Bonchon Sides Menu — All 13 Sides, Priced & Compared
Every Bonchon side with verified prices, calories, heat levels and allergens — plus which side comes free with every chicken order, and which one actually cools down the Spicy sauce.
Bonchon serves 13 sides, priced from $2.05 to $8.99. The lightest is pickled radish at 15 calories; the heaviest is onion rings at 680.
Every Bonchon chicken order includes one complimentary side — either pickled radish or coleslaw, your choice. Ordered separately, each costs $2.05.
Sodium is the number worth watching, not calories. Steamed rice carries 7mg; onion rings carry 1,350mg — a 190-fold difference across the same menu. All nutrition figures on this page come from Bonchon's official guide, July 2026 edition.
This page covers all 13 sides: verified prices, calorie counts, heat levels, allergens, and which side pairs with which sauce. Prices reflect in-store US pricing. Bonchon's 150+ US restaurants are independently franchised, so prices and availability vary by location — and delivery apps run 30–60% above menu price.
The one thing worth knowing: coleslaw is the most effective item on the Bonchon menu for reducing the heat of Spicy chicken. Not because it is cold, but because the casein protein in the dairy dressing binds to capsaicin and strips it from the tongue's receptors. Water spreads capsaicin around. Coleslaw removes it.
Bonchon Sides Menu — Full Price & Calorie List
| Side | Price | Calories | Heat | ¢ / calorie | Allergens | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickled Radish | $2.05 | 15 | 35 | 1 | None | None |
| Coleslaw | $2.05 | 120 | 125 | 1 | None | Dairy, Egg |
| Steamed Rice | $2.05 | 398 | 7 | 8 | None | None |
| Kimchi | $3.05 | 67 | 624 | 4 | Mild–Medium | Soy, Fish |
| Korean Street Corn | $3.99 | 345 | 711 | 9 | Mild | Dairy, Egg |
| French Fries | $4.15 | 360 | 865 | 9 | None | Wheat |
| Korean Cucumber Salad * | $5.50 | 60 | Mild | Sesame | ||
| Edamame | $6.25 | 270 | 930 | 27 | None | Soy |
| Seasoned Fries | $7.15 | 430 | 970 | 10 | None | Wheat, Dairy |
| Onion Rings | $7.15 | 680 | 1,350 | 10 | None | Wheat |
| Sweet Potato Waffle Fries * | $7.15 | 340 | None | Wheat | ||
| Fried Zucchini | 474 | 1,133 | 8 | None | Wheat, Dairy | |
| Seasoned Fried Zucchini | $8.99 | 532 | 1,333 | 13 | None | Wheat, Dairy |
* Select locations only. Calories, sodium and protein come directly from Bonchon's official Nutritional Information guide, July 2026 edition. Prices verified August 2026 against Bonchon's menu and location ordering systems. Blank cells mean Bonchon does not publish that figure. Bonchon's US restaurants are independently franchised — prices and availability vary by location.
Bonchon Sides Ranked by Calories
All 12 sides with published calorie counts, lightest to heaviest. Bars coloured by price tier.
Which Bonchon Sides Are Free?
Every Bonchon chicken order includes one complimentary side: either pickled radish or coleslaw. You choose which. This applies to wings, drumsticks, boneless and combo orders — Bonchon's own menu lists it under each chicken item.
What "one" means: you get one, not both. If you want the other as well, it costs $2.05.
Combo boxes include more. The 12-piece combo comes with two sides, the 30-piece with three, and the 45-piece with four — and those are not limited to radish and coleslaw. You pick from the full sides list.
Delivery orders are different. DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub do not always include the complimentary side automatically. Add it explicitly. Pickled radish is the one people most often notice missing, because in Korean fried chicken culture it is not a garnish — it is the thing that resets your palate between pieces so the twelfth wing tastes like the first.
Refills: most locations will top up pickled radish free if you ask in-store. This is franchise-dependent, not menu policy.
Is pickled radish free at Bonchon?
Yes — pickled radish comes free with any Bonchon chicken order, as an alternative to coleslaw. Ordered on its own, pickled radish costs $2.05.
Can you get both pickled radish and coleslaw free?
No. Bonchon chicken orders include one complimentary side — pickled radish or coleslaw. The second costs $2.05.
