I Tried Shake Shack’s Latest Korean-Inspired Menu, and My Favorite Item Took Me by Surprise

This year's dishes are better than ever. You won’t want to miss out.

January 06, 2026

By: Justine Lee

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Photo by: Image Courtesy of Shake Shack

Image Courtesy of Shake Shack

It’s always this time of the new year — the immediate days following the holiday season — where the state of food is but a hazy, confused mess. If November is riddled with apples and pumpkins, and December is filled with gingerbread and peppermint mochas, exactly what are the flavors that define January? This year, Shake Shack is answering the moment with the return of a bold and beloved menu.

What is Shake Shack’s K-Shack Menu?

The ultra-popular fast casual chain is ringing in the new year by welcoming back the K-Shack Menu for the third year in Shack history. The original idea for a lineup emboldened with Korean flavors came after the Shake Shack culinary team took a trip to Seoul, South Korea in preparation to open the first Shake Shack in the city. It was there, during this prep period, that the team became infatuated with the spicy, crispy, sticky glory that is Korean fried chicken.

When the first K-Shack menu dropped in U.S. Shacks, customers immediately asked for it again and again. This year, the Korean-style menu is bigger and better than ever, offering customers sandwiches, fries, small bites and even a spicy new dessert.

What’s on Shake Shack’s K-Shack Menu this year?

This year, the fan-favorite menu offers the following food and drink items:

K-Shack Fried Chicken Sandwich: On the special menu from the start, this sandwich features white-meat chicken breast fried and smothered in a spicy-sweet sesame gochujang glaze. The chicken is topped sky-high with fresh scallions and a red kimchi slaw from Choi’s Kimchi and served on a soft toasted potato bun. In previous years, the team used a white kimchi to prepare the slaw component as a way to ensure the heat was palatable for various levels of spice tolerance. This year, they decided to kick things up a notch with red kimchi, which is traditionally made with gochugaru. This small change not only makes the sandwich taste delicious, but it also makes the dish closer to Seoul’s version than it’s ever been in the U.S.

K-Shack BBQ Burger: If you’re more of a burger person, you’re in luck: the K-Shack BBQ Burger is also set to return. The made-to-order quarter-pound burger is composed of 100% Angus beef topped with American cheese, crispy sweet onions, fresh scallions and a finishing of savory Korean BBQ sauce, all nestled in a toasted potato bun.

K-Shack Fried Chicken Bites: Inspired by the sultry baskets of Korean fried chicken found all over chicken shops and bars in Seoul, these chicken bites are the first saucy remix of the classic Shake Shack chicken bites that the team has ever developed. Similar to the fried chicken sandwich, these bites are made of antibiotic-free, whole white-meat chicken and are tossed in that irresistible sesame gochujang glaze and garnished with a shower of fresh scallions. Customers can order them with their favorite dipping sauce.

K-Shack Spicy BBQ Fries: This basket of crispy crinkle-cut fries is dusted with kimchi seasoning and served with a side of Korean BBQ sauce. Customers can order with or without cheese sauce on top.

K-Shack Spicy Caramel Shake: Highlighting a fundamental Korean condiment, this brand new shake is made by mixing Shake Shack’s iconic vanilla frozen custard with gochujang caramel sauce, topping it with whipped cream and drizzling it with more gochujang caramel.

Photo by: Image Courtesy of Shake Shack

Image Courtesy of Shake Shack

My honest review of Shake Shack’s 2026 K-Shack Menu:

I was fortunate enough to try the entire 2026 K-Shack menu at Shake Shack’s Innovation Kitchen in New York City. Here’s what I thought of each menu item:

K-Shack Fried Chicken Sandwich: I’m normally underwhelmed by the Shake Shack chicken sandwiches. But, dear reader, this K-Shack fried chicken sandwich would have been my favorite item off the menu had it not been for another banger. What really made the sandwich shine was the kimchi slaw piled on top of the sauce-drenched fried chicken. Not only did the slaw add layers of spice to the sandwich, but it supplied a fresh zing and bite that most chicken sandwiches try to achieve with one or two pathetic pickle slices.

K-Shack BBQ Burger: I’m of the belief that when you crave a burger, you must eat a burger as soon as possible — and it’s hard to go wrong with the options at Shake Shack. I really appreciated the interplay of different textures in the K-Shack BBQ burger. It’s soft, juicy, crispy, fresh and molten all at once. The BBQ sauce is subtle but its presence was felt. In a lineup of fiercely bold dishes, though, I thought the burger was nothing to write home about.

K-Shack Fried Chicken Bites: Saucy, bite-sized fried chicken for endless snacking? Count me in. The Shake Shack team was not shy about drenching its new bites in sauce, and for that I’m grateful. Definitely eat them on their own first before bringing a dipping sauce into the equation. (And when you do, I’d go with the classic Shack sauce.)

K-Shack Spicy BBQ Fries: Burgers, sandwiches and fried chicken all demand fries to go with them. These spicy BBQ fries earned their rightful spot on the Korean-style menu. The kimchi spice dusting isn’t overly spicy, but it does provide a subtle heated accent to the starchy and salty crinkle-cut fries that Shake Shack fans love.

K-Shack Spicy Caramel Shake: It would be an utter disappointment if a Shake Shack shake was bad. I mean, it’s quite actually in the restaurant’s name. I’m happy to report that their latest limited-edition shake brought honor to all the shakes that have come before it. This was by far my favorite item on this new menu. The vanilla custard is creamy and delicate, but you’re not left with a cloying mouthfeel because the subtle gochujang heat hits you almost immediately. Because there’s a bit of ginger in there, the aftertaste is warming — dare I say soothing? The gochujang caramel sauce on top of the whipped cream tasted like butterscotch meets Red Hots. I was quite impressed by the shake. I have this thing where I get a milkshake whenever I’m sick during the colder months, so I know what I’ll be ordering next.

When can you order Shake Shack’s 2026 K-Shack Menu items?

This new Korean-style menu drops exclusively on the Shack App today, January 6, for delivery and pick-up. The menu will be available for ordering in-Shack at locations nationwide beginning January 9, for a limited time.

The K-Shack Fried Chicken Sandwich and the K-Shack Burger are both available for $10.49 each. The new K-Shack Fried Chicken Bites are available for $6.49 for six pieces, and the K-Shack Spicy BBQ Fries are available for $5.49 per order. The new K-Shack Spicy Caramel Shake is available for $6.99.