the ceiling rather than the figure. Measured on the whole-wing figures, ten wings come to 1,300 calories, 100 g of protein and 3,800 mg of sodium; served as smaller segments the total falls with the piece, so a fair estimate for the bucket is 900 to 1,300 calories and 70 to 100 g of protein. Per head for four, plan on 230 to 330 calories and 750 to 950 mg of sodium.
Thursday: eight tenders
Eight Original Recipe tenders and four sauces for $10 is $1.25 a tender against $1.62 in the eight-tender box, $1.44 in the sixteen and $2.29 for a single tender. On the guide’s figure for a tender, the bucket carries 1,040 calories, 96 g of protein and 2,800 mg of sodium, or 260 calories, 24 g protein, 700 mg sodium a head for four. It is the leanest bucket of the week per calorie of protein, which is why the protein ranking keeps the tenders formats near the top.
The add-ons, priced
| Add-on | Price | Bought separately | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two individual sides and biscuits | $5.00 | $8.16 to $10.36 for two individual sides and two biscuits | $3.16 to $5.36 |
| Two large sides and four biscuits | $10.00 | Four biscuits alone are $5.16; large sides are priced per restaurant | Roughly twice the food of the $5 add-on for twice the price |
Add-on contents as reported at launch; individual side prices from this site’s reference board ($2.79 for slaw, corn, beans or mashed potatoes, $3.89 for wedges).
Dressing a bucket into dinner
| Order | Price | What arrives | Per head for four |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday bucket alone | $10.00 | Eight drums and thighs | $2.50, chicken only |
| Tuesday bucket + $5 add-on | $15.00 | Eight pieces, two individual sides, biscuits | $3.75 |
| Tuesday bucket + $10 add-on | $20.00 | Eight pieces, two large sides, four biscuits | $5.00 |
| $20 Build-A-Bucket | $20.00 | Eight dark-meat pieces or eight tenders, four individual sides, four sauces, four biscuits | $5.00 |
| 8 pc. Chicken Meal | $29.99 | Eight mixed pieces (white meat included), two large sides, four biscuits | $7.50 |
| 8 pc. Tenders Meal | $19.99 | Eight tenders, two large sides, four biscuits | $5.00 |
The bucket is the win when the table needs chicken and nothing else. Once sides enter, the $20 Build-A-Bucket matches a bucket plus the $10 add-on on any day of the week, and only the 8 pc. Chicken Meal offers white meat.
How to get the $10 bucket
- Check the day. Monday and Friday nuggets, Tuesday drums and thighs, Wednesday wings, Thursday tenders. There is no weekend bucket.
- Order in the restaurant, on kfc.com or in the app. In the app it appears as a menu item or in the Deals section for participating restaurants; the app also shows the restaurant’s price, which can differ from $10 in some markets.
- Do not look for it on a delivery platform. The bucket and its add-ons are not sold on DoorDash, Uber Eats or Grubhub. Delivery inside the KFC app follows the restaurant’s participation.
- Add sides if the table needs them. $5 for two individual sides and biscuits, $10 for two large sides and four biscuits.
- Expect the small print. Participation varies, supplies can run out late in the day, and tax is extra.
- Order in the app for the points. A $10 bucket earns 100 Rewards points at 10 points a dollar; the counter order earns none.
Is it the cheapest chicken on the board?
Yes, on its day. The table ranks every count format by price per piece, and each weekday bucket sits below the standing floor of its own line.
