March 23--At Burger King, chicken clearly is top of mind.
The chain said Monday that chicken fries are permanently back on the menu, the latest signal that chicken is a hot seller even at chains best known for hamburgers.
Burger King first launched chicken fries, breaded pieces of chicken shaped like french fries, in 2005. After taking them off the menu in 2012, Burger King brought them back for a time in 2014.
Burger King said there are "millions" of chicken fries fans and demand for the product led the Miami-based chain to bring the product back for good.
The return of the chicken fries comes after McDonald's brought back its Chicken Selects breaded chicken tenders this month after taking them off the menu in 2013. Chicken Selects are back as a limited-time offer, though markets can opt to keep them on the menu if they choose to, McDonald's previously said.
Also, Oak Brook-based McDonald's said this month that within the next two years its U.S. restaurants would sell only chicken raised without antibiotics that are important to human medicine.
Meanwhile, chicken-focused fast-food rival Chick-fil-A has been growing.
Chicken fries have a recommended price of $2.89 with nine pieces per order, Burger King said.
jwohl@tribpub.com
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