Why KFC Made Its Chicken Tenders 30 Percent Bigger
The chicken tender has become a battleground. For KFC, the pressure was building: customer complaints were rising, boneless chicken sales were sliding, and newer fried-chicken competitors were pulling people away. The response is a tender that is bigger and crispier than what came before.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the relaunched tenders are about 30% larger than the previous version, with a crisper coating. Nine's coverage described the broader changes as KFC's biggest menu overhaul in decades. Through it all, the 11 secret herbs and spices recipe stays untouched.
A Test Kitchen on Sydney's Northern Beaches
The new tender did not come from a quick recipe swap. The Australian Financial Review reported that a team of chefs spent 18 months at a KFC test kitchen in Frenchs Forest, a quiet suburban enclave on Sydney's northern beaches. They broke the tender down to its individual elements and examined the process step by step.
That kind of work points to a product being rebuilt, not just adjusted. The goal, judging by the rollout, was to fix a piece of chicken that had lost its edge: portion size and crunch.
Why the Timing Matters
The relaunch is a direct response to competition. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that emerging fast-food and fried-chicken rivals led to a rise in customer complaints and a drop-off in sales of the boneless serving. The bigger tender is KFC's way of reclaiming ground in a category where pressure has been growing.
There is more to come. Nine reported that KFC has signalled redesigns to menu items that have been part of the chain for decades. The company says the broader menu offering will continue to unfold over the next year and a half. Which items change next has not been specified.
What the Revamp Signals
The bigger tender is not just a portion bump. It signals that KFC sees the new wave of fried-chicken competition as a real threat and is willing to rework one of its core menu items in response. For customers, the immediate difference is straightforward: a larger, crunchier piece of boneless chicken. For the wider market, the revamp shows how fast-food chains are responding to competitive pressure by re-engineering familiar products.