KFC Mac & Cheese Bowl: Price & Calories
KFC's Mac & Cheese Bowl costs $5.00, repriced into the January $5 Bowls line, and carries 540 calories: creamy mac and cheese topped with crispy nuggets and a melted three-cheese blend. It is the lighter, simpler sibling of the Famous Bowl: fifty fewer calories, six hundred milligrams less sodium, and no gravy in sight.
◐ 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 Mac & Cheese Bowl price
| Option | Price | Calories | Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $5.00 | 540 | ◐ 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-02 | $5.99 | first on record |
| 2026-01-06 | $5.00 | −$0.99 |
Down a dollar on 6 January 2026, when the bowl was folded into the $5 Bowls line and its topping moved from crispy nuggets to crispy nuggets. Menu sites still quoting $5.99 are quoting last year.
Fact checkWhy other sites disagree about this item
This bowl's published figures wobble across the web because KFC has resized it more than once: older pages quote a 720-calorie version that no longer matches the current portion. The 520 to 810 ranges you'll see on combo listings fold drink choices into the confusion. Our figures describe the current bowl as sold, dated at the top of the page; when the portion changes again, the ledger will say so.
Full nutrition, per serving
| Nutrient | Per serving | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 540 | 27% |
| Protein | 21 g | 42% |
| Carbohydrates | 52 g | 19% |
| Total fat | 28 g | 36% |
| Saturated fat | 10 g | 50% |
| Sodium | 1,830 mg | 80% |
| Sugars | 5 g | 10% |
| Fibre | 2 g | 7% |
Where the sodium lands
1,830 mg, 80% of the daily value, and the gentlest bowl on the menu by six hundred milligrams. Still not modest; nothing built on cheese and seasoned chicken is. But if the bowls are your habit, this is the rotation slot that lets the habit continue.
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 Mac & Cheese Bowl
| Component | Sold on its own | Published calories |
|---|---|---|
| Homestyle mac and cheese | KFC Mac & Cheese (Side) · $3.79 | 140 as sold alone |
| Crispy chicken nuggets | KFC 10 pc. Nuggets · $5.49 | 500 as sold alone |
| Three-cheese blend | 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 Mac and Cheese Bowl?
Three layers instead of five: mac and cheese as the base, crispy nuggets in the middle, shredded three-cheese melted over the top. No potatoes, no corn, no gravy: this is the bowl for people who found the Famous Bowl busy.
It began life as a kids-adjacent afterthought and quietly became a bestseller; comfort food with one idea, executed at a sandwich price. The cheese pull when it’s fresh is the whole show.
How it is made
Same assembly line as the Famous Bowl, two fewer ladles. The mac base comes off the sides station, it’s the same mac and cheese sold as a side, portioned larger, and the chicken and cheese go on to order. Customizations are thinner here: extra cheese is the meaningful one; there’s no corn or gravy to remove.
Who it suits, and who should skip it
The pick for kids graduating past nuggets, for anyone who wants the bowl format without gravy’s heaviness, and, quietly, for sodium-watchers: 1,830 mg is still high, but it’s the lightest count among the bowls by a full six hundred milligrams.
Skip it if you need the protein: 21 g trails the Famous Bowl‘s 26 g and the texture is one-note by design. And skip it hot days; molten cheese over molten mac asks for a cold drink and patience.
Is it worth the price?
The honest budget bowl: smaller, cheaper inside, and priced accordingly.
A dollar under the Famous Bowl since January’s reprice to $5.00, with 540 calories against 590 and less protein, so on pure counter math the classic wins the value column. What this bowl sells is subtraction: fewer flavors, less salt, no gravy. If that subtraction is the point, and for a lot of orders it is, the equal price stops mattering.
Order hacks
- Eat it inside ten minutes: reheated mac splits and the cheese pull never comes back.
- Extra cheese costs little and is the one upgrade that visibly changes the bowl.
- Add a side of corn if you miss the Famous Bowl’s sweetness: combined you’re still under its sodium.
- The combo adds a medium drink for a dollar; same math as every bowl combo, only if drinking.
- Kids split it happily; two spoons turn it into the cheapest two-child order on the menu.
KFC Mac & Cheese Bowl vs KFC Mashed Potato Bowl (Famous Bowl): value, computed
| Item | Price | ¢ / calorie | $ / 10g protein | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KFC Mac & Cheese Bowl | $5.00 | 0.93¢ | $2.38 | C+ |
| KFC Mashed Potato Bowl (Famous Bowl) | $5.00 | 0.85¢ | $1.92 | B |
| KFC Famous Bowl Combo (Mashed Potato Bowl Combo) | $6.99 | 0.87¢ | $2.69 | C+ |
| KFC Nashville Hot Famous Bowl Combo | $6.99 | 0.79¢ | $2.69 | B |
| KFC Mac & Cheese Bowl Combo | $6.99 | 0.93¢ | $3.33 | C+ |
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 Mashed Potato Bowl (Famous Bowl)
$5.00
· 590 cal · B
KFC Famous Bowl Combo (Mashed Potato Bowl Combo)
$6.99
· 800 cal · C+
KFC Nashville Hot Famous Bowl Combo
$6.99
· 890 cal · B
KFC Mac & Cheese Bowl Combo
$6.99
· 750 cal · C+
How to order the KFC Mac & Cheese Bowl
| 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 Mac & Cheese Bowl Combo ($6.99): 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 Mac & Cheese Bowl FAQs
How many calories is the KFC Mac & Cheese Bowl?
540 for the current bowl: mac and cheese, crispy nuggets and the three-cheese topping. Older 720-calorie figures around the web describe a discontinued larger portion.
How much does the Mac & Cheese Bowl cost?
$5.00 à la carte since the January $5 Bowls reprice, a dollar under the Famous Bowl; the combo adds a medium drink.
Mac & Cheese Bowl or Famous Bowl?
Famous Bowl for value and protein: 590 calories, 26 g protein, the full five layers. Mac bowl for simplicity and salt: 600 mg less sodium and no gravy. Equal prices make it purely a preference call.
Is the Mac & Cheese Bowl vegetarian without the chicken?
Nearly but ask anyway: the mac itself is meat-free, but shared fryers and prep mean cross-contact, and no-chicken doesn't change the price.
How much sodium does it carry?
1,830 mg, 80% of the daily value, and the lowest of KFC's bowls. The cheese layers carry most of it.
Does it come with anything?
À la carte, just the bowl. The combo version adds a medium fountain drink; there's no fries-and-biscuit build for any bowl.
Can I make it spicy?
There's no Nashville Hot mac bowl on the current national menu, but most locations will toss the nuggets in the spiced oil on request, the unofficial menu's worst-kept secret.
Why do some sites list different calories for this bowl?
KFC resized it; older pages never updated. Current portion is 540: our figure is dated at the top of this page and the ledger records any change.
Where every number came from
THE KF MENU · SOURCE SLIP
mac-and-cheese-bowl · audit 31 AUG 2026
independent guide, not affiliated with KFC Corporation