KANSAS CITY — Chicken seems to be the preferred protein of new menu items, as several new dishes featuring the fowl are flocking to the forefront of restaurant menus.

Burger King is boosting the bird with a spicy kick with its new Jalapeño Chicken Fries. Made with white meat chicken, the fries are breaded with a jalapeño seasoning.

“Our guests can’t get enough of our spicy menu items not to mention our Chicken Fries so we’re giving them more of both with this new addition to our Chicken Fries lineup,” said Alex Macedo, president, North America, for Burger King. 

Also adding fiery flavor to the fowl, KFC is launching its new Nashville Hot Chicken. Inspired by the city that made it famous, the chicken offers a spicy, smoky flavor and is available both on the bone and as tenders.

Applebee’s is adding a new booze-infused version of the protein to its Pub Diet menu called Hot Whisky Chicken. The dish includes a grilled filet of chicken topped with whisky onion and mushroom, peppercorn, rosemary and pan gravy served with a side of cheddar jalapeño-topped mashed potatoes.

Another chain choosing chicken for its new offering is Shake Shack. Offering chicken on its menu for the first time, the chain is introducing the Chick’n Shack chicken sandwich. The sandwich, served on a potato roll, features a crispy antibiotic-free chicken breast, lettuce, pickles and buttermilk herb mayo, which is made with chives, parsley and thyme.

Del Taco is rolling out a new line of snacks featuring the popular poultry called Chicken Rollers. Available in original, chipotle and ranch varieties, the rollers feature grilled marinated chicken, spicy Jack cheese and either tangy green sauce, chipotle sauce or ranch sauce all rolled in warm tortillas.

The hen again appears in Olive Garden’s new Grilled Chicken Piadina. The dish features grilled chicken, spinach and Italian cheese sauce seasoned with garlic, basil and sun-dried tomatoes inside a flaky crust.

Click for a slideshow of more new holiday menu items.