Every Bonchon Side, Explained
Bonchon Pickled RadishFree with chicken
Bonchon pickled radish is cubed daikon radish pickled in a sweet, sour and lightly salty brine. In Korean it is called danmuji, and at 15 calories it is the lightest item on the entire Bonchon menu — roughly one-sixth of a single soy garlic wing.
Pickled radish is not a side dish in the American sense. In Korean fried chicken culture it functions as a palate cleanser: one cube between pieces cuts the accumulated richness and resets the taste buds. It works hardest with Soy Garlic, where sweetness builds across an order of twenty wings.
At 13.7 cents per calorie, pickled radish is the most expensive side by that measure — but calories are not what you are buying. You are buying the thing that makes a large order eatable in one sitting.
Bonchon ColeslawFree with chicken
Bonchon coleslaw is shredded cabbage and carrots in a sweet, creamy dressing. It is the second complimentary option alongside pickled radish, and at 120 calories remains one of the lightest items on the menu.
The dairy in the dressing neutralises capsaicin. Casein proteins bind to capsaicin molecules and strip them from the tongue's receptors. This is why a bite of coleslaw between pieces of Spicy chicken genuinely reduces the burn, while water only spreads it. It is chemistry, not a palate reset.
If you are ordering Spicy, Yangnyeom or Buldak and are unsure about your heat tolerance, taking coleslaw as your complimentary side is the correct choice.
Bonchon Steamed Rice
Bonchon steamed rice is plain short-grain white rice, served without seasoning.
At 0.5 cents per calorie, steamed rice is by a wide margin the best-value item on the Bonchon menu — the next closest is onion rings at 1.1 cents. It solves two practical problems: turning a wings order into a full meal, and absorbing heat when Spicy turns out hotter than expected.
Starch physically absorbs capsaicin oil, which a cold drink cannot do. Rice and coleslaw work through different mechanisms — rice absorbs, dairy binds — so ordering both is not redundant if you have gone heavy on heat.
Bonchon Kimchi
Bonchon kimchi is fermented napa cabbage seasoned with Korean red chili, garlic and salt — salty, sour and mildly spicy. Most locations make it in house.
At 67 calories, kimchi is the lowest-calorie paid side after pickled radish, and nutritionally the most substantial item on the menu. Fermentation produces probiotic bacteria, and kimchi carries vitamins C, K and B-complex along with antioxidants from the chili.
Is Bonchon kimchi spicy? Mild to moderate. There is real heat from gochugaru, but well below the Spicy chicken sauce, and the fermented sourness moderates how the heat is perceived.
Bonchon Korean Street Corn
Bonchon Korean street corn is grilled corn topped with Kewpie mayo, mozzarella, garlic and Korean red chili flakes, finished with scallions.
This is the most distinctive side on the menu and the only one that works as a dish in its own right. Kewpie mayo is a Japanese mayonnaise made with egg yolks only and rice vinegar, giving it a richer, tangier profile than American mayonnaise — that is the flavour doing most of the work here.
Korean street corn also appears inside the Seoul Sampler platter, which is where most people encounter it first. Bonchon's official nutrition guide lists it at 345 calories for a 7oz serving with 711mg of sodium and 9g of protein; some location menus quote a wider 221–441 range because portion size varies.
Bonchon French Fries
Bonchon french fries are medium-cut potatoes, deep-fried and lightly salted — nothing else. The simplicity is deliberate: they are designed to sit alongside heavily sauced chicken without competing with it.
At 360 calories, french fries sit mid-range — below onion rings (680) and seasoned fries (430), above coleslaw (120) and kimchi (67).
Plain vs seasoned: seasoned fries cost $3.00 more for the same potato plus garlic seasoning, parmesan and parsley. If you want fries that stand on their own, pay the upcharge. If you want something that stays out of the chicken's way, plain is both better suited and cheaper.
Bonchon Korean Cucumber SaladSelect locations
Bonchon Korean cucumber salad is sliced cucumbers with onions, scallions and Korean red chili powder. It is the only genuinely fresh, uncooked side on the menu apart from coleslaw.
At 60 calories it is the second-lightest side after pickled radish. The cooling effect works differently from coleslaw: there is no dairy, so it does not neutralise capsaicin, but the water content and cold temperature give real relief.
