Kevin’s Hawaiian Chicken Review
Author’s Note: As per always, this is not a paid or sponsored review. These are my own ornery opinions. I have no affiliation with either Costco or Kevin’s Natural Foods.
Boneless, but not sinless.
I don’t know what is going on at Kevin’s HQ these days. But this is the first time I’ve received a solid block of bag-shaped “chicken” in the sous vide pouch. Instead of the individual chicken strips. This looks more like what I’d squeeze out of a cat food pouch. Behold:
Look at it. It’s like the unibrow of the chicken world.
I can’t unsee that. This is not the “fancy feast” for which I yearned.
What happened to the tender meat?
It’s also moderately tougher/chewier meat than usual. Why, Kevin? Why are you doing this to us?! I actually spit some pieces out, because they were so stiff and unpleasant. That’s never happened to me before with this brand. I’ve consistently raved about Kevin’s tender/fresh tasting chicken. But not today. Today I don’t like you, Kevin.
(Not allll of the chicken was unpleasant, tho. Shout out to this fellow for being juicy and tender. He’s the hero we needed.)
Preparing the Hawaiian Chicken
Anyway. If you’re new here, the process is to heat a little oil in a pan (I used coconut oil), drain/break up the chicken, and then cook it for a couple minutes on each side. Then add the sauce pouch and stir.
The whole thing takes around 6 minutes. I used a large ceramic pan. As always, I appreciate that the meat and sauce is divided into four packets — two of each — so that I can eat this over a longer period of time.
Aye, but what do it taste like???
The flavor is sugary sweet. Sweeter than I needed it to be. Despite that, there are “zero grams” added sugar in this meal. Thanks to the power of monkfruit.
It’s a glossy, syrupy sauce, with a slight fruity flavor (from the pineapple). It’s not spicy-hot, but it does have the savory-spiced flavor of BBQ sauce, with a light saltiness. Plus, a little gingery joy, and a touch of citrus (from added orange oil).
I think this is my favorite Kevin’s meal flavor, even with the excessive sweetness. There are some small, tender pieces of tangy fruit in the sauce, which made it feel more legit. There aren’t any weird aftertastes from the monkfruit. Hallelujah.
Serving the Hawaiian-Style Chicken
I served mine with freshly cooked basmati rice and broccoli. While there is plenty of this sweet sauce for the chicken, there’s not much to “share” with the rest of your meal. Rude.
If I diligently mixed the sauce into my rice, there was enough to give it some pleasant flavor. But my broccoli didn’t get any. Poor broccoli! I know I’ve said this before, but a little more sauce would help the flavor of Kevin’s meals stretch farther.
Also, I find the suggested 6.5 servings per package laughable. I only got four. That’s two per pouch. I would like to meet the folks who are squeezing a solid SIX AND A HALF meals from this package. Send me a message. I have so many questions.
Ingredients in Kevin’s Hawaiian Chicken
I mean, most of us are buying these meals for the “more natural” ingredients, right? So here we go:
- Chicken in chicken broth cooked out as a result of the sous vide process (Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Water, Vinegar, Yeast Extract, Sea Salt, Cultured Onion Juice, Black Pepper, Citrus Extract)
- Hawaiian-Style Sauce (Coconut Aminos [Coconut Nectars, Sea Salt], Crushed Pineapple [Pineapple, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid], Water, Sherry Wine, Distilled Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Tapioca Starch, Yeast Extract, Dehydrated Garlic, Dehydrated Onion, Ginger Puree, Spices, Xanthan Gum, Monkfruit Extract, Orange Oil.
I almost typed “Boneless, Sinless” chicken breast. Like I’m out here absolving poultry of their sins. Sorry, your chewy-chicken sins are NOT forgiven! Hmmph!
More information from the label:
- Chicken raised without antibiotics
- Certified Paleo
- Certified Gluten Free
- Soy free
- Minimally processed
- No artificial ingredients
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 5 ounces, and contains 160 calories. You get 2.5 grams fat (0 grams saturated fat) and 20 grams protein. There are 13 grams total carbohydrates, of which 9 grams are sugars (0 grams “added sugar”) and 1 gram is fiber. You get 21% your daily value cholesterol and 28% your daily value sodium per serving.
Price and Servings
I bought my 32 ounce package at Costco on sale for $10.99. The regular price is $14.99. If you’re only getting 4 servings per package (like I am), each serving would cost you $3.75 at the regular price. Considering this is just the chicken (and not the rest of your meal), it’s a tad steep. Especially for cat food.
You can also buy this in 1-pound packages at Publix. If you’re rich.
Shelf Life
The “use by” date on my package allowed approximately 1 month to consume. This is a refrigerated, not frozen product. But, the label says you can freeze it for up to 6 months.
Dramatic Conclusion
Unfortunately, this meal earns a disappointed “Why, Tho?” on the official Awesome-o-Meter. Tough, chewy chicken is a sin I cannot forgive. The tasty sauce flavor isn’t enough to compensate for that. And I still wanna know why it looks like cat food.
The End.
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