Over the course of this here blessed lifetime, I have come to consider myself quite worldly in the grand scheme of most things barbeque. I’ve sampled and enjoyed the various takes and numerous styles of this homegrown culinary tradition throughout this sticky-fingered country, leaving a long trail of broken hearts and used wet wipes along the way. With that little preamble said and done, I have to admit the new KFC Smokey Mountain BBQ chicken has left me a little more perplexed than usual.
While it claims to be something of a mixture of the various “sweet, smoky flavors of Southern BBQ” — interpret that however you will — the vague drenching of this supposed sauce on my two-piece seems to have more in comparison with the off-putting artificial flavoring of BBQ-seasoning dusted on a bag of cheap store-brand potato chips than any tried and true ‘que creation I’ve ever come in contact with. It’s really the only thing found in nature that, after numerous unlikable bites, I can honestly compare it to.
Having been a moderate fan of KFC’s attempt at Georgia Gold honey mustard barbeque (and, to a somewhat lesser extent, its moderately gentrified take on Nashville Hot Chicken), this generalized take on what it consider to be Smokey Mountain flavors, seemed half-hearted at best, right down to the chintzy drizzle over my extra crispy pieces. They resembled nothing like the glorious coating on every photogenic cut of poultry in every piece of promotional material.
Of course, like most KFC products, the chicken itself was right on, juicy and tender, hot and crispy and served with a kitchen fresh smile. The problem here is totally with the Smokey Mountain sauce, which is comically salty and overly sweet to a fault, necessitating more than the daily recommended allowance of trips to the soda fountain to swish and spit that mouth-binding fraudulent Southern sass that the Colonel wrongfully thinks represents said mountainous regions.
Now, with all that being said in regards to both the two-piece bone-in or three-piece tenders meal, I will casually admit that the sauce does work better when you order it as part of its totes adorbs Chicken Littles menu, the plump sesame seed buns, pickles, and mayonnaise working together as an excellent buffer, bringing out the more flavorful qualities of the Smokey Mountain sauce as a probable condiment while religiously oppressing the glaring flaws of its main reason for being.
Even though I’m always eager to see whatever concoctions the flavor wizards deep in the Dixieland Laboratories of the KFC Sassafrassin’ Sauce Studios come up with next, this is definitely one that should’ve gone back for a little more quality control testing, honey. Until then, I’ll just keep sneaking in my pocket-sized flask of Cholula Green Pepper hot sauce to pro-actively blanket that two-piece extra crispy myself. Ya’ heard, KFC?
(Nutrition Facts – 2-piece chicken only – 260 calories, 150 calories from fat, 16 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 110 milligrams of cholesterol, 810 milligrams of sodium, 7 grams of carbohydrates, 1 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 22 grams of protein.)
Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 2-piece (drumstick and wing)
Rating: 4 out of 10
Pros: Makes a good condiment for a sandwich. Chicken Little fits in a pocket.br />
Cons: Too salty. Tastes like cheap BBQ chips. Skimps on sauce.
Whole heartedly agree, too much like potato chip seasoning. I remember back in the day when they had honey barbecue wings and was hoping it was that sauce. No such luck and ended up in the trash.
Yes! When I first had the honey BBQ chicken (a long time ago) I was in heaven, that was one of the best fast food experiences I have ever had, if not “THE” best. I remember sitting at a table with my friends and taking a bite from a honey BBQ drumstick and I literally stopped paying attention to anything else as I savored the taste and the texture. But sadly they seem to be actively trying to be as subpar as they can for some reason. It makes no sense to me when corporations take their best ideas and throw them out. I guess the bigger they get the stupider they get.
I have to disagree…probably since I’m from the South. I tried the tenders the other day and what they taste like to me is COMPLETELY like Golden Flake BBQ Chips. That took me by surprise, and not in a bad way. I guess since I’m from Alabama and grew up eating Golden Flake chips it appeals to me more, but I can see where it wouldn’t be for everyone. In my opinion it’s still MILES ahead of the Nashville Hot flavor…that one was just bad…and not even hot at all.
I agree both with your review, and how hard it was as a reviewer to come up with any other way to describe the flavor of these other than “BBQ potato chips.” That’s seriously all it tastes like.
There was way too much sauce and grease on my chicken, same as it was with the Nashville and the Georgia. I’ll go back to my plain old extra crispy now.
Horrible bbq, cheap, gritty, greasy, greasy and did I mention GREASY!!!! worst KFC chicken I ever ate and expensive..I paid $5.78 for 3 strips no sides just strips. I was very disappointed, nothing like the great KFC bbq flavor of the past.
GREASY!!!!!!! you could have poured it out of the box and so much on the chicken still….