The price is the problem. At $5.50 this is among the more expensive sides for a small portion — hard to justify next to $2.05 pickled radish, which does a similar job. Korean cucumber salad also appears as a topping on the Bonchon chicken sandwich at some locations.
Bonchon Edamame
Bonchon edamame is steamed young soybeans sprinkled with salt, served in the pod.
Edamame is the only side on the menu that is neither fried nor pickled, and the only one with meaningful protein. For anyone treating Bonchon as a protein-heavy meal rather than an indulgence, this is the side that fits.
At $6.25 it is priced above kimchi and street corn, which is difficult to defend for what is essentially salted soybeans. But the portion is generous and it is the one thing on the sides menu that will not leave you feeling heavy.
Bonchon Seasoned Fries
Bonchon seasoned fries are french fries tossed with garlic seasoning, parmesan cheese and parsley flakes.
These are also the base of Bulgogi Fries, Bonchon's most popular starter — so if you have had those and liked the potato underneath, this is that dish without the beef, mozzarella and spicy mayo.
The value question: seasoned fries cost $7.15. Bulgogi Fries cost $13.99. For $6.84 more you move from a side to a shareable dish with beef and cheese on it. If two people are ordering, Bulgogi Fries is the better use of the money.
Bonchon Onion Rings
Bonchon onion rings are thick slices of onion in a light batter, fried golden and served with ketchup.
At 680 calories, onion rings are the highest-calorie side on the Bonchon menu — more than five times the coleslaw, and roughly three-quarters of an entire small wings order (902 calories).
They are also the best value per calorie at 1.1 cents, which says more about portion size than quality. This is a shared item. Ordered alongside a full chicken order for one person, it is a great deal of fried food on one table.
Bonchon Sweet Potato Waffle FriesSelect locations
Bonchon sweet potato waffle fries are waffle-cut sweet potato fries — crisp at the edges, soft in the centre, naturally sweeter than regular potato.
At 340 calories these are lower than both plain fries (360) and seasoned fries (430), which surprises most people who assume sweet potato means heavier. Same price as onion rings for half the calories.
The waffle cut also holds sauce better than a straight cut, and the natural sweetness plays against Spicy and Yangnyeom in a way plain potato does not.
Bonchon Fried Zucchini
Bonchon fried zucchini is breaded zucchini slices, lightly salted. This is the plain version; a seasoned version with garlic, parmesan and parsley is listed separately at $8.99.
At 474 calories with 1,133mg of sodium, the plain version saves 58 calories and 200mg of sodium against the seasoned one — a smaller gap than the price difference between plain and seasoned fries would suggest.
On the price: Bonchon does not publish a national price for the plain fried zucchini and not every location carries it. Expect it below the $8.99 seasoned version. At many locations the plain version is dusted with Bonchon Gold Dust, a seasoning blend that contains dairy — worth reading your local menu if you avoid it.
Bonchon Seasoned Fried Zucchini
Bonchon seasoned fried zucchini is fried zucchini slices seasoned with garlic, parmesan cheese and parsley — the same seasoning used on the seasoned fries.
At $8.99, seasoned fried zucchini is the most expensive side on the Bonchon menu — more than half the price of a small wings order ($14.95), and $1.84 above onion rings.
The zucchini itself holds up well to frying and stays firm rather than turning to mush. But the price is hard to defend when kimchi is $3.05 and street corn is $3.99, both of which bring more to the table.
Which Bonchon Side Should You Order?
| If you want… | Order | Price | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fewest calories | Pickled Radish | $2.05 | 15 cal — lightest on the menu |
| To cool down Spicy | Coleslaw | $2.05 | Dairy binds capsaicin |
| Best value per calorie | Steamed Rice | $2.05 | 0.5¢ per calorie |
| Most nutritious | Kimchi | $3.05 | Probiotics, vitamins C/K/B |
| Most protein | Edamame | $6.25 | Only side with real protein |
| Something different | Korean Street Corn | $3.99 | Kewpie mayo, mozzarella, chili |
| Sharing with a group | Onion Rings | $7.15 | Largest portion |
| Kid-friendly | French Fries | $4.15 | Familiar, no heat |
| Best fry | Sweet Potato Waffle Fries | $7.15 | 340 cal, holds sauce |
| Turning wings into a meal | Steamed Rice | $2.05 | Cheapest filler |
Why Bonchon's Cheapest Sides Are Also Its Most Useful
There is a clear break in Bonchon's side pricing. Three sides cost $2.05 — pickled radish, coleslaw and steamed rice. Kimchi follows at $3.05 and street corn at $3.99, then the menu jumps to $7.15 and above.
