No bones about it: KFC goes boneless

[Helix]

CLIFTON, VA. -- In an astonishing brand reversal, KFC is about to stake its future on a red-hot concept that might have caused Colonel Sanders, himself, to see red: boneless chicken.
KFC, the chicken kingpin desperately in search of a new identity, on Friday, will announce plans to roll out Original Recipe Boneless – a chicken platform that executives insist may be the brand's most important step forward since it was founded more than 60 years ago.

No bones about it: KFC goes boneless

chicken with bones may be eliminated after five years, as per the article. they of course said that customer demand would fuel that decision.

they've been trying to save this brand for some time. what do you think? genius, or New Coke?

 

[clownboy]

 

[grip]

chicken with bones may be eliminated after five years, as per the article. they of course said that customer demand would fuel that decision.

they've been trying to save this brand for some time. what do you think? genius, or New Coke?

New Coke.
Some boneless options are fine but to start eliminating choices probably won't sell.

 

[CanadaJohn]

Isn't "original recipe boneless" just another name for "chicken nuggets"?

 

[Morality Games]

chicken with bones may be eliminated after five years, as per the article. they of course said that customer demand would fuel that decision.

they've been trying to save this brand for some time. what do you think? genius, or New Coke?

Depends on whether it is dark meat or breast.

 

[Spartacus FPV]

No thanks, I like to see the bone just to make sure they're not selling me processed crap rather than real chicken covered in processed crap.

 

[Dittohead not!]

Just what obese Americans need: Fried chicken that can be eaten even faster.

 

[Fisher]

Wish I had stock in a pink slime company.........

 

[joko104]

so KFC is going entirely to chicken flavored glue?

 

[Helix]

so KFC is going entirely to chicken flavored glue?

according to the article, they are not formed chicken patties.

I haven't eaten KFC in a long time due to calories. I might give it a shot out of pure curiosity, though.

 

[Rocketman]

chicken with bones may be eliminated after five years, as per the article. they of course said that customer demand would fuel that decision.

they've been trying to save this brand for some time. what do you think? genius, or New Coke?

that would keep me from eating there again, no bone means pressed meat, yuck

 

[MaggieD]

chicken with bones may be eliminated after five years, as per the article. they of course said that customer demand would fuel that decision.

they've been trying to save this brand for some time. what do you think? genius, or New Coke?

I think you're right. It's an attempt to save the brand. Any professional chef knows that cooking bone-in is essential to flavor. I find boneless chicken very dry -- unless it's heavily brined and sauteed lightly. Not for me . . .

Especially if they taste like Chicken McNuggets. Yuck.

 

[Helix]

that would keep me from eating there again, no bone means pressed meat, yuck

from the article :

The new offering isn't formed chicken patties but made from whole muscle. Folks can order light or dark meat -- both are served without bones or skin.

 

[Rocketman]

from the article :

That is a slogan, go in a chicken plant some time, you will be lucky to eat it a week later.

 

[Helix]

my feeling is that it's going to be backlash city. that being said, I can see why they felt they had to do something. they might be doing ok overseas, but they've slipped here.

the sound you hear is Popeye's board of directors cheering, lol.

 

[Helix]

That is a slogan, go in a chicken plant some time, you will be lucky to eat it a week later.

I worked in food safety research on a product designed for this kind of thing. I remain grateful that they never sent me to the plant. the most I saw was a diagram of the process, and that's all I want to see or know.

 

[Rocketman]

I worked in food safety research on a product designed for this kind of thing. I remain grateful that they never sent me to the plant. the most I saw was a diagram of the process, and that's all I want to see or know.

not exactly the same:

 

[jamesrage]

chicken with bones may be eliminated after five years, as per the article. they of course said that customer demand would fuel that decision.

they've been trying to save this brand for some time. what do you think? genius, or New Coke?

I do not think I like the idea of this.It might be convenient. But I think it will result in less flavor and moister in the chicken meat. I do not know about you but I have never seen any boneless chicken breasts or other chicken meat in the store with it's skin still on,heck I do not even thing I seen boneless legs and wings in the store. Skin is the best part of fried chicken. Are they going to use some sort of meat glue to keep it together?

