Snacktaku: Red Rooster’s New Fried Chicken Is Pretty Sweet But Not That Spicy

Slap on a bib and grab your Wet Ones because the time for another Snacktaku is now. When it comes to the dirty bird game in Australia, I reckon Red Rooster is underrated. They cook up a good chook and their fried chicken is as crispy and crunchy as the best of them. So when Red Rooster reached out to let us know that it was launching a new Hot Honey Chicken, which is crunchy fried chicken “coated in a glossy sweet honey sauce with a kick of heat”, I was pretty keen to give it a crack. So how does Red Rooster’s Hot Honey Fried Chicken taste? Pretty good. I’m usually a bit picky when it comes to eating chicken off the bone, but the drumstick I had went down a treat. The two flavours balance out one another nicely. It’s more sweet than spicy, but there’s still a nice little kick in there. It’s also not smothered in honey sauce, so the chicken stays crispy instead of getting all soggy. My only complaint is that the honey sauce makes the chicken quite sticky, so I made ample use of the wet wipes we were provided. I’d eat it again though.

But, because everything can be Content, I also offered my co-workers some sweet and spicy chicken in return for a mini-review of their experiences. This is the Snack Pact, a powerful bond that cannot be broken.

“I enjoyed the chicken! It definitely has a KFCish quality to it, but the sauce ads a helluva lot more flavour to the equation. I will say that there wasn’t really enough spice to warrant the ‘hot’ part, but it was delicious all the same.” – Matt “It was nice chicken! I am a baby who prefers no bones but once I sucked that up I enjoyed the sticky honey flavour and how big each bit of chicken was. As a former vego, this is the kind of chicken I live for.” – Ellie “As a long time Red Rooster connoisseur, I’ve been eagerly awaiting their foray into the hot honey fried chicken game, this range packs a flavoursome punch and the sticky honey is a welcomed textural change. Would I call it hot? It was more of a childhood sweet-chilli-esque flavour which was nostalgic and tasty. However, I feel like it left me craving a classic roast chook and peas. Red Rooster, give me what you do best.” – Bianca “How have I been sleeping on Red Rooster chicken for this long? The chicken is so crunchy but tender, while the hot honey sauce is a sweet twist with just enough kick. It also pairs really well with the pineapple rings, so make sure you get them together. Chef’s kiss, this is some bloody good chicken.” – Bella

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Snacktaku without Ruby‘s input:

“I woke up this morning with a feeling. A funny feeling, one could say. Not “funny haha”, but “funny starving for a new outlook on fried chicken”. Who could’ve known that today would be the day where my feelings were validated? I rode an electric bike to work, opting against putting on the helmet at first because it was wet from the rain of the night before. However, an ambulance drove past me a few minutes into my ride and made me picture a horrific situation in which I’d fly from the bike and face an untimely demise. I put the helmet on. Upon arriving to work, I was hungry. Starving, even. It was as if I hadn’t eaten for days, months, years. And yet, the thought of anything but a piece of Red Rooster Fried Chicken drizzled with Delicious Honey simply made me sick to my stomach. The heart wants what the heart wants. When pressing the honey-drizzled fried chicken to my wanting lips, I felt zen in that moment. It provided a soft kick in spice, not a kick that would leave me with a bruise but instead a light mark. The honey also proved to be similar in strength, not too strong. The two flavours danced with one another in a playful jig. I had a great time eating the Red Rooster Hot Honey Fried Chicken. Would I do it again? Perhaps. Maybe when the time is right and the stars align.”

Well, there you have it, folks. The Hot Honey chicken? It’s good. You can nab this new dish as a single, six, 12 or 18-piece pack, or as a Combo meal. The Hot Honey Chicken is currently only available to order from Red Rooster via Uber Eats, but you’ll be able to order it in-store from 1 February. Try Red Rooster’s Hot Honey Fried Chicken for yourself here.

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