{"id":375935,"date":"2026-08-19T21:14:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T21:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/375935\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T21:14:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T21:14:11","slug":"%f0%9f%8d%97say-goodbye-to-boring-fried-chicken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/375935\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udf57Say Goodbye to Boring Fried Chicken"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Saucy! (News 6 WKMG CSD)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 If you love fried chicken but are always looking for a new way to eat it, <a href=\"https:\/\/saucy.kfc.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/saucy.kfc.com\/\">Saucy! by KFC<\/a> is leaning into the flavor experience with its new Flavor Playground.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Ahead of Saucy! Fest on Thursday, Aug. 20, at the Waterford location, I got an early preview of the brand\u2019s upcoming menu launches. The one-night community event will feature interactive experiences, live DJ entertainment, sauce flights and opportunities for guests to be among the first to try Saucy!\u2019s newest combinations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">I recently spoke with Zachary Phillips, the store manager at the Winter Park location, and he explained that Saucy!\u2019s biggest differentiator is the combination of KFC\u2019s classic 11 herbs and spices with 12 different sauces. The idea is to give customers the familiar flavor of KFC chicken while letting them choose a sauce that creates an entirely different experience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">That variety is at the center of Saucy!\u2019s new Flavor Playground, which also includes an innovative menu and competitive prices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The new Sauc!es Combo comes with three tenders, fries, a medium drink and four signature dipping sauces inspired by the brand\u2019s new Sauc!es characters: DJ Saucy!, Creole Capone, K-Ferno and Teri Yappi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Those sauces include Saucy! Sauce, Creole Honey Mustard, Korean Sweet Heat and Sweet Teriyaki. But the brand offers 12 sauces in total, giving customers plenty of room to mix, match and find a favorite.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">I tried all 12 sauces, including the new options, and my favorite by far was the Creole Honey Mustard. It had just the right sweetness, balanced by Creole spices that gave it more depth and personality. It was easily the sauce I kept going back to.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The Korean Sweet Heat was also amazing. It reminded me of Korean barbecue, with umami-rich soy notes layered into the sweetness and heat. I think it would pair especially well with one of Saucy!\u2019s rice bowls, where the rice could give the sauce a hearty base and let those flavors really stand out.<\/p>\n<p>12 Sauces from Saucy! (News 6 WKMG CSD)WKMG Insider<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 bTVksG\">Exclusive membership newsletter for News 6 Insiders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">One of the upcoming menu items I previewed was the Nashville Hot Tendies, which officially launch Aug. 25.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The tenders were super well-seasoned, with enough Nashville Hot flavor to make the dish exciting without becoming too spicy to enjoy. They also were not overly greasy, which can sometimes be an issue with hot chicken-style items.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">For me, the balance was the biggest success. The Nashville Hot Tendies delivered the spice and flavor I wanted without overwhelming the chicken itself.<\/p>\n<p>Nashville Hot Tender with Smoky Bacon Ranch (News 6 WKMG CSD)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Saucy! is also launching a new Sauce of the Month program in September. Phillips told me the first featured sauce will be called Golden Jam, a mango-based sauce.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">That rotating sauce gives customers another reason to come back and try something new, especially if they enjoy experimenting with different flavor combinations. It also adds another layer to a menu built around customization and discovery.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The brand\u2019s new Dirty Sodas, part of its Beverage Remix Bar, are scheduled to launch Sept. 1. Together with the new tenders, sauce lineup and rotating monthly flavors, the additions give Saucy! a menu that feels designed for people who want more options than a standard chicken meal.<\/p>\n<p>Saucy!s new menu items (News 6 WKMG CSD)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Saucy! Fest will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at 12195 East Colonial Drive. The first 200 guests will receive complimentary sauce flights, and the event will also feature Sauce Roulette, with a chance to win exclusive Saucy! merchandise.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">In a market filled with fast-food options for fried chicken, it is refreshing to see a place keeping things fresh and new. With 12 different sauces, no two bites have to taste the same, making the experience feel like an adventure for your taste buds and a way to step outside the mundane.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">That kind of creativity is what we need in the food industry: brands that never stop innovating, pushing boundaries and finding new ways to keep things fun for customers. Whether you prefer a sweet and savory sauce like Creole Honey Mustard, something with umami-rich soy notes like Korean Sweet Heat or a spicier tender like Nashville Hot, the new Flavor Playground gives you plenty of ways to find your own favorite combination.<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Saucy! (News 6 WKMG CSD) ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 If you love fried chicken but are always looking for&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":375936,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[46086,2158,1335,139,141,140],"class_list":["post-375935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-florida-foodie","tag-insider","tag-orange-county","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=375935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375935\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/375936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=375935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=375935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=375935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}