by Bottom Line: The Hot & Spicy Wings from KFC deliver the good fried chicken taste you expect from this chain and bring a bit of heat.
Chicken wings are a common item at many restaurants these days, but surprisingly one place where they have not been a fixture on the menu is one of the original chicken friers KFC (aka Kentucky Fried Chicken to those of us who remember when they spelled out the name). Wings have made appearances there from time to time, but they have not received a permanent slot which may seem strange since the bird is their business. But they are back once again for another limited visit, and this time the Colonel is kicking them up with some heat.
These wings are marinated in spicy seasonings and double hand-breaded in its signature Extra Crispy breading with eight coming to an order. Interestingly, this spicy version of wings originated from KFC in Trinidad & Tobago and have been available in Europe, Asia, South Africa, and Australia. They are only just now making it to the U.S. market, though.
Since these use the extra crispy breading, they deliver plenty of crunch and they are nicely seasoned with those famous eleven herbs and spices. The chicken is plenty tender and not too greasy (though you will need some napkins close by) and has the good taste you expect from KFC. The spicy marinade adds some flavor as well and also brings a bit of a kick. The wings are on the small side, but they still have a decent breading-to-meat ratio and you get several bites from each. They forgot to give me the side of sauce, but I didn’t really miss it because the wings were perfectly fine on their own.
Heat-wise, they have a bit of a kick right away, and that builds as you continue eating. They never get to the point that they are too hot, though, maybe just below Medium on my scale. But they do leave you with a nice tingling in your mouth and on your lips. And if you really want to kick them up, add a few drops of habanero hot sauce to each wing.
As for the nutrition, the wings come in at 770 calories for an order of eight. That’s not too bad for the drive thru (especially since they don’t give the nutrition breakout and you can’t see the fat grams or sodium), but go easy on the sides. The mashed potatoes and gravy or mac and cheese are decent options at under 140 calories each. But the winner is the sweet corn at only 70 calories. They may overcook it, but it still tastes good, especially if you spritz on some Louisiana hot sauce.
As is typical with KFC and wings, these are available for the dreaded limited time only. I expect that they will stick around through football season and then disappear from the menu. At $4.99 for eight or $7.99 for a combo with a side and a drink in my area, that’s not bad for a fast food score. But make sure you score as often as possible with this while football is still going on, because they will likely be gone after that.
