KFC Just Launched a Swicy Collab with Mike’s Hot Honey—Here’s a Food Editor’s Review of the New Menu Items

• What It Is: fried chicken, drizzled with Mike’s Hot Honey, on a bun with pickles
• Price: $5.59

I had the standard KFC sammy for a roundup of the best fast food chicken sandwiches and wasn’t exactly blown away. While I loved the double-breaded crunchy crust, the chicken looked a bit pale and tasted a bit old; while the piece I got was massive, it made for a sloppy eating experience. However, this time around, it was much easier to eat. I most enjoyed the soft, buttery potato bun. The hot honey was mostly absorbed into the breading of the chicken. I think its sweetness would be better complemented by tangier mayo and more acidic pickles.

• What It Is: three Original Recipe tenders, drizzled with Mike’s Hot Honey, plus one side and a biscuit
• Price: $7

The tenders’ breading tasted significantly different and more nuanced than that of the other chicken options, like it had more dry spices and black pepper. They were drier than both the sandwich and fried chicken, but it wound up being the best base for the hot honey. It could stand up to the sticky-sweet sauce, and as a result, the breading didn’t turn totally soggy. Oh, and the biscuit in the honey that pooled at the corners of the container? Divine. (This also comes in a four-piece combo for $11.49, BTW.)

• What It Is: two pieces of bone-in fried chicken, drizzled with Mike’s Hot Honey, plus one side and a biscuit
• Price: $7

The chicken was delightfully sticky, but the breading turned partially soggy pretty quickly. The drumstick was my favorite piece: super juicy and succulent. I found the spice of the hot honey to be quite mild, but it built up as I ate. I want to say I wished it was more generously applied, but honestly, I really wanted it on the side so the chicken could stay crispy for longer. (Choose from original, extra crispy and spicy chicken; this also comes in a three-piece box for $11.89.)

• What It Is: four pieces of bone-in chicken, 12-piece chicken nuggets, fries, four biscuits and four sauces, including Mike’s Hot Honey
• Price: $25

The chicken was plentiful and well coated in hot honey (this was the most generous application of all four menu items). I opted for the spicy chicken here, but I didn’t notice much difference between that and Original Recipe. (I’m admittedly used to Popeye’s more intensely spicy breading, and I wouldn’t have minded adding some Louisiana-style hot sauce to turn up the heat.)

The real surprise here was how much I liked the nuggets; the breading was crisp and black pepper-forward. As for the spuds, they ranked pretty high on my ranking of the best fast food fries the first time I had them. They were crunchy and rustic, more like potato wedges than your average frite. This time, they were old and chewy, but the flavor was still good. Ultimately, if you only try one thing from the hot honey collab, this is it.