| Format | Price | Per piece |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday bucket, drums and thighs | $10.00 for eight | $1.25 |
| 16 pc. Chicken Only Bucket | $31.99 for sixteen | $2.00 |
| 12 pc. Chicken Only Bucket | $25.99 for twelve | $2.17 |
| 8 pc. Chicken Only Bucket | $18.99 for eight | $2.37 |
| Drumstick à la carte | $2.79 each | $2.79 |
| Thursday bucket, tenders | $10.00 for eight | $1.25 |
| 16 pc. Tenders | $22.99 for sixteen | $1.44 |
| 8 pc. Tenders | $12.99 for eight | $1.62 |
| Single tender à la carte | $2.29 each | $2.29 |
| Monday and Friday bucket, nuggets | $10.00 for 24 | 42¢ |
| 36 pc. Nuggets Bucket | $18.99 for 36 | 53¢ |
| 12 pc. Nuggets | $6.99 for twelve | 58¢ |
| Wednesday bucket, wings | $10.00 for ten | $1.00 |
| Whole wing à la carte | $1.99 each | $1.99 |
Per-piece figures divide the reference price by the count; the Bucket of the Day rows use the $10 national price point.
What the Tuesday special was before
$10 Tuesday began in 2025 as an eight-piece dark-meat bucket for ten dollars on Tuesdays, redeemable in the app, on kfc.com and in participating restaurants. On 4 May 2026 KFC U.S. expanded it into the weekday lineup on this page, launched two sauces the same day (Honey Chili Crisp and Jalapeño Ranch), and added a Boneless Bucket for One (three tenders, five nuggets, fries and a medium drink, priced per restaurant). The word “Tuesday” survives in searches and in the name of this page because it is still the day most people know; the offer itself now covers the working week. Sunday and Saturday have no bucket, and the deals page lists what stands on those days.
More KFC guides
QuestionsKFC Tuesday Special FAQs
Is KFC $10 Tuesday still on?
Yes. Tuesday is eight drums and thighs for $10, and since 4 May 2026 it is part of a Monday-to-Friday lineup called the $10 Bucket of the Day.
What is the KFC Tuesday special?
Eight pieces of dark meat (drums and thighs) for $10, chicken only, at participating restaurants, in the restaurant, on kfc.com or in the app.
What is the $10 Bucket of the Day?
A weekday lineup: 24 nuggets with four sauces on Monday and Friday, eight drums and thighs on Tuesday, ten wings with two sauces on Wednesday and eight tenders with four sauces on Thursday, each for $10.
Can I get white meat in the Tuesday bucket?
No. The Tuesday bucket is drums and thighs. White meat comes in the standing buckets and meals, such as the $29.99 eight-piece meal.
Can I order the $10 bucket on DoorDash or Uber Eats?
No. The Bucket of the Day is not available on third-party ordering platforms. Order in the restaurant, on kfc.com or in the app.
Does the $10 bucket come with sides?
No. It is chicken and, on nugget, wing and tender days, sauce cups. Add two individual sides and biscuits for $5, or two large sides and four biscuits for $10.
How many people does the $10 bucket feed?
Two to four. Split four ways, Tuesday's bucket is two pieces each, about 410 calories a head; the nugget bucket is six nuggets each.
How many calories are in the KFC Tuesday bucket?
About 1,640 calories in a bucket of four drums and four thighs on the nutrition guide's figures, with 124 g of protein and 5,240 mg of sodium; 410 calories, 31 g protein, 1,310 mg sodium a head for four.
Is the $10 bucket available at every KFC?
No. Participation varies, and some restaurants charge a different price. The app shows the price at your restaurant.
Do I earn Rewards points on the $10 bucket?
Yes, when it is ordered in the app or on kfc.com: 100 points at 10 points a dollar. Counter orders do not earn points.
Can I buy more than one $10 bucket?
The offer does not publish a limit; restaurants can cap quantities while supplies last, so a large order is worth a call ahead.
Is there a KFC deal on Saturday or Sunday?
Not a bucket. The standing formats stand every day: the $4.99 Taste of KFC plate, the $5 bowls, the Box Feasts and the $20.00 Build-A-Bucket.
Where the facts on this page come from
- KFC U.S. press release, 4 May 2026: $10 Bucket of the Day weekday lineup, not on third-party platforms, participation varies
- Restaurant Dive, 5 May 2026: weekday bucket add-ons sides and biscuits add-ons at $5 and $10
- KFC full nutrition guide, 2026 edition calories and nutrition for every item
- KFC app and kfc.com menu listings reference prices on the review date