We Didn't Love KFC's New Plant-Based Fried "Chicken"—Here's Why
Update, January 11, 2021: KFC officially dropped their plant-based fried chicken made with Beyond Meat on Monday, and the world was excited. With supply chain issues rendering a lot of menu items unavailable, these Beyond nuggets were a welcome substitution. Plus, KFC is one of many chain restaurants jumping on the plant-based trend, so you know we had to try it for ourselves.
As previously mentioned, the Beyond Fried Chicken comes in nugget form, which makes it easier to imitate the real thing. With the right seasonings and texture, a ground up mixture can taste just like chicken. The meal comes in a 6 or 12-piece box, and on first glance, they look just like the average fast food chicken nugget. The outside coating has the peppery smell KFC is known for, and it has a delicate, crispy texture. Maybe a little too delicate, as the coating did easily fall off a bit when I picked up the nugget. That revealed the interior—a pale, tofu-like block. It was a little too square for my liking. I know a traditional chicken nugget is just ground up mystery meat so nothing about the shape is natural, but there was something about the sharp corners of the Beyond nuggets irked me.
I took a bite and was pleased. It tasted peppery and as crunchy as it looked. The 'meat" inside, however, was not as pleasing. The flavor was chicken-y, I suppose, but the texture was dense. It didn't tear, but instead was tough to pull apart and when it did, it ripped into these odd, flat layers. It wasn't dry, though I hesitate to call it juicy, but it was more on the rubbery side. The lingering aftertaste did not make me want to go back for more.
Here's the bottom line. Will I ever order these myself? No. If they were sitting in front of my hungry, just-had-a-few-beers self, would I eat them? Absolutely. You do with that what you will.
Update, January 5, 2021: KFC is known for their chicken above anything else. And while they have their original recipe on lock, the chain has been experimenting with new, plant-based Beyond Fried Chicken that will now be available at participating locations nationwide.
Beyond Fried Chicken has been in the works for quite some time now and was first tested at an Atlanta location in 2019 when it sold out in just a few hours. Since then it has been rolled out at more KFC restaurants across the country and will now see a more widespread release in 2022. The goal is for the Beyond Fried Chicken to still have the familiar taste and texture of traditional chicken without any animal-based products.
It will be available as KFC's first-ever plant-based combo meal which comes with secret recipe fries and a medium drink. You can also order just the Beyond Fried Chicken nuggets in six or 12-piece orders with any of KFC's dipping sauces. As a reminder, those dipping sauces include honey BBQ, honey mustard, ranch, and KFC sauce.
Keep in mind the Beyond Fried Chicken products are cooked in the same fryer as the chain's other meat products, so there is still a chance for cross-contamination. While this may not be in line with some vegan or vegetarian diets, the Beyond Fried Chicken is a good option for those experimenting with plant-based eating or a flexitarian lifestyle in the new year.
Update, July 16, 2020: After another successful test run, KFC is breaking out the Beyond Fried Chicken again, this time in Southern California.
You can order this plant-based fried chicken in more than 50 KFC restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and the surrounding areas starting next Monday, July 20. They'll be available while supplies last in the form of a six- or 12-piece combo meal including a side of the chain's new Secret Recipe Fries and a drink, or in these sizes a la carte with dipping sauce.
If you're in California, you can see if a KFC near you is serving up Beyond Fried Chicken by visiting the restaurant locator on kfc.com and looking for the Beyond Fried Chicken indicator. And if I were you I would look quickly because in time's past this "chicken" has been snapped up QUICKLY.
Update, January 30, 2020: After the first test of KFC's plant-based chicken sold out ridiculously quickly, the chain announced it was conducting another trial run of the stuff. In other words? KFC's Beyond Fried Chicken is BACK, BABY, and it's got a whole new recipe to boot.
KFC announced this week that it would be selling the "chicken" in Charlotte, NC and Nashville TN (plus the surrounding areas) starting on February 3 through February 23, or while supplies last...which we all know won't be very long. It sold out in just under five hours during a test run in Atlanta!
After its initial test, KFC also confirmed that the Beyond Fried Chicken sold during next month's run will be a slightly different recipe than the 2019 version. The tweaks were based on customer feedback, so if you go and presumably wait in line, you'll be eating something no one has before! Cool!
The plant-based chicken will be available in a six or 12-piece combo meal or as a four, six or 12-piece à la carte item. You can also get them tossed in one of KFC’s sauces like Nashville Hot, Buffalo, or Honey BBQ.
To find out if you live near one of the 70 KFC locations serving it, you can visit this site.
If I haven't stressed it enough, I will now: This stuff sold out QUICKLY last time, so I would not hesitate to give them a try. Although they're probably planning for big hype, you can never be too safe. There's nothing worse than chicken-based disappointment...Okay maybe "chicken"-based disappointment.
Original Post, August 26, 2019: Per a press release, KFC will soon become the country's first quick service restaurant "to introduce a plant-based chicken." They teamed up with Beyond Meat to create "Beyond Fried Chicken," which will debut at an Atlanta KFC location tomorrow, CNBC reports.
The vegan alternative will only be available at that one restaurant for now (637 Cobb Pkwy South East, Smyrna, GA, for anyone in the area!), and it will only be available for an unspecified limited time. As far as how you'll be able to order them, Beyond Fried Chicken will come in nugget or boneless wing form and will be offered with all your favorite usual suspects/dipping sauces. You can go with Nashville Hot, Buffalo, or Honey BBQ sauce, or, of course, you can stick to the OG Finger Lickin’ Good sauce. For those who try the six-nug option and love them, you can go for a full 12-piece meal as well.
Anyone who's devastated about the suuuper selective roll-out of the new product needn't despair. Per INSIDER, plans to "consider customer feedback as it decides whether to test the menu item at more locations or launch it nationally." After all, it was only a few months ago that KFC's US president of business Kevin Hochman admitted he'd begun reluctantly meeting with companies behind plant-based alternatives: "If you would have asked me six months ago, I would have said no, to be completely honest with you," he said in May. "Because we're about fried chicken."
Like I said—stay tuned. I can't help but suspect a certain KFC will be overrun with curious taste-testers tomorrow, paving the way for a larger roll-out.
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