Fast-food chains are getting weird with chicken this year, and they're no longer satisfied with selling just chicken nuggets or fried-chicken sandwiches. Instead, they appear to be obsessed with poultry innovation.
It should come as no surprise that Burger King is getting crafty with chicken — after all, they did turn the bird into fries. According to a press release, the chain's latest chicken creation is the chicken fries ring. It is essentially an onion ring made with poultry instead of the vegetable. It’s now officially possible to eat a, ahem, well-rounded meal, of chicken rings and onion rings at BK. It should be noted that Burger King isn’t the first chain to offer a chicken ring: Fans point out that they’ve been on the menu at White Castle for a long time.
Dunkin’ Donuts is also exploring its chicken options and is currently fiddling with the classic combination of chicken and waffles. The Street writes that the doughnut chain is testing a riff on the classic dish that no one asked for: a chicken-and-waffle sandwich. Currently offered in a handful of Florida locations, the sandwich features a circle of “breaded chicken” that is nuked warm and served between two Belgian waffles slathered with maple butter. Chicken and waffles didn’t need to become a portable mass-market item, but that isn’t stopping Dunkin’ Donuts. The chain is also testing adding cold brew to the menu to wash down the sandwich.
Given all of the new poultry innovations, will this finally be the year that Taco Bell adds its fried-chicken-shell taco to its permanent menu? Last year, the chain tested a shell made simply of deep-fried poultry at a handful of locations in California. Essentially, a pseudo-Mexican riff on KFC’s popular Double Down, the taco came stuffed with lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, and avocado ranch sauce.
[via Consumerist]