Wednesday, April 22, 2009

KFC now has GRILLED chicken,
and you can try it for FREE

A while ago Kentucky Fried Chicken morphed into mere KFC, to avoid the heart-stopping F-word, and maybe to save money by using smaller signs.

KFC has had various kinds of non-fried fare over the years, including pretty good roasted chicken, and ultra-greasy beef ribs. As other fast feeders like Subway, Wendy's and Mickey Dee's have been promoting "healthier" menus, the heirs to Colonel Harland Sanders are now cooking up grilled chicken.

KFC’s Kentucky Grilled Chicken is marinated and seasoned with a blend of six herbs and spices and "slow-grilled in special ovens." I'm not sure how you can grill in an oven, special or otherwise. So, technically the KGC pieces maybe not be really grilled, but actually baked or roasted, but WTF. The pieces do have grill stripes on them. I hope they're not from Magic Markers. Maybe the pieces are grilled in the chicken factory, and hen reheated in the local restaurants. I'm going to try to get a clarification, and I'll update this posting when I learn more.

KGC is KFC’s second "secret recipe", and the first not developed by Col. Sanders. It has between 70 to 180 calories and four to nine grams of fat depending on the piece. KFC is a bit late to the grilled game, and will compete with El Pollo Loco, Chick-fil-A, and even gilled chicken sandwiches, salads and wraps at "The Inn of the Golden Arches."

KFC is inviting America to sample the new menu item on “UNFry Day,” Monday, April 27. People are encouraged to stop by KFC and receive a FREE piece of Kentucky Grilled Chicken. A full page ad will run in USA Today on April 24 to remind Americans to get their freebies. See www.unthinkfc.com for more details. The website has some funny chicken dancing (you can upload yours), a game, commercials with un-funny outtakes, and an iPhone app.

In addition to the UNFry Day national sampling, KFC also has a new ad campaign challenging America to “UNTHINK What You Thought About KFC.” The TV spot, produced by Academy Award-winning director Errol Morris, contains Kentucky Grilled Chicken endorsements from celebrated chefs Sandra Lee, editor-in-chief of Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Magazine, and TV One’s G. Garvin.

“The new Kentucky Grilled Chicken is delicious,” said Sandra Lee. “In addition to being a better-for-you option, I love that moms can swing by the drive-thru of their local KFC and pick up an entire meal for the family that is high in quality and taste.” (Blogger's note: I've heard of Sandra Dee, but I have no idea who the hell Sandra Lee is.)

KFC’s KGC recipe is a combination of six herbs and spices that KFC has developed over several years working with one of the world's most well-known spice companies. (K FRIED C has 11.) Only a few KFC executives know the second secret recipe and they have all signed confidentiality agreements to keep the recipe as secret as the Colonel’s Original Recipe. One of them told me the recipe, but if I tell you, I'll have to shoot you -- so don't ask. The original copy of the second secret recipe, kept on an encrypted computer flash drive, will join Colonel Harland Sanders’ handwritten Original Recipe in KFC’s recently beefed-up (chickened-up?) high-security vault.

The high-tech, customized oven used to grill (or roast, or maybe just re-heat) the chicken is proprietary to KFC and is patented, so don't expect to see it at Arby's.

On April 4, KFC conducted a mandatory three-hour session where KFC cooks successfully mastered the KGC cooking process, becoming KFC-certified “Grill Sergeants.” You’ll find a “Grill Sergeant” in restaurants nationwide. It's like the program that Red Lobster did when they introduced their wood-fired grilled menu last year.

KFC has spent major moolah developing and launching the new KGC. If the taste is as good as the marketing, it should be delicious. I just wish I could convince them to bring back KFC chicken noodle soup. It was probably the best I ever had in a restaurant.

Kentucky Grilled Chicken is now available in participating KFC® restaurants nationwide – at the same price as Original Recipe Chicken. A two-piece Grilled meal (breast & wing or drumstick & thigh, along with two side items and a biscuit) is priced at only $3.99 plus tax. You can even mix KFC and KGC in the same bucket.
This is a preview, not a review.

2 comments:

Arthur Greenwald said...

Well based on your recommendation I tried the stuff in Glendale, CA and I'm sorry to report it was overcooked and dry.

To be fair, this is a KFC that seems unusually poorly-run. (I've driven away from their drive-thru window after a ridiculously-long wait for service.)

Here in SoCal El Pollo Loco is a much better grilled alternative, and especially the regional Zankou Chicken chain which is growing exponentially these days. They have an Armenian/Middle Eastern style menu that includes kabobs, hummus, tabouli and other rather healthy treats -- with admirable consistency from location to location, and a really delicious blend of spices on the always-moist chicken.

Arthur

Anonymous said...

Really Gr8 ! Thanks For sharing..