We Tried KFC's New Beyond Fried Chicken & We'd Go Back for More
KFC spent two years perfecting the recipe of its plant-based chicken.
KFC has to keep its menu game strong as a fast-food chicken competitor. And it has, by developing new and creative ways of making chicken enjoyable, from the iconic Double Down Sandwich to the Mambo Sauce collaboration. This time around, the fast-food chain is jumping on the plant-based bandwagon with its new Beyond Fried Chicken.
According to the brand, KFC has been working on its plant-based chicken recipe with Beyond Meat for nearly two years. So, when I got an email from a KFC representative about a mysterious new product coming my way, I had a feeling that the fast-food restaurant had finally perfected its plant-based recipe.
As a vegetarian for almost a decade, I consider myself an experienced consumer of plant-based products, and it's my personal experience that plant-based chicken is challenging to get right. Often, the taste has a faint sweetness, while the texture is so different from that of chicken, it's uncanny. So, while I was excited, I was also cautiously optimistic on whether KFC could deliver.
Plant-Based Chicken Details
KFC's mission in creating its new plant-based alternative was to ensure the chicken tasted, well, like its original chicken recipe. According to the company, it wanted ''a recipe that replicates the same taste and texture of whole muscle chicken, so that it pulls apart like KFC's traditional fried chicken breast, with KFC's signature breading.''
Fans will be able to get their hands on the Beyond Fried Chicken at locations nationwide starting January 10, 2022. The new chicken will be served with the customer's choice of a variety of KFC dipping sauces and is available as part of KFC's first-ever plant-based combo meal. The combo meal comes with a drink, Secret Recipe Fries, and the new chicken in six or 12-piece orders, with prices starting at $6.99.
First Impressions
Our friends over at KFC provided a cute six-piece order along with several dipping sauces. When I got the package, it was warm and still had the intoxicating smell of fried chicken, which instantly made the prospect of trying it enticing. I was actually surprised by how much the plant-based chicken smelled like real fried chicken. Something else that stood out to me was how nugget-like each piece of chicken was, both in shape and texture. While they were all a tad bigger than your standard chicken nugget, they were still square-shaped and bite-sized.
My first bite was nice and crispy with a good crunch. The chicken was packed with KFC's signature taste—well-seasoned, and a bit salty, but not in a bad way. The texture wasn't bad either. But once again, I'd compare this to a chicken nugget, not a chicken tender. It's clearly processed as most plant-based fast food products are, which is not necessarily a bad thing, just don't expect to cut open one of these bad boys and see a traditional chicken-like texture inside.
A Saucy Competition
Along with the six-piece, KFC sent over a few sauces, including KFC sauce, honey BBQ, honey mustard, and a classic ranch. So I held a little contest to see which sauce worked best with the faux chicken. First, I tried the KFC sauce. If you get the chicken alternative, do yourself a favor and get the KFC sauce along with it. The tangy sweetness of the sauce goes really well with the saltiness of the chicken. They make an excellent pairing. Next, I tried the honey mustard sauce with the new meatless chicken, and while it was very good, it still paled in comparison to the KFC sauce. Finally, I tried the BBQ and ranch sauce with the chicken, and both were a tad overpowering for my taste. In my opinion, the KFC sauce was the clear winner here, first place, no contest.
The Verdict
I would 100% recommend Beyond Fried Chicken to anyone interested in trying plant-based products. The chicken was pretty good, and it has that "go back for more" quality. However, if you are a vegan or a vegetarian who strictly draws the line at eating animal products, I would advise against Beyond Fried Chicken. According to the company, the plant-based chicken is "Not prepared in vegan/vegetarian manner," which means your plant-based order may be fried in the same oil or prepared near animal products.