KFC Goes Healthier With Non-fried Chicken Menu

[george]

ROASTED CHICKEN

KFC eyes healthier sales with tasty new product

All outlets add non-fried items to their menu

BANGKOK: -- KFC is introducing a non-fried-chicken menu, starting with the Roasted Wing Hitz, priced at Bt49 per pack of three pieces, to respond to the growing health-conscious trend.

"Customers aged 20-29 are worried about high calories in fried food, because it might make them fat and less beautiful. Meanwhile, customers aged 40-50 are also highly concerned about that but for the different reason of health problems," Waewkanee Assoratgoon, marketing director for KFC at Yum Restaurants International (Thailand), said yesterday.

The new menu is the culmination of three years of discussions and market research by Yum and major KFC operator Central Restaurant Group (CMG).

The launch involves equipping all KFCs with hi-tech ovens at a cost of Bt350 million - with Yum chipping in Bt200 million and CMG B150 million - updating uniforms and slogan, and kicking off a Bt25-million marketing campaign.

The old, mainly red crew uniforms have been replaced with new ones in green and orange.

The "Spice In Your Life" slogan has moved over for "Live The Real Tasty Life".

The two partners hope the move will help create a perception of the fast-food chain as offering many choices of healthy dishes instead of only fried chicken. The new image is expected to double customer visiting frequency to twice a month and attract more patrons in their twenties.

That would translate into 15-per-cent sales growth at KFC this year.

To build wide awareness of the new cooking system and the uniform change, KFC will place advertisements through media channels like television, use building and Skytrain wraps and arrange marketing events.

Managing director Sran Smutkochorn said the focus of the new cooking system was not on reducing raw materials and operating costs in the long run. The company still had to see customer feedback to find out the best proportion of fried and non-fried offerings and study the market potential of any new non-fried selections to be brought out after this. Then it would have to see what raw materials would be needed for those menus.

Thailand is the fourth market to install the new oven, after China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. However, the new uniform was designed for the Thai market only but the chains in other countries can also apply the concept if they are interested.

Families with kids account for 40 per cent of KFC's customers here, followed by those in their twenties at 20 per cent, adults aged 30 and over at 20 per cent, and teens aged 15-19 at 10 per cent.

-- The Nation 2008-03-27

[Ulysses G.]

It is really about time that they started selling roasted chicked as well as fried. I might have been eating there more than once a year if they had done it long ago.

[Tywais]

It is really about time that they started selling roasted chicked as well as fried.

The best cooking style for chicken I've had was a place in North Dakota that did 'broasted' chicken. Seems to be specialized and require "Broaster tm" cookers to do it. Apparently it is a high pressure deep fryer and keeps the oil out and moisture in. Would be happy to see that style at KFC.

[sceadugenga]

I thought KFC did rotisseried chicken in Australia years ago. Wasn't popular due to the independent operators doing a better job so they discontinued it.

Could be wrong though....

again.

[Farma]

Can anyone else remember maybe 15 or so years back when they were selling oven roasted whole chicken legs at KFC? I bought some in Prakanong.

I had the impression it was a regional or maybe Thailand only promotion. The whole legs were Soy marinated if memory serves me right.

[IMA_FARANG]

It is really about time that they started selling roasted chicked as well as fried. I might have been eating there more than once a year if they had done it long ago.

Not a bad idea....but then I almost never eat in KFC anyhow.

Things I bet you didn't know.........

Although KFC is fried to finish it, all KFC chicken is actually pre-cooked in a pressure cooker type arrangement. It is only then fried once it is already cooked. The reason is that actually frying chicken from uncooked often makes the chicken too dry. To get the chicken to stay moist inside, KFC chicken is first cooked in a pressure cooker. Then it is fried to finish it and give it that crunchy coating.

There really was a Col. Sanders, who owned a fried chicken restaurant. A new superhighway was built taking traffic around his chicken restaurant. So Col. Sanders packed his family and his chicken-cooking secrets (pressure cooking first) and started a chain of restaurants. He was in his 50's when he started KFC.

Don't know what that has to do with Thailand....but just something you can use for conversation at the next cocktail party you go to.

[mr_hippo]

I have been making my own non-fat, non-fried KFC styke chicken for years!

[sceadugenga]

I have been making my own non-fat, non-fried KFC styke chicken for years!

Less talk and more recipe please.

[mr_hippo]

Less talk and more recipe please.

Sorry but it's a family secret that goes back to time immemorial or at least 30 years!

[lannarebirth]

Less talk and more recipe please.

Sorry but it's a family secret that goes back to time immemorial or at least 30 years!

So, you'd be disinherited if you were kind enough to share a recipe with someone? It's just meat after all.

[DP25]

I might actually start eating at KFC now. I've never liked fried chicken much so I usually avoid it. I often buy a large mashed potato at KFC, then find a Thai roast chicken stall, and eat those together. If I can get both in the same place it'd be much more convenient.

[Bagwan]

Don't know what that has to do with Thailand....but just something you can use for conversation at the next cocktail party you go to.

At the next cocktail party that I attend I expect ambrosia and manna to be available at the buffet table. Attendees will of course be serenaded by celestial choirs. I have been denied admittance to the last few cocktail parties I have pitched up to. Apparently shorts and flip-flops are not acceptable garb.

[PhilHarries]

Don't know what that has to do with Thailand....but just something you can use for conversation at the next cocktail party you go to.

At the next cocktail party that I attend I expect ambrosia and manna to be available at the buffet table. Attendees will of course be serenaded by celestial choirs. I have been denied admittance to the last few cocktail parties I have pitched up to. Apparently shorts and flip-flops are not acceptable garb.

