KFC Quality Check

Is it just me or has KFC chicken taken a nosedive in quality?

It used to be a regular part of our routine but for the last couple of years the outlet we use, at least, is just not keeping up the quality. Now we head elsewhere if we hanker after fried chicken.

KFC went downhill years ago. I'm even getting concerned about Popeye's, which is my go-to. (But now I am really fond of the chicken made by the diner near my office!)

[Jenise]

I have a really strong and seemingly accurate palate memory, and for me KFC is one of the few things I have loved for decades that has not gone downhill in quality. In fact, an improvement from long long ago is that where they used to cut the breast saddle into three pieces it's now two whole breasts separated at the keel bone. That, to me, is an improvement. Otherwise the seasoning and cooking method, once revolutionary, remain the same.

I've had one subpar version over the years, and it was down in Mt. Vernon on what must have been a slow afternoon for them when I pulled in around 3-ish and ordered a single breast to tide me over on the trip home. The breast served to me must have been sitting around for a few hours as it had obviously been re-fried (it was unusually dark brown) resulting in tough, dry, overcooked meat. I filed a complaint with HQ when I got home and a manager of that store actually called me to say no way they never refry, a strict policy. I had to then ask, "then how did it get THAT dry and THAT tough?" I only get it about once a year, but all else has been consistently good.

What in particular seemed 'off' about what you had?

Maybe it just sat under the heat lamp for too long vs. being re-fried? Back in 1972 when I had a summer job at KFC, the chicken had to be withdrawn from sale if it sat around too long. Minimizing this waste was an important part of the shift supervisor's job.

-Paul W.

It is possible that it sat there slowly degrading for too long. Will give it another try - but will source it from another outlet!

[Jenise]

Maybe it just sat under the heat lamp for too long vs. being re-fried? Back in 1972 when I had a summer job at KFC, the chicken had to be withdrawn from sale if it sat around too long. Minimizing this waste was an important part of the shift supervisor's job.

-Paul W.

Mine was re-fried OR it spent twice as long in the fryer than it should have in the first place. Considering the timers that automate these things so any 16 yr old can do it, the first actually makes the most sense. Note I mentioned that mine was extra-dark in color in addition to dry and tough.

Mine was re-fried OR it spent twice as long in the fryer than it should have in the first place. Considering the timers that automate these things so any 16 yr old can do it, the first actually makes the most sense. Note I mentioned that mine was extra-dark in color in addition to dry and tough.

Was this original recipe or extra crispy? Original recipe is deep-fried in a pressure cooker. I was working at KFC in the days before automated timers. The person doing the frying had to watch the clock. And they didn't let 16 year olds do the frying. Too dangerous with pressure cookers full of hot oil. The frying was done by experienced, trained full-time employees, usually the shift supervisor.

During the summer I was working at KFC one of the permanent employees was undergoing chicken-frying training. He once kept a batch too long in the pressure fryer. The result of overcooking was a non-crispy crust and chicken so tender that it fell off the bone. The exact opposite of what you describe. Toughening and dark color are the symptoms of staying too long under the heat lamps.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

But they also have non-pressure fryers for things like potatoes. It would have been pressure fried to begin with then refried in the open fryer used for french fries. And maybe that's not what happened, but the result was the same. Awful

But to answer your question: Original. Don't like the other.

That makes sense. Back in 1972 when I worked there, KFC didn't have french fries. Only mashed potatoes. And they did have that unusual way of cutting up the chicken into nine pieces instead of the usual eight. As a summer hire my main duty was chicken prep. The chicken arrived at the store all cut up. We then had to manually tuck the wing tip under the rest of the wing and to disjoint the thigh bone. To disjoint the thigh you grabbed the backbone in one hand, the thigh bone in another, and spread them apart. The backbone had been sawed in half and was very sharp. I got lots of little cuts on my hand that almost instantly got infected. Between that and the stifling heat it was a miserable job. I swore to do well at school so that I'd never end up in a job like that again.

-Paul W.

[David M. Bueker]

Popeye's has been fine for me, except that they reformulated their red beans & rice (less fat!), and lost the real flavor in the process. The spicy chicken is still the best of the fast food chicken IMO.

Agreed about Popeye's spicy chicken.

-Paul W.