McCoy's Thai Sweet Chicken Crisps, 45g

Thai sweet chicken takes its cue from sweet chilli sauce and the warm spice of South East Asian cooking, and McCoy's puts it on a thick ridge cut crisp. This is the 45g single bag. The full product name on the pack is Thai Sweet Chicken Flavour Potato Crisps; the chicken is in the name only, and the pack says the crisps are suitable for vegetarians.

A spice list worth reading

According to the published pack listing, the crisps are made from potatoes, sunflower oil and a Thai sweet chicken flavour seasoning. The seasoning lists sugar, maltodextrin, salt, dried yeast extract, ground spices (red chilli pepper, fennel, aniseed and clove), natural flavourings, dried onion, dried garlic, citric acid, dried parsley, a chilli powder (chilli, cumin, oregano, dried garlic and salt), red bell pepper powder and paprika extract for colour.

It is a long spice list for a crisp. Fennel, aniseed and clove give a sweet, warm, slightly liquorice note, the kind found in five spice mixes. Red chilli pepper and the chilli powder blend bring gentle heat. Garlic, onion and red bell pepper give the savoury, sauce like base, and citric acid adds the sharpness you would get from lime or vinegar in a sweet chilli sauce. Sugar at the top of the list gives it a sweet start.

How the flavour suggests chicken

There is no chicken, and no meat of any kind, on the list. The savoury depth comes from dried yeast extract, which is naturally rich in glutamates, and from the onion and garlic. Put that savoury base with sweet chilli and warm spice, and the result reads as a sweet chilli chicken dish rather than a sauce on its own.

What the bag adds up to

The label gives 236 kcal (986 kJ), 14g of fat, 1.1g of saturates, 24g of carbohydrate, 1.4g of sugars, 1.8g of fibre, 3g of protein and 0.59g of salt for the 45g bag. That is about 12% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake and 10% of the salt. Per 100g it is 525 kcal, 30g of fat, 2.4g of saturates, 3.2g of sugars and 1.3g of salt. On the UK front of pack scale fat is high, saturates and salt are medium and sugars are low.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, fat at 30g per 100g is coloured red, above the 17.5g threshold. Saturates at 2.4g are amber. Sugars at 3.2g are green, even with sugar first in the seasoning, because the seasoning is a small part of the crisp's weight. Salt at 1.3g is amber, in the upper part of the band.

Allergens and diet

No allergens from the UK list of 14 are highlighted in the published ingredients. The allergy advice says the crisps may contain cereals containing gluten, milk, mustard and soya. The pack says they are suitable for vegetarians. No vegan claim is made, and with milk in the may contain advice we would not describe them as vegan; no gluten free claim is made. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

How hot is it

Chilli appears twice on the list, as red chilli pepper among the ground spices and in the chilli powder blend, but both sit behind sugar, maltodextrin, salt and yeast extract. That suggests a gentle warmth under the sweetness rather than real heat. For a crisp where chilli does more of the work, McCoy's Hot 'n' Spicy uses cayenne pepper.

How the crisps are made

McCoy's crisps are ridge cut: washed potatoes are sliced with a corrugated blade into thick, ridged slices, rinsed and fried in sunflower oil until firm. The seasoning is tumbled on while they are warm, and the pack says the bag is packaged in a protective atmosphere.

When to reach for it

A sweet and spiced crisp suits a chicken wrap, a noodle salad, a cold beer or a glass of iced tea. It also works with a mild, creamy dip that softens the chilli, such as a yoghurt and mint dip or soured cream.

In the kitchen

Crushed, these crisps make a sweet and spicy crumb. Toss chicken strips in beaten egg, press them into the crumbs and bake until golden, or scatter a handful over a noodle salad just before serving for crunch. The fennel and chilli in the seasoning suit both, and the thick ridged pieces stay crunchy longer than thin crisp crumbs.

Other sizes and flavours

The same flavour comes in a six bag multipack of 25g bags. In the same 45g size we stock McCoy's Cheddar and Onion, Flame Grilled Steak, Salt and Malt Vinegar and Hot 'n' Spicy.

The packet and storage

The published listing says the whole packaging can be recycled with bags at large supermarkets and should not go in home recycling. The pack advises storing it in a cool, dry place; once opened, finish the bag the same day.

Sizes of McCoy's Thai Sweet Chicken Crisps we stock

Figures as published on each pack's label.

The published listing gives the United Kingdom as the country of origin and names KP Snacks as the maker. The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.