KFC's most famous dish is leaving the business. Popcorn Chicken, now dubbed Popcorn Nuggets, is leaving for Kentucky Fried Chicken Nuggets.
After a year of regional testing, KFC has decided to make palm-sized poultry bites a fast-food nugget.
The Kentucky Fried Chicken Nuggets will come in 8-, 12-, and 36-piece orders and feature all-white flesh chicken coated in the Original Recipe of 11 herbs and spices.
Popcorn Chicken enthusiasts are already lamenting the loss of their cherished bundle of fried food as some eateries have started draining their supplies ahead of the January 2023 rollout.
"Went to a KFC today and they said the popcorn chicken was discontinued," Reddit user u/Jesuschristlikessex wrote December 21. Is this true? Everywhere? I pray not."
"I manage a Florida location," they say. "All locations will replace popcorn chicken by Jan. 3 with all-white meat chicken nuggets cooked in original recipe."
According to an NPR interview, food technologist Gene Gagliardi patented Popcorn Chicken in the early 1990s, and KFC popularized it.
However, the fried poultry bites were withdrawn in 2011. KFC revived them as Popcorn Nuggets, a larger, less-fried version of the grab-and-go snack, by popular demand.
The restaurant's answer to chicken nuggets, they were so little and charming that guests felt like they were choosing a "healthier" option to fried chicken (despite having 620 calories per serving for a large order).
It was also a traditional topping for KFC bowls like the Mac & Cheese Bowl and the Famous Bowl, which combined all your favorite side dishes for simple snacking.