Review: KFC - Cheetos Sandwich and Cheetos Popcorn Nuggets

KFC's Cheetos Sandwich takes a boneless Extra Crispy filet, coats it with special Cheetos sauce, and serves it with a layer of Crunchy Cheetos and mayo on a plain bun.

The sandwich alone was $4.49 but I got it as part of the Cheetos Lovers Box, which cost me $9.79 and also included mac & cheese, potato wedges, Cheetos Popcorn Nuggets (regular Popcorn Nuggets smothered in Cheetos sauce), and a fountain drink (which I filled with new Mtn Dew Sweet Lightning).

The special Cheetos sauce really tasted like Cheetos and thoroughly imparted that quality to the chicken filet to the extent that I mostly tasted just Cheetos but with various textures.

Chicken was pretty tender and juicy on this occasion. It was nice and thick too. The breading was good for a light and flaky crispiness that held together despite being smothered in sauce. It was complemented by a heartier though slightly stale crunch from the Crunchy Cheetos. The flavor of chicken itself managed to struggle through the all-encompassing taste of Cheetos but the seasoning of the chicken was covered up entirely.

The mayo added a richness but not the expected flavor of mayo. Instead, the richness went to the general Cheeto-ness of the sandwich.

The bun was a little bit too dense but otherwise blunted some of the saltiness from the fried chicken, Crunchy Cheetos, and sauce.

As far as Cheetos Popcorn Nuggets (which would have cost me $3.29 if I ordered them a la carte) go, they're not as meaty as the filet with a higher breading-to-chicken ratio. The breading is thicker and denser than the filet but still good for some crunch. Maybe there was less sauce on it but the flavor of the nuggets didn't totally fade against the Cheetos sauce.

Insofar as making a Cheetos Sandwich that captures the essence of Cheetos, it's mission accomplished here but I'd rather just get a bag of Cheetos for my fix. If you want to try a fried chicken sandwich that tastes like Cheetos from beginning to end, this is it. It's somewhat telling that they decided to call it the "Cheetos Sandwich" rather than the "Cheetos Chicken Sandwich." The Cheetos Popcorn Nuggets are the way to go if you prefer a more measured amount of Cheetos flavor.

Finally, if you're curious about Mtn Dew Sweet Lightning, it basically tastes like citrusy Mountain Dew mixed with a strong dose of peach flavor and a light end note of honey.

Nutritional Info - KFC Cheetos Sandwich
Calories - 560 (from Fat - 300)
Fat - 33g (Saturated Fat - 5g)
Sodium - 1180mg
Carbs - 42g (Sugar - 4g)
Protein - 25g

Nutritional Info - KFC Cheetos Popcorn Nuggets
Calories - 410 (from Fat - 260)
Fat - 29g (Saturated Fat - 4g)
Sodium - 1140mg
Carbs - 23g (Sugar - 0g)
Protein - 15g