FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
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What the cluck is CHKN?
Deliciously different, CHKN is your Monday through Sunday go-to plant protein. Made for chicken lovers, CHKN not only has the taste and texture of meat, but is healthier, more sustainable, and kinder to the chickens. Whatever you crave, it’s clucking good with CHKN!
How do I cook CHKN?
Party on the front, business and cooking instructions on the back (of packaging). CHKN can either be sautéed or oven roasted to perfection, but make sure to use a little bit of oil. To feed your curiosity... our flock prefers CHKN when it is cooked to be slightly crispy. It can even be air-fried! If you’re more of a “show me, don’t tell me" person, we made a few videos to guide you to CHKN glory.
What are your fave ways to enjoy CHKN?
There are limitless ways to enjoy CHKN! Unlike other plant proteins such as nuggets or burgers, you can create CHKN to be anything you want it to be! Use it in salads, pastas, curry, pot stickers, wraps, pizza... you get the gist. Ready to get creative in the kitchen with CHKN? Find our flock’s favorite recipes here.
What is the impact of CHKN on the environment?
We’re glad you asked! By choosing CHKN instead of animal protein, you can reduce your greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by over 99%. Pea protein uses 98% less land than animal proteins. Animal agriculture is also a huge drain of available water, but by making the switch to plant protein, you can help conserve 75% more water. You can deep dive into these environmental stats and more here.
What is the CHKN flock passionate about?
Our mission is to transform our food system by making plant-based meat alternatives that are kinder, healthier, and more sustainable than real meat, without compromising on taste or texture. We envision a plant-based future, and while our goals are grand, we think the best way to get there is by having fun along the way. Flexitarians of the world, unite!
I know it’s not chicken, but what is it made from?
Our flock has high standards when it comes to using quality ingredients. That’s why you can pronounce every ingredient in CHKN! CHKN is made up of pea protein, vegetable base, water, high oleic sunflower oil, yeast, and potato starch. Explore all the nutritional facts of each flavor of CHKN here.
How healthy is CHKN?
Our flock set out to create a chicken alternative that took the guilt out of guilty pleasure! CHKN is an excellent source of protein, has no cholesterol, is high in iron, and low in calories and saturated fat. CHKN also has none of the BLSHT! It's non GMO, has no artificial ingredients, no methylcellulose, no food gums, no canola oil, and of course, no animal hormones or antibiotics. Dive deeper into the nutritional facts here.
Alright, but is CHKN allergen-free?
You bet your feathers it is! CHKN is gluten‑free and soy‑free. In fact, CHKN is free from all of the top eight allergens (dairy milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans). Heads up: For our delicious Asian Ginger flavor, we did add sesame, which is an allergen, but Zen CHKN is the only flavor of CHKN that contains sesame.
How can I join the CHKN flock?
Do you have a desire to help improve our collective health, combat climate change, and save the lives of chickens? Email us at flexitarians@chknnotchicken.com and let us know how you think can help our mission.
Why did the CHKN cross the road?
Yes, treat it like meat! CHKN is not ready to eat until thoroughly cooked to 165 degrees.
Heck yes! And you may find it’s how you make your new favorite quick snack! Toss CHKN with 2 tsp of oil per 8 oz package. You can also lightly spray CHKN with oil, such as avocado oil spray. Set air‑fryer at 400°F. Place CHKN in air‑fryer basket. Cook for 4‑5 minutes depending on your desired level of crispiness.
Just because you CAN do something, doesn’t always mean you SHOULD! CHKN is a lot like real chicken when it comes to the microwave. It’s a great way to reheat it but not a great way to cook it. If at all possible, sauté it, broil it, or air‑fry it. But if you only have a microwave available, here’s the best way to cook it: Place CHKN on microwave safe dish. Spread CHKN into single layer and cover with paper towel. Heat for 1 minute.