The Three Price Tiers
Bonchon's sides cluster into three clear pricing bands.
The $2.05 tier contains the three most functional sides on the menu. Pickled radish resets the palate. Coleslaw chemically neutralises capsaicin. Steamed rice absorbs capsaicin oil and turns wings into a meal. Each one solves a problem that actually arises while eating Korean fried chicken.
The $7.15-and-above tier — seasoned fries, onion rings, waffle fries, fried zucchini — is more fried food served alongside fried chicken. Enjoyable, but functionally redundant.
The practical order: take your complimentary side, add steamed rice if you want a full meal, and add one shared item from the upper tier only if there are three or more of you.
Worked Example — Two People, Same Chicken
Medium wings ($28.28) with one complimentary coleslaw, priced two ways.
The upper-tier order: Medium wings + two seasoned fries ($7.15 each) = $42.58.
The Sodium Story Nobody Tells You
Calories get all the attention on menu pages. On Bonchon's sides menu, sodium is the more useful number — and the spread is extraordinary.
| Side | Sodium (mg) | % of daily limit | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steamed Rice | 7 | 0.3% | 398 |
| Pickled Radish | 35 | 1.5% | 15 |
| Coleslaw | 125 | 5% | 120 |
| Kimchi | 624 | 27% | 67 |
| Korean Street Corn | 711 | 31% | 345 |
| French Fries | 865 | 38% | 360 |
| Edamame | 930 | 40% | 270 |
| Seasoned Fries | 970 | 42% | 430 |
| Fried Zucchini | 1,133 | 49% | 474 |
| Seasoned Fried Zucchini | 1,333 | 58% | 532 |
| Onion Rings | 1,350 | 59% | 680 |
Percentages are against the American Heart Association's recommended daily limit of 2,300mg. Sodium figures from Bonchon's official nutrition guide, July 2026.
Steamed rice carries 7mg of sodium. Onion rings carry 1,350mg. That is a 190-fold difference between two items on the same short menu — and calories tell you almost nothing about it. Coleslaw and kimchi sit within 53 calories of each other, but kimchi has five times the sodium.
Why it matters here: Bonchon's chicken is already salty. A Small order of Spicy wings carries 1,028mg on its own. Add onion rings and you are at 2,378mg before you have touched a drink — past the full daily limit, from one meal.
The practical move: if you are ordering fried chicken, take pickled radish (35mg) or coleslaw (125mg) as your complimentary side. Both are effectively sodium-free next to everything else on this menu.
Best Protein Per Dollar
One side stands apart on protein, and it is not one of the fried options.
| Side | Protein (g) | Calories | Price | Protein per $1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edamame | 27 | 270 | $6.25 | 4.3g |
| Seasoned Fried Zucchini | 13 | 532 | $8.99 | 1.4g |
| Onion Rings | 10 | 680 | $7.15 | 1.4g |
| Seasoned Fries | 10 | 970 | $7.15 | 1.4g |
| French Fries | 9 | 360 | $4.15 | 2.2g |
| Steamed Rice | 8 | 398 | $2.05 | 3.9g |
Edamame delivers 27g of protein for 270 calories — exactly 1g of protein per 10 calories, which is a ratio you will not find anywhere else on the Bonchon menu outside the chicken itself. It is also the only side that is neither fried nor pickled.
The catch is the price. At $6.25 it costs three times what steamed rice does, and rice quietly delivers 8g of protein for $2.05 — the best protein-per-dollar figure after edamame, from an item most people order as filler.
Bonchon Sides — Frequently Asked Questions
How many sides does Bonchon have?
Bonchon's menu lists 13 sides: pickled radish, coleslaw, steamed rice, kimchi, Korean street corn, french fries, Korean cucumber salad, edamame, seasoned fries, onion rings, sweet potato waffle fries, fried zucchini and seasoned fried zucchini. Not every location carries all 13.
How much are Bonchon sides?
Bonchon sides range from $2.05 to $8.99. Pickled radish, coleslaw and steamed rice are $2.05 each; seasoned fried zucchini is the most expensive at $8.99.
Which Bonchon sides are free?