The next cocktail party I go to will be offering flame grilled chicken and all the firewater I can drink.

[suegha]

It still won't make me eat at KFC. Have not had a burger or KFC in 5-6 years. Feel so much better for it!

[Tony Clifton]

I have been making my own non-fat, non-fried KFC styke chicken for years!

Seeing you need two bicycles, you may want to share the recipe with us all for review about it`s fat content.

[mr_hippo]

I have been making my own non-fat, non-fried KFC styke chicken for years!

Seeing you need two bicycles, you may want to share the recipe with us all for review about it`s fat content.

Just posing with two of my bikes! Give the family secret away? No!

[Trevor]

The healthiest chicken is organic and raw. Their raw eggs are even better: all the ingredients for new life! Forget cooked, commercial chicken: cruelly-raised, and the by-products of heating the meat will toxify your organs for years.

[Samuian]

The healthiest chicken is organic and raw. Their raw eggs are even better: all the ingredients for new life! Forget cooked, commercial chicken.....

However, I favor by far the humble "Kao Man Gai" over all commercial mass produced fast food!

[sweetchariot]

We had to try this the other day, as the missus had seen the ads. They only offer roasted wings, which I dont really like anyway as they are so fiddly, and they were covered in so much sticky barbecue spicy sauce that they were probably worse for you than fried chicken! We ate 1 wing each, and the 3rd went in the bin, 0 out of 10 from me I'm afraid.

Luckily I had ordered some proper fried chicken as well, the wings were just a side. If you want healthier chicken either roast it yourself (yes I know I am in the minority having an oven), or buy a spit-roasted one from the side of the road, dont bother with KFC.

I rarely eat KFC, when I do I have normally consumed copious amounts of beer first, but eating this kind of food occassionally will not harm you, it's the people that live off it that have a problem.

[popshirt]

We had to try this the other day, as the missus had seen the ads. They only offer roasted wings, which I dont really like anyway as they are so fiddly, and they were covered in so much sticky barbecue spicy sauce that they were probably worse for you than fried chicken! We ate 1 wing each, and the 3rd went in the bin, 0 out of 10 from me I'm afraid.

That's what I was afraid of. The wings are the least likely to be more tasty/moist having been oven baked. Not a good introduction for KFC to test market, in my opinion.

What I want is a 1/2 chicken oven roasted.

Yes, referring to an earlier post, I remember "broasted" chicken also. It was delicious. And they did use some kind of oven/pressure contraption.

My next condo will have a proper wall oven and I can roast my own. Sorry KFC.

[Ulysses G.]

The healthiest chicken is organic and raw. Their raw eggs are even better: all the ingredients for new life! Forget cooked, commercial chicken.....

However, I favor by far the humble "Kao Man Gai" over all commercial mass produced fast food!

Tastes great, but lots of fat in the rice.

[Bagwan]

The healthiest chicken is organic and raw. Their raw eggs are even better: all the ingredients for new life! Forget cooked, commercial chicken: cruelly-raised, and the by-products of heating the meat will toxify your organs for years.

This is in direct contravention of an article on page 5 of the Outlook section of the Monday edition of the Bangkok Post.

[suegha]

The healthiest chicken is organic and raw. Their raw eggs are even better: all the ingredients for new life! Forget cooked, commercial chicken: cruelly-raised, and the by-products of heating the meat will toxify your organs for years.

Raw chicken eggs, fine, but raw chicken? I don't think so!

[Ulysses G.]

Trevor is a live-fooder. I do it with fruits, vegetables and fish to lose weight, but raw meat in Thailand scares me.

[cathyy]

Trevor is free to eat however he wants, but his continual advertising of it in unrelated threads annoys the piss out of me. He's obviously a wanke_r who can only focus on one thing at a time, and he's found this weird, patently unsafe diet...

I recall KFC in the US selling roast chicken, maybe back in the 80s. I seem to recall it was called "Golden Roast" and was an option along with the Original and Extra Crispy. They quit selling it after a year or two because it just wasn't popular enough. IIRC, the chicken at KFC is fried to cook it, but in a deep fryer under pressure. It's the pressure that keeps the juices in. You can get the same effect at home by cooking chicken in a skillet with the cover weighed down by something heavy. The heavier the weight, the higher the pressure and the more moist and tender the chicken.

[peter991]

What KFC has to say about their Secret Recipie

KFC's 11 Secret Herbs & Spices

Peter

[BigSnake]

Great ideal hope it goes over well in Thailand and other part or the world, CHEERS to KFC>

[onethailand]

KFC's 11 Secret Herbs & Spices

Peter

A package of Lipton Tomato Soup? Somehow I don't think Colonel Sanders had that at his disposal when he created his recipe...

Nevertheless, it probably tastes really good. If someone really wanted to look, there are probably quite a few sites which have recipes to simulate the KFC taste.

[suegha]

What KFC has to say about their Secret Recipie

KFC's 11 Secret Herbs & Spices

Peter

Thanks peter, it makes KFC sound really special!

[Fantasteak]

Quite obviously Baked chicken is better for you than fried chicken. Is it much better when its covered in sweet and sticky bar-bq sauce as these chicken wings( actually drumsticks) are? Not sure they are actually baked in an oven in- store though?

No real breakdown of the calorie difference between fried and baked and change in trans-fats and all those nasty things that make you fat and die on the toilet. Maybe just another sales gimmick?

Breaking news- My ex has just logged onto msn and tells me she is feeling sick. I asked her what she has eaten? You guessed- KFC baked chicken wings. What are the chances of that?

Bon apetit