Drive-thru Gourmet
KFC wings it with these hot, spicy, and sweet new favorites
This week, I reached out for a 6-piece order of Kentucky Fried Wings, new from the world's No. 1 poultry plucker, KFC, with more than 21,000 restaurants in 130 countries. The wings come in four varieties: Nashville Hot, Honey BBQ, Buffalo, and plain (no sauce).
This is not the first time that KFC has dabbled in wings. Back in 2012, the Colonel introduced Hot Wings, which didn't exactly fly out of the drive-through window. But what's old is new and improved.
Here's the Kentucky Fried Wings breakdown: breaded and fried bone-in wing portions, visibly shaken in one of three new sauces (or served plain). Total calories: 130 (per one Nashville Hot wing). Fat grams: 11. Sodium: 230 mg. Carbs: 4 g. Dietary fiber: nada. Protein: 8 g.
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price: six wings for $5. That's pretty expensive for what is essentially a nibble food. KFC also is selling 'em: 12 for $9.99, 24 for $18.99, and 48 for $36.99. The more you order, the more you save.
At some point, if you order enough of them, they'll be free.
Here's the deal about wings. There's not exactly a shortage of places you can get them. Within a 3-mile radius of my house, off the top of my head, there are 20 places that serve wings, either boneless or bone-in, from supermarkets to Pizza Huts, to Hooters, to B-Dubs, to Twin Peaks, to Whole Foods, to Wendy's and more. Obviously, KFC's jobs is to make theirs better, at least different.
That's why I went with Nashville Hot. They are far from the same old, same old. KFC's other two varieties, Buffalo and Honey BBQ are pretty ordinary, however.
KFC's wings are heavily breaded and slathered in sauce, which is a good thing if that's your thing. If you're low-carbing it, or following the Keto way of life, these wings are strictly out of bounds. I found the Nashville Hots to be really good, spicy and salty. Nashville Hot, where have you been all my life? When I go to the refrigerator, I wonder what's in there that I can over with Nashville Hot sauce?
KFC serves both drums and flats (that's industry talk for the wing part that looks like a mini-chicken leg, and the part that flaps. Here's something nifty, you can ask for all-drums or all-flats. I prefer the flats because there's a greater ratio of skin to meat. Obviously skin is the best part. You may not ask for your wings naked (without breading).
Nashville Hot has more calories and fat than the other varieties, but the taste margin makes the indulgence worth it. Buffalo and Honey BBQ both weigh in at 100 calories and 7 fat grams per wing. Un-sauced has 80 calories and 7 fat grams. KFC Fried Wings head directly to the Colonel's permanent menu, at least for now.
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Ken Hoffman reviews a new fast food restaurant item every Wednesday. Have a suggestion or a drive-thru favorite? Let Ken know on Twitter.