Every Bonchon chicken order includes one complimentary side — either pickled radish or coleslaw. You choose one, not both. Combo boxes include more: two sides with the 12-piece, three with the 30-piece, four with the 45-piece.
Is pickled radish free at Bonchon?
Yes, pickled radish comes free with any Bonchon chicken order as an alternative to coleslaw. Ordered separately it costs $2.05.
What is the lowest-calorie side at Bonchon?
Pickled radish at 15 calories — the lightest item on the entire Bonchon menu. Korean cucumber salad follows at 60 calories, then kimchi at 67.
Which Bonchon side has the most calories?
Onion rings at 680 calories, followed by seasoned fried zucchini at 532 and seasoned fries at 430.
Is Bonchon kimchi spicy?
Bonchon kimchi has mild to moderate heat from Korean red chili. It is noticeably less spicy than the Spicy chicken sauce, and the sourness from fermentation moderates the perceived heat.
What is Korean street corn at Bonchon?
Bonchon Korean street corn is grilled corn topped with Kewpie mayo, mozzarella, garlic and Korean red chili flakes, finished with scallions. It costs $3.99 and ranges from 221 to 441 calories depending on portion.
Which Bonchon side is best with spicy chicken?
Coleslaw. The casein in the dairy dressing binds to capsaicin and removes it from the tongue's receptors, which water cannot do. Steamed rice also helps, since starch absorbs capsaicin oil.
Does Bonchon coleslaw contain dairy?
Yes. Bonchon coleslaw's creamy dressing contains both dairy and egg, so it is not suitable for dairy-free or egg-free diners.
Are Bonchon fries gluten-free?
No. Bonchon french fries contain wheat and are cooked in shared fryer oil, so they are not suitable for coeliac diners.
Does Bonchon have vegetarian sides?
Yes. Steamed rice, french fries, edamame, onion rings, fried zucchini and sweet potato waffle fries are vegetarian. Kimchi often contains fish sauce, so confirm at your location.
Which Bonchon sides aren't available everywhere?
Korean cucumber salad and sweet potato waffle fries are listed as select-location items. Bonchon's US restaurants are independently franchised, so availability and pricing vary.
Which Bonchon side has the most sodium?
Onion rings at 1,350mg — 59% of the American Heart Association's recommended daily limit of 2,300mg. Seasoned fried zucchini follows at 1,333mg and plain fried zucchini at 1,133mg.
Which Bonchon side has the least sodium?
Steamed rice, at just 7mg. Pickled radish is next at 35mg and coleslaw at 125mg. Both complimentary sides are among the three lowest-sodium items on the menu.
Which Bonchon side has the most protein?
Edamame, with 27g of protein for 270 calories — roughly 1g of protein per 10 calories, the best ratio on the sides menu. Seasoned fried zucchini is second at 13g.
How many calories are in Bonchon fried zucchini?
Plain fried zucchini contains 474 calories with 1,133mg of sodium and 8g of protein. The seasoned version with garlic, parmesan and parsley contains 532 calories and 1,333mg of sodium, priced at $8.99.
How many calories are in Bonchon Korean street corn?
Bonchon's official nutrition guide lists Korean street corn at 345 calories for a 7oz serving, with 711mg of sodium and 9g of protein. It is priced at $3.99. Some location menus quote a wider 221–441 range because portion size varies.
Is Bonchon edamame healthy?
It is the most nutritionally dense side on the menu — 27g of protein and 12g of fibre for 270 calories, steamed rather than fried. The one caveat is 930mg of sodium, which is 40% of the recommended daily limit.
Do sides come with Bonchon combos?
Yes. The 12-piece combo includes two sides, the 30-piece includes three and the 45-piece includes four, chosen from the full sides list.
Nutrition data on this page is taken from Bonchon's official Nutritional Information guide (July 2026 edition), available free at bonchon.com. Prices are compiled from Bonchon location ordering systems and verified August 2026. Where a figure is left blank, Bonchon does not publish it.
Keep exploring
- Bonchon Starters — appetisers, prices and calories
- Korean Fried Chicken — wings, drumsticks, boneless and strips
- All Bonchon sauces, ranked — which sauce to pair with which side
- Full allergen guide — every item on the menu
- Nutrition facts & calories — complete breakdown
- Ordering for a group — combos and party packs