KFC Launches New First-Of-Its-Kind Fried Chicken Menu Item
The wait has finally come to a close. After years of development, KFC will launch a plant-based fried chicken menu item in partnership with Beyond Meat. Starting on Monday, Jan. 10, KFC customers nationwide will be able to buy a six or 12-piece bucket of Beyond Fried Chicken.
"The mission from day one was simple—make the world-famous Kentucky Fried Chicken from plants," said Kevin Hochman, president of KFC U.S, in a recent press release shared with Eat This, Not That! "And now over two years later we can say, 'mission accomplished.'"
KFC was the first quick-service restaurant in the United States to offer a plant-based chicken when it started testing its iterations of Beyond Fried Chicken at select locations in August 2019. Tests started in Atlanta and soon expanded to select restaurants in Nashville and Charlotte in 2020. After a final test in select restaurants in Southern California (where the menu item was sold out within one week), KFC and Beyond Meat knew they had a product ready for the masses.
According to the press release, the Beyond Fried Chicken is "packed with delicious flavor" and has the "juicy satisfaction that you'd experience from KFC's iconic fried chicken but in a plant-based option that's still finger lickin' good."
"We couldn't be prouder to partner with KFC to offer a best-in-class product that not only delivers the delicious experience consumers expect from this iconic chain, but also provides the added benefits of plant-based meat," said Ethan Brwon, founder and CEO of Beyond Meat, in their press release. "We are truly thrilled to make it available to customers nationwide."
You can purchase Beyond Fried Chicken with a choice of KFC dipping sauce—Honey, BBQ, Ranch, Honey Mustard, or KFC Sauce. Enjoy the chicken à la carte or get a plant-based combo with KFC's Secret Recipe Fries and a medium drink. Prices for Beyond Fried Chicken start at $6.99 before tax, and prices may vary based on the location.
Along with this "Kentucky Fried Miracle," KFC will allow guests at participating locations to skip the drive-thru line by ordering on KFC's Quick Pop-Up option on their app or online, park in dedicated VIP parking spots, and pick up their food hot and ready to go.
This plant-based chicken innovation was originally the first of its kind in production, but currently isn't the only plant-based chicken available on the market. Recently Panda Express launched a plant-based version of their iconic Orange Chicken—also in partnership with Beyond Meat. Burger King also has plant-based vegan chicken nuggets in the works in the United Kingdom, but currently, no plant-based chicken nugget options are available in the U.S.
For more plant-based news, read these next:
- These Major Restaurant Chains Are Adding Plant-Based Chicken Nuggets to the Menu
- Surprising Effects of Eating Plant-Based Foods, Science Says
- The Best Plant-Based Restaurant in Every State