Look for our bright, bold packaging in the plant-based section at your local Sprouts Farmers Market and many other stores nationwide. You can find the closest store to you using our store locator. No stores conveniently located to you? Add some CHKN to your cart via our website. Itching to see CHKN on the menu in your favorite restaurant or on the shelves of your go-to grocery store? Email us: cj@CHKNnotChicken.com. We’ve got big plans, but for the time‑being, CHKN is only available in the US.
Retailers that carry CHKN independently set their own prices. Of course, our flock is always working to make CHKN more affordable to all, while nourishing our bodies with premium ingredients.
Flexitarians (like most of our flock) are people who love eating meat, dairy, and other animal products, but are also down to make plant-based foods a more regular part of their diet. Much like vegans and vegetarians, flexitarians choose to munch on plant-based options due to a variety of reasons (personal health, protecting mother nature, and avoiding the adverse effects of factory farming are the most common). Our goal is to help unite the flexitarians of the world by making eating more plants fun and easy, and in turn, taking better care of our bodies, the environment, and the lives of chickens too!
Think CHKN would look pretty sitting on the shelves of your store or on the menu of your restaurant? Please email all information to cj@CHKNnotChicken.com.
Want to spread your love for CHKN all over the world? Please email cj@CHKNnotChicken.com regarding all distribution inquiries.
We created our irresistible CHKN using our proprietary FRST™ (Fat Release and Succulence Transformation) Technology. FRST™ Tech delivers three major breakthroughs that create the delicious texture, flavor, and aroma of CHKN:
1. Texture — FRST™ Tech leverages a proprietary matrix of ingredients (and a little bit of magic) to suspend fat molecules inside CHKN’s pea protein, creating consistent juiciness and meat-like texture and avoiding any rubbery or spongy sensation. Our food scientists say FRST™ Tech delivers superior lubricity, viscosity, density, and overall satiation. Our flock says FRST™ Tech makes CHKN super YMMY!
2. Taste — We have developed a multi-sensory flavor blend that utilizes plant-based ingredients to mimic the taste of chicken breast and rotisserie chicken, as well as the savory notes of chicken.
3. Aroma — As CHKN cooks, the aroma of real chicken is released to provide a realistic culinary experience.
Confused as to why you see CHKN in both the fresh and frozen set at your neighborhood Sprouts? Here’s what is excitingly different about our Fresh Trays:
1. Shelf Life — By utilizing emerging shelf-stabilization technology, our flock has extended the shelf life from two weeks to ~45 days without adding any preservatives or chemicals, and without impacting the taste or texture by adding heat!
2. Location & Look — You’ll find our Fresh Trays in the refrigerated section of your local Sprouts Farmers Market. The tray helps CHKN blend right in with real meat, so consumers with all types of different dietary preferences will understand that it’s easy to swap out chicken for CHKN.
3. Flavors — Our Fresh Trays come in three family-favorite flavors: Shredded CHKN, No Pollo Asada Shredded CHKN, and Backyard BBQ Shredded CHKN. Your go‑to recipes would look extra YMMY with our new Shredded CHKN!
Ingredients, Allergies & Dietary Qs
Just 4 oz of CHKN contains 2 grams of pea protein (yes, the little green guys)! Learn more about the power of peas here.
While CHKN is not fully organic, all our ingredients meet very strict standards — we ensure only the highest quality products go into our food. For example, many of the ingredients we use are organic!
Oh, cluck no — There are none of those nasty GMO’s in CHKN!
We strive to only use ingredients that you can pronounce, but we understand this one is tricky. Rest assured, though, it’s not one of the bad ones! Maltodextrin is made from potato, and we use a clean label Organic Maltodextrin. Recent studies have shown that potato maltodextrins help in nutrient uptake, which is why they are commonly used with probiotic supplements to make them more effective. We hope you won’t let it get in the way of giving CHKN a try!
Our Zen CHKN contains sesame oil to help create some of its flavoring.
Yes — CHKN contains high oleic sunflower oil. This oil helps bring CHKN closer to chicken by giving it the juiciness of real meat!
Correct – There are no peanuts or tree nuts in CHKN.
Yes, CHKN is gluten free — learn more about our certification here!
You bet it's vegan — CHKN is completely plant-based, although you should know that it tastes and looks just like chicken! But of course, CHKN does not contain any animal-derived ingredients.
Oh yeah — CHKN does not contain soy. We’re different, we know.
Keto is not regulated by the FDA, therefore requirements for this dietary choice can vary for everyone. We recommend checking with your nutritionist to see if CHKN works for your specific dietary preferences. We can tell you that Naked CHKN has 7g of carbs, 20g of protein, and 4g of fat in a 4 oz serving.
Paleo is not regulated by the FDA, therefore requirements for this dietary choice can vary for everyone. We recommend checking with your nutritionist to see if CHKN works for your specific dietary preferences.
CHKN is Kosher! Nate’s Fine Foods is our manufacturer and is Kosher-certified by EarthKosher.
Absolutely — one 4 oz portion of CHKN contains 20g of plant protein! Looks like you can skip the protein shake today.
CHKN is produced in a facility that processes soy and wheat/gluten products and is produced on shared equipment that manufactures wheat products. The equipment is thoroughly sanitized and tested each time CHKN is produced to minimize cross contamination. The facility in which CHKN is made is totally free of peanuts.
Oh yeah — CHKN contains non-modified yeast. The yeast helps give CHKN its savory and umami notes, which is how we mimic the flavors of chicken. Nutritional yeast is also inherently good for us, as it contains all nine essential amino acids and is a wonderful source of many important vitamins and minerals.
Our flavored CHKN (Fiesta, Zen, and BBQ) is uniquely crafted to give our Naked CHKN some pizzazz! For example, our Fiesta CHKN uses lime juice and asada seasoning to make it the perfect ingredient in tacos and quesadillas. You can thank BBQ seasoning, tomato paste, and apple cider vinegar for BBQ CHKN’s flavor. And Zen CHKN has ginger, sesame oil, and soy‑free soy sauce in it to create its amazing taste!
Storage, Freshness & Packaging?
Totally — If you purchased your CHKN frozen, we recommend keeping CHKN in the freezer until you’re ready to start cooking in order to maximize CHKN’s shelf life. You can let it thaw in the fridge or cook CHKN directly from frozen!
The answer to this question varies depending on whether you bought the product frozen or refrigerated. See below for more details!
If Purchased Frozen:
CHKN lasts for a full year frozen and you usually don’t have to worry about an expiration date if you eat it within a few months of when you FIND CHKN. You can find the best by frozen date on the box. In some cases, you may find a sticker on the bottom of the box that includes some numbers but doesn’t clearly say the expiration date. Based on this number, we can give you the actual expiration date. Simply email the code to us at flexitarians@CHKNnotChicken.com and we’ll get right back to you. Once you thaw your frozen product and put it in the fridge, you should eat the CHKN within two weeks.
If Purchased Refrigerated:
If you purchase the product refrigerated, you will find a sticker with the best by refrigerated date on the package.
As a general rule of feather, an opened bag of CHKN should be consumed within 48 hours.
That’s a no — CHKN needs to stay refrigerated/frozen (just like chicken)!
Our flock recommends keeping your CHKN in the fridge if you plan to eat it within the next week. Otherwise, put CHKN in the freezer to optimize freshness!
We recommend storing your YMMY leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to eat it again, heat using your preferred cooking method until it reaches 165 degrees internal temperature.
As a company leading the charge towards a plant-based future, you can say sustainability is very important to our flock. If you purchased your CHKN from the frozen section, the cardboard box can be recycled but not the plastic pouch that the CHKN sits in. If you picked up CHKN from the refrigerated section, both the tray and cardboard sleeve are recyclable, but not the plastic film. We are constantly iterating and seeking new ways to improve the sustainability of our packaging — stay tuned!