I continue my tour of KFC side dishes, moving on to the BBQ Baked Beans. Of all the items I’ve covered so far, these are my least favorite because of inconsistency. On a good day, they are delicious, but those days aren’t nearly frequent enough.

The beans themselves are never the problem. They are always plump and tender, good hearty navy beans. The problem is the sauce and seasoning. One day the beans will be swimming in a thin liquid pool of sauce, without much flavor or kick. The next day it’s a thick and rich mixture with hardly any excess liquid. Back and forth.

On those days when the sauce is thick, it has plenty of brown sugar and barbecue flavor, and the beans really do taste “baked”. On the days where the sauce is thin, it feels and tastes like somebody heated up a can of beans on the stove top.

Why the difference? My understanding is that KFC purchases a high quality canned bean, then each store adds a custom sauce and mixture of spices before cooking. When relying on human beings to recreate an exact recipe at hundreds of restaurant locations, I suppose there’s a decent size margin of error. Times like this remind me how difficult it can be to review food produced on such a large wide scale.

The BBQ Baked Beans at KFC are hit and miss. When they’re done right, they taste wonderful. When they’re thin and soupy, the flavor is weak and the overall experience is bland. I’m not sure why this item is less consistent than other KFC sides.

Price: $1.39 — Website: KFC.com

Fast Food Critic Score: C+

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Nutrition Facts - KFC, BBQ Baked Beans.

Calories - 220
Calories from Fat - N/A
Total Fat - 1 grams
Carbs - 45 grams
Saturated Fat - 0 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 0 milligrams
Sodium - 730 milligrams
Protein - 8 grams