Kentucky Nude Chicken

Last week I had the opportunity to partake in KFC's latest creation: Oven Roasted Strips. It's an intriguing concept. Some people don't want all that fried crap with their, errr, fried chicken. They want a healthier, non-fried option. So KFC made the denuded strips an actual menu item. Kind of clever, if you ask me.

In reality, the strips are covered with a thin breading - but it's far less substantial than the thick, crunchy coating on the regular strips. It's more a vehicle for flavorings than anything else. But it's there, and if what you're really jonesing for is some Boston Market-style roasted chicken, these strips likely won't satisfy.

The strips are currently available either in a Twister (KFC-speak for a wrap) or as part of a meal. I went with the latter in an effort to get a better feel for the strips themselves (I figured wrapping them up along with lettuce, tomato, and mayo would make it tougher to get a good read on them). Sayeth KFC: "The new Oven Roasted Strips Meal consists of three freshly prepared boneless chicken filet strips seasoned with a unique blend of herbs and spices, served over a bed of long-grain rice with a side of southern-style green beans." My verdict? They're tasty, but unfortunately they're way oversalted. More on that in a bit. The rice was decent - a little salty, but no other complaints - but sadly the "southern-style" beans were downright awful. Limp, gray, watery, and - yes - salty.

Sense a trend?

The meal carries some fascinating nutritional data: 420 calories, 7 grams of fat (2.5 saturated), 6 grams of fiber, 38 grams of protein, plus 25% of the RDA of vitamin A, 10% of calcium, and 20% of iron. Super. Sounds like health food. BUT...it's also got 90 mg of cholesterol, 50 grams of carbs, and a stunning 2410 mg of sodium. That, to me, is absolutely amazing. Keep in mind that the RDA of sodium is 2400 mg. For comparison, in order to match that staggering total, you'd need six regular recipe fried drumsticks, or seven standard beef tacos at TB, or seven orders of large fries at McD's, or two double Whoppers at BK. And none of those combinations are what I'd call health food. Yes, fat is flavor, and meals that are low in fat have to compensate somehow. But pouring on the salt is not a good answer.

The ratings below are for the Strips Meal, not for the chicken itself. The strips alone would have fared slightly better, but overall, I can't say I'm a fan.

Taste - 1.5 nachos - The salty salt was salted with salt, which salted the salty saltification of the salt salt. Salt? You salted it.
Value - 3.0 nachos - The meal is very reasonably priced. Not a lot of food, but not an unreasonably small portion, either.
Innovation - 2.5 nachos - The strips were kind of a clever idea. But poorly executed. Pairing them with boring rice and terrible beans was not a great decision, either.
Overall - 2.0 nachos - KFC needs to rethink this one. I definitely think the concept has potential - but in its current incarnation, I don't see why anyone would come back for seconds.