Every New KFC Saucy Nugget, Tasted & Ranked

Something saucy took over KFC on April 1—no joke. Colonel Sanders and his world-famous chicken joint just unveiled Saucy Nuggets for the very first time in not one, not two, but five different flavors.

"KFC has never been so finger-lickin' good—literally," said Nick Chavez, the chain's chief marketing officer, in a press release. "We've entered the sauce chat. Our KFC Nuggets—made from 100% white meat chicken and hand-breaded with KFC's secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices—dripping with these sauces create an unmatched flavor experience, with something for every palate."

The new lineup includes two returning sauces that previously flavored other KFC menu items: Georgia Gold and fan-favorite Nashville hot. Plus, three entirely new flavors debuted: Korean BBQ, Honey Sriracha, and Sticky Chicky. Each option is now available for a limited time in eight, 10, or 12 counts, which cost $4.99, $5.99, and $6.99, respectively, at my local KFC. Or, you can make it a combo by adding a side and a drink.

To see what this new saucy era is all about, I got my hands dirty so you don't have to and tried each of these new nuggets one by one. Let's find out which sauce recipes are good until the last drop and which ones are alternatively a little too wet and wild for my liking.

Nashville Hot

Paying homage to Music City, KFC was one of the first national chains to put Nashville hot chicken on the map with its original menu item launch in 2016. Fans of the phenomenon were crushed to see it go last year. But, thanks to these new nuggets, KFC wasn't devoid of spice for long. The Nashville hot chicken chunks are "smoky, spicy, and crispy, with an even ratio of flavor and smokiness to heat that brings balance," according to the chain. I was excited to see why the disappearance of this flavor ruffled so many feathers and hoped I could handle the promised intensity.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The look: From the top, they look to be coated in a dry rub rather than a wet sauce. But, as you get closer, you see that they are all plopped in a glistening pool of oily liquid, which gives off a menacing shade of orange-red.

The taste: Let's start first with an analysis of the nuggets themselves, which are the same no matter what sauce you select. They are made from juicy, fresh white meat chicken with a satisfyingly crunchy outer shell. As far as fast food nuggets go, I would lump them in a category with Chick-fil-A as they both share a similar size, shape, and breading style. All in all, they are more than adequate nuggets and the perfect base for any ostentatious sauce.

As for the Nashville hot, I'm not a fan. At first, the flavor that hits you is reminiscent of a smoky barbecue potato chip, but with a kick at the end that burns hot at the back of your throat. This is fine, and I can appreciate some good old-fashioned spice. The bone I have to pick with the nuggets is with the oily sauce. It soaks into the bottom of each piece as they sit in the plastic container, and with each bite comes a warm burst of grease that feels like it's fixin' to clog your arteries on the spot. I'm not sure if the Nashville hot recipe has changed since its heyday, but this current recipe isn't all it's cracked up to be.

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Korean BBQ

Korean BBQ has become a serious food trend over the past several years, and you can enjoy a taste of the novelty at your local KFC. The Korean BBQ saucy glaze is a new flavor described as a "sweet and savory umami sauce with soy sauce, garlic, sugar and sesame."

The look: The sauce is viscous and jelly-like. It coats each nugget well, giving them a glossy finish and dark rusty tone.

The taste: If you haven't had Korean BBQ before and are thinking it will taste similar to the barbecue sauce we slather on our dishes here in America, you would be incorrect. It's closer to a soy sauce-based sweet and sour—emphasis on the sour. The balance is off, resulting in a more acidic substance that tastes a bit artificial, like it's been marinating in a plastic bottle for months. It adheres to the chicken exceptionally well with its gummy nature. So, it has that going for it.

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Georgia Gold

Sounding like a southern ray of sunshine, Georgia Gold is another saucy nugget option. It's described as "a honey-mustard style BBQ sauce made with vinegar, honey and savory seasoning." KFC also adds that it's "tangy with a flavorful punch." Like Nashville hot, this is another returning flavor, brought back after a surge of social media outcries, and petitions surfaced pleading for its comeback.

The look: The pieces exhibit a yellow-orange tinge, giving them a Buffalo wings-like appearance. Like the Nashville Hot, a deep puddle of sauce can also be found at the bottom of this container.

The taste: As advertised, with honey mustard and barbecue flavors mixed in. However, the honey mustard is much more prominent. The taste reminded me of honey mustard-coated pretzels from Snyder's or Dot's. Then, a subdued, sweet, smoky barbecue hits you more at the end and into the aftertaste. Similar to the Nashville hot, they are on the oily side but to a much lower degree. The taste isn't quite like striking gold, but it's a sound sauce.

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Sticky Chicky

The Sticky Chicky is the most entertaining new sauce name to say out loud. It's just a sweet-and-sour-style sauce, but KFC presumably wanted to stand out from the army of other fast-food restaurants with a version of the dual-taste sauce on their books. The chicken joint's rendition follows a standard recipe, described as "a balanced combination of sweet and tangy flavors including pineapple, garlic, vinegar, and chili."

The look: Almost identical to the Korean BBQ with a gloopy texture and the same reddish shade. I'm glad I kept close tabs on these two, or else I could have mixed them up.

The taste: The taste is also sneakily similar to the Korean BBQ. But it's more well-rounded, with a pleasant touch of citrusy sweetness, rendering the vinegar and pungency less overbearing. Another thought that surfaces is it has an air about it that's more authentic with a less packaged flavoring. Spice is not on the menu with the Sticky Chicky, but I think it's flavorful enough without it.

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Honey Sriracha

Despite the ongoing Sriracha shortage saga, KFC bravely included the condiment in its new saucy lineup. The fast food chain says this final addition is "A sweet heat sauce using a blend of red chili peppers, garlic and honey." Typically, sweet and spicy fusions like this fare well, offering a gratifying range of tastes, but we'll see if KFC's creation follows suit.

The look: Translucent and gel-like, similar to both the Korean BBQ and Sticky Chicky sauces. It's a tad thinner, lighter in color, and not quite as tacky.

The taste: With a few overlapping ingredients, it's in the same realm as the Sticky Chicky. However, it offers more of a smooth sweetness than a biting one as it swaps out pineapple for honey—and the red chili peppers elevate it even further. The heat hits you instantly with pangs spread across your tongue, but it's nothing any mild spice lover can't handle, especially when offset by the juicy, seasoned chicken. The honey Sriracha is a true saucy success and my favorite nugget by far.

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