In what's being pitched as a “Kentucky Fried Miracle,” a newly formulated plant-based chicken is rolling out to KFC restaurants throughout the U.S. starting next week.
Known as “Beyond Fried Chicken,” the new offering represents a collaboration between the Yum Brands-owned chicken chain and Beyond Meat. The companies have been working together for more than two years, test-marketing an early version of the dish in Atlanta in 2019, and an updated recipe in 2020 in Southern California, Nashville, Tennessee, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Those sold out in a week.
Officials described a challenge of developing a fried chicken recipe that showcases the taste and texture of whole-muscle chicken that would appeal to fans of either brand. “The mission from day one was simple – make the world-famous Kentucky Fried Chicken from plants,” Kevin Hochman, president of KFC U.S., said in a statement. “And now over two years later we can say, ‘mission accomplished.’”