Any time a restaurant chain – especially one as big and popular as Burger King – introduces a new menu item including chicken, it can have a good effect on the poultry industry.
But sometimes when people get too creative when it comes to introducing the next big thing in food, it just doesn’t do much for the taste buds. So when I heard about how Burger King was introducing for a limited time a special new food item – Cheetos Chicken Fries -- I raised an eyebrow.
According to the Burger King website, “Chicken Fries are made with white meat chicken like original Chicken Fries, and are covered in a crispy Cheetos-flavored breading and cooked to crispy perfection so that they have a dangerously cheesy outside with and made with juicy white meat chicken inside.”
When I read about this new BK menu offering, somehow I had to go try them. It’s not necessarily that I thought they would be good, but just like Chester Cheetah, curiosity got the better of this cat.
Original chicken fries have proven popular
Chicken Fries, a variation of chicken strips that are shaped like French fries, were first rolled out in 2005, and remained on the menu until 2012. The company brought back the popular menu item due to popular demand in August 2014, but at the time, Burger King thought it would be only for a limited time.
However, Chicken Fries turned out to be so popular with Burger King customers, the company decided in March 2015 to put them back on the menu permanently.
And they have been there ever since.
The taste test
On Saturday, my family made a stop for lunch at Burger King. The Cheetos Chicken Fries were prominently promoted with big signage near the front door. My wife and I decided we would give them a try.
Oddly enough, my youngest son said he didn’t want any. This boy eats chicken nuggets like there’s no tomorrow, but when he tried Chicken Fries several months back, he determined that they were too dry. I don’t disagree with that statement.
But will the fabulous Cheetos flavor enhance the Chicken Fries? Will your fingers turn orange with Cheetos dust like they do with the real deal (or with knock-off generic products)?
When they called out our order, the package we decided to share as a family looked more brown than orange. The cheese flavor was faint, but there. I actually think I liked them better than the regular Chicken Fries. But I don’t know whether I’ll order them again.
The marketing
Burger King seems to have the main audience pegged on this one: Children. The packages have artwork of the Chester Cheetah mascot with a chicken’s beak. They even had special paper crowns with the chicken-cheetah on them.
I looked across the room, and saw a couple of young kids chowing down their Cheetos Chicken Fries with the crowns on their heads.
While they may not last forever, it seems to me this promotion is off to a good start. It got customers into Burger King, and it got some people to consume one more serving (or more) of chicken.
