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Kyochon trims boneless portions by 30%, switches to cheaper cuts

Published: 12 Sep. 2025, 12:42 Updated: 14 Sep. 2025, 16:26

A Kyochon Chicken store in Seoul on Nov. 21, 2021. [NEWS1]

Kyochon Chicken has quietly trimmed down its boneless offerings — and it’s not just the portion size that’s lighter.

Kyochon Chicken, operated by Kyochon F&B, has reduced the portion size of its boneless chicken menu by nearly 30 percent and switched from using only chicken thigh meat to a mix that includes breast meat, according to industry sources Friday.

Kyochon Chicken began serving its boneless chicken dishes with a precooked weight of 500 grams (17.6 ounces), down from 700 grams, starting Thursday.

The change applies to 10 new menu items, including Mala Red Boneless and Honey Garlic Boneless, as well as four existing options such as Soy Sauce Boneless and Red Boneless.

In addition to the weight reduction, Kyochon has begun blending breast meat with thigh meat, which had previously been the sole cut used for the boneless offerings.

Thigh meat is known for being juicier and more tender, while breast meat is less expensive. The changes, which effectively raise prices by reducing volume and ingredient cost, have drawn criticism from consumers.

The move is seen as part of a growing trend of “shrinkflation” in the franchise sector, where companies cut product sizes instead of raising prices directly amid rising raw material and labor costs.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]