 

[Helix]

I do not think I like the idea of this.It might be convenient. But I think it will result in less flavor and moister in the chicken meat. I do not know about you but I have never seen any boneless chicken breasts or other chicken meat in the store with it's skin still on,heck I do not even thing I seen boneless legs and wings in the store. Skin is the best part of fried chicken. Are they going to use some sort of meat glue to keep it together?

i'm not sure. they say it's not going to be formed meat, the stuff that's glued together.

i suppose the question here is will they get new customers? i almost never go there these days, and the people i know who do only do so rarely. if they added a few healthier menu items that competed with Subway's calorie levels, i'd go there a lot more. as it stands, when i think of KFC, i think of going there in the 1980s on family outings or hitting their drive through after church. i've probably eaten there less than a dozen times since 1995.

it's easy to write this move off as a mistake, but it seems like they had to do something. the brand is outdated, and is losing market share. new products are a necessity for any business, and it might end up that they sell more bone chicken and decide to keep it on the menu.

 

[CanadaJohn]

I think you're right. It's an attempt to save the brand. Any professional chef knows that cooking bone-in is essential to flavor. I find boneless chicken very dry -- unless it's heavily brined and sauteed lightly. Not for me . . .

Especially if they taste like Chicken McNuggets. Yuck.

If you find boneless chicken dry, try what I do - whenever I'm baking, broiling or grilling boneless chicken, I boil it first, basically cooking it and boiling off most of the fat. The water from boiling infuses the meat and keeps it moist and tasty during the baking/broiling time and it takes less time on the grill or in the oven to be fully cooked before serving.

 

[clownboy]

So many people order drumsticks, what are they gonna do, shove sticks in them? Look, I love KFC, even having known one where the rats would [rarely] crawl down the exhaust chute and fall into the fryer. But it's mostly about location and convenience. Used to be when I was younger I could walk to KFC and grab some chow. Now, well they locate them here along major traffic corridors that are hard to get to by foot and away from residential areas. I get it, but silly.

Easier for me to walk to the local Albertsons where they make some kick ass fried chicken.

 

[polgara]

If you find boneless chicken dry, try what I do - whenever I'm baking, broiling or grilling boneless chicken, I boil it first, basically cooking it and boiling off most of the fat. The water from boiling infuses the meat and keeps it moist and tasty during the baking/broiling time and it takes less time on the grill or in the oven to be fully cooked before serving.

CJ, did you see the news today that Kentucky Fried Chicken is now offering boneless KFC? i may try it... :thumbs:

 

[CanadaJohn]

So many people order drumsticks, what are they gonna do, shove sticks in them? Look, I love KFC, even having known one where the rats would [rarely] crawl down the exhaust chute and fall into the fryer. But it's mostly about location and convenience. Used to be when I was younger I could walk to KFC and grab some chow. Now, well they locate them here along major traffic corridors that are hard to get to by foot and away from residential areas. I get it, but silly.

Easier for me to walk to the local Albertsons where they make some kick ass fried chicken.

I can remember as a kid going to the Kentucky Fried Family Restaurant in the area where I lived - they had a takeout counter, but also a regular full service restaurant. I'm not sure if that was the normal format before they got bought up and "fast fooded" but we always loved going. Like most things, life has gotten faster and more streamlined and I guess there are fewer "families" going out for dinner or lunch now, either not being able to afford it or not having the time to get everyone together at the same time. Too bad.

 

[sangha]

chicken with bones may be eliminated after five years, as per the article. they of course said that customer demand would fuel that decision.

they've been trying to save this brand for some time. what do you think? genius, or New Coke?

Am I the only one who noticed that they are calling their boneless chicken a "chicken platform?!??!

Just shows the kind of thinking that goes on at corporate HQ.

 

[CanadaJohn]

CJ, did you see the news today that Kentucky Fried Chicken is now offering boneless KFC? i may try it... :thumbs:

I'm not sure I'll try it since KFC has been closing down all over Toronto - I'm not sure where I'd find one. Last big news they had was some monstrosity with two breasts in between two donuts deep fried or something like that - it was very popular at the Canadian National Exhibition a couple of years back but I'm figuring many of the customers died on the way to their cars.