Birds Eye Chicken Shop Spicy Korean Tenders

My Experience

As a generic spicy and savoury chicken tender, this product from Birds Eye is perfectly fine. The problem is that it's explicitly marketed as "Spicy Korean," and there is absolutely nothing Korean about it.

Cooked in the air fryer, the tenders develop a nice, crunchy coating with an oily, addictive bite. The flavour profile is dominated by a straightforward garlic and onion savouriness with a slight hint of sweetness. The advertised spice is minimal, present only as a back note rather than a distinct heat. The tenders are alright on their own, but they are generic enough that they certainly benefit from a dip.

After eating just a few, I found myself asking what was supposed to be Korean about them. A quick look at the ingredients list confirmed my suspicion: there are no Korean ingredients present. You will not find gochujang, gochugaru, or anything else that would justify the label.

If this product were sold as a "Spicy Savoury Tender," it would be an acceptable, if unremarkable, 3-star product. However, for being so misleading with its "Korean" branding without even claiming to be 'inspired by', I am giving it 2 stars. While it may be on the lower end of ultra-processed foods, if you're looking for a UPF chicken product, there are surely better choices available.