Vegan Chicken at KFC 🍿

When I arrived at the subway station to head home from work, I saw I had 28 minutes to wait for the next train. This was what had me walking the 9 blocks to the local Kentucky Fried Chicken to sample their vegan offering: The 6 piece Beyond Nuggets Combo. These nuggets, made exclusively for KFC by Beyond, have been in testing since I first reported about KFC making the move to offer plant-based options in 2019. Now they are hear and the green box has been blowing up the ‘Gram. Here are my thoughts on the matter…

Firstly, note that KFC declares “Not prepared in a vegan/vegetarian manner.” This means it is cooked in the same oil the chicken is. Such was the case with the preparation Burger King’s Impossible Whopper, which shared the grill with the beef patties. Though the preparation (and association of billions of animals slaughtered) should turn off all vegans, the offerings represent a bit of progress… or the want for profit as consumer tastes shift. Personally, I partake in fast food offerings rarely. It’s not really my thing. But there is a novelty that is appealing enough just for a single visit.

I ordered my combo and was pleased to see that a large batch of the nuggets where under the heat lamp, making me feel they were cooked together in a large batch without a piece of chicken in the fryer… but who knows. I asked the counter guy if a lot of people were buying the nuggets and he affirm enthusiastically. I then told him that as a vegetarian so long, I had never even been in a KFC before. I was warmly thank and I walked out with my combo sucking on soda water from that special level you gotta push, the smell of KFC trailing behind me and the bright green box visible through the translucent plastic bag.

At home, ready to try.

There they are… breaded, seasoned, vegan chicken inside

The breading was tasty and nostalgic. All their sauces seemed unvegan. I mixed up some maple syrup with stone ground mustard for dipping.

The interior was a bit too dense… it needed a bit more aeration. Is that the right word? Some air bubbles. I ate them all because they were there, but 3 would have been enough, especially if paired with french fries.

While I likely won’t get these again unless I’m in a bind or with another curious party, it was a heavy meal that settled me in for a nice nap. Who will offer vegan options next???