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A promotional image of KFC's Double Down sandwich
KFC

Many fast-food menu items have cult-like followings, but few are as celebrated as KFC’s extra-meaty, cheese-draped Double Down fried chicken sandwich. 

Fast-food fanatics pining for the return of the bread-free sandwich can now relish in gluttonous glory because, for the first time in nearly a decade, the colonel is bringing back the Double Down starting March 6 — but for only four weeks.

Most bunless sandwiches seek to offer consumers a healthier option, like Jimmy John’s lettuce wraps, but KFC’s take on the concept is anything but. The Double Down is packed with two slices of cheese, two slices of hickory-smoked bacon, and mayonnaise or spicy sauce between two fried chicken breast filets — not a vegetable in sight.

@smanders901 #greenscreen End The Suffering Already🥲#fyp #kentuckyfriedchicken#kfc #kfcwraps #kfcnuggets #kfcdoubledown #kfcwedges #damnyou#colonelsanders #roadto10k ♬ Made You Look – Meghan Trainor

When the menu item debuted in 2010, it drew a flurry of media attention — owed in part to its eye-popping nutritional stats. It packs 40 grams of fat, 62% of the recommended daily intake for a diet of 2,000 calories a day, and also contains 45% of the recommended amount of fat, 50% of cholesterol, and 64% of sodium.

Still, since making its last appearance nine years ago, fried-food fanatics have been yearning for the Double Down’s comeback. 

The Double Down joins other limited-time fast-food favorites that have recently made a return, including Taco Bell’s Mexican pizza and McDonald’s McRib sandwich. 

For those who prefer a sandwich with a bun, KFC is introducing a bacon and cheese sandwich, also starting March 6. The limited-time offering features a white meat chicken filet, cheese, bacon, mayo, and pickles on a toasted brioche bun.

KFC fans eager to wrap their hands around a Double Down can sign up for a shot to get one a daily early — on March 5 — by signing up online March 2-4. But act fast, KFC is limiting the number of day-early purchases to just 2,014, a nod to the year when Double Down was last offered on KFC menus.

Gallery: Fast-Food Items Overdue for a Comeback

The Double Down’s return may excite some KFC fans, but we’re holding off high-fiving Colonel Sanders until he rightfully restores potato wedges as a side dish to the menu.

Meet the Writer

Rachel is a Michigan-based writer who has dabbled in a variety of subject matter throughout her career. As a mom of multiple young children, she tries to maintain a sustainable lifestyle for her family. She grows vegetables in her garden, gets her meat in bulk from local farmers, and cans fruits and vegetables with friends. Her kids have plenty of hand-me-downs in their closets, but her husband jokes that before long, they might need to invest in a new driveway thanks to the frequent visits from delivery trucks dropping off online purchases (she can’t pass up a good deal, after all). You can reach her at [email protected].