I was settling in for the evening when my wife and kids gave me the look. The look they had screamed they want something. I knew I was about to be sent on an errand.
Not fried chicken. Not ice cream. Fried chicken ice cream. They'd seen it on TikTok, YouTube, a friend's story, who knows — and the obsession had already taken root. When I asked what exactly they expected me to do about it at 8pm on a Monday, the answer was simple: Go to Price Chopper and get it.
So I did. A quick trip to Price Chopper later, I was holding a red-and-white box of Icenova Fried Chicken Ice Cream, wondering what exactly I was getting into.
What Is This Thing?
The concept is deceptively simple: an ice cream bar engineered to look exactly like a piece of fried chicken. Not vaguely chicken-shaped. Not "chicken-flavored." Actual, convincing fried chicken cosplay.
Each bar consists of three components:
- The "Crispy" Exterior — A shell made from crushed cookie crumbles and caramelized coating, molded and textured to look like battered fried chicken skin
- The Ice Cream Center — Vanilla ice cream that stays remarkably creamy
- The "Bone" — A chocolate core running through the center that looks unsettlingly like a chicken bone when you bite through
The Viral Origins
The fried chicken ice cream trend didn't start with Icenova. This particular brand of culinary chaos traces back to South Korea in the late 2010s, where "치킨 아이스크림" (chicken ice cream) first appeared in Seoul's trendy dessert shops.
The concept went properly viral in 2021 when a Korean TikTok creator posted a video of biting into what appeared to be a drumstick, only to reveal vanilla ice cream inside. The clip racked up millions of views and kicked off a global chase. American ice cream shops began creating their own versions, and by 2024-2025, dedicated products like Icenova's started appearing in freezer aisles across the US.
The appeal is pure novelty — the visual dissonance of expecting savory fried chicken and getting sweet ice cream instead. It's engineered for social media, for the "wait, what?" moment, for kids to bug their parents into late-night convenience store runs.
The Taste Test
I'll be honest: I expected a gimmick. I expected mediocre ice cream in a weird costume. What I didn't expect was that it would actually be good.
The outer coating genuinely mimics the texture and appearance of fried chicken skin — crunchy, flaky, golden-brown. It's sweet rather than savory (thankfully), with notes of caramel and vanilla that complement the ice cream inside. The chocolate "bone" adds a satisfying snap when you reach the center.
My kids went absolutely wild for it. They spent ten minutes taking bites, showing each other. The three-year-old declared it "the best thing I've ever eaten," which is either high praise or evidence that he needs to get out more.
Is it fine dining? No. Is it a genuinely clever bit of food engineering that delivers exactly on its absurd promise? Absolutely.
Verdict
According to my kids: 5/5 stars.
They'd rate it higher if they could. This is peak novelty dessert — the kind of thing that shouldn't work but absolutely does, that creates genuine joy through sheer ridiculousness.
An update: Two of my kids weren't home for the first round — the 13-year-old and the 10-year-old had to wait until Wednesday to try it. They both rated it 5/5 as well, which means all three kids independently agree: this stuff is legit.
For parents: yes, it's overpriced. Yes, you will be asked to find it again. Yes, there are probably better uses of your time than driving to Price Chopper for ice cream that looks like poultry.
But will you cave and do it anyway? Probably. And will you secretly enjoy the weird, crunchy, creamy experience when you steal a bite? Also probably.
Where to Find It
Icenova Fried Chicken Ice Cream is available at select 7-Eleven, Circle K, and specialty Asian grocery stores. Availability varies wildly — call ahead or prepare for a quest.
Review conducted under extreme child pressure. No actual chickens were harmed in the making of this ice cream.
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