Although the product is plant-based, the brands noted it is not prepared in a vegan manner.
KFC and Beyond Meat are partnering with YouTube star and influencer Liza Koshy to help reveal the debut. Koshy has 29.5 million followers on TikTok and 17.5 million fans on YouTube.
Plant-based food sales jumped 27% to $7 billion in 2020, according to the Plant Based Foods Association, an industry trade group, led by strong sales of alternative milks and growth of meat-inspired protein items.
Beyond Fried Chicken is served in a green-and-white container combining KFC’s famous stripes with the color scheme of Beyond Meat. The meals come with a choice of four dipping sauces. They can be ordered a la carte in 6- and 12-piece orders, or as a meal with fries and a drink.
Beyond Meat is separately testing recipes at 70 U.S. Panda Express restaurants and co-developed the McPlant sandwich with McDonald’s.
“We couldn’t be prouder to partner with KFC to offer a best-in-class product that not only delivers the delicious experience consumers expect from this iconic chain, but also provides the added benefits of plant-based meat,” said Ethan Brown, founder and CEO of Beyond Meat. “We are truly thrilled to make it available to consumers nationwide.”
Beyond Fried Chicken will be available Jan. 10.