With McDonald’s, Burger King, Carl’s Jr. and Wendy’s introducing new chicken products this year, it was about time that KFC stuck its beak in the race. The craze of eating small, boneless, deep-fried chicken is sweeping the drive-thru.

Here’s the Original Recipe Bites blueprint: small pieces of white-meat chicken coated with the Colonel’s Original Recipe breading and fried, fried, fried. These Bites are putting the “Fried” back in “KFC.”

Total calories: 200 (for a box of six Bites). Fat grams: 9. Sodium: 660 mg. Carbs: 7 g. Dietary fiber: 1 g. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: $2.99.

For a buck more, you can up the ante and get one side dish and a medium soft drink. The smart play for your side is coleslaw. Love KFC’s slaw. Or maybe mac and cheese. I’d avoid the mashed potatoes and gravy; I’ve never seen anybody in the back with a potato peeler.

KFC is banking so much on Original Recipe Bites that the chain boasts it’s the biggest introduction of a new product since Kentucky Grilled Chicken. That might not be great news for KFC. KFC has grilled chicken?

The fried-chicken leader made a bigger splash with its fluke Double Down Sandwich — using two fried chicken breasts instead of bread. I’m convinced the Double Down started as a joke, became a rumor, then grew into a reality smash. Two chicken breasts instead of bread? Who thinks up this stuff?

There are a couple of bite-size problems with Original Recipe Bites. KFC says they are designed for a grown-up taste. They’re targeting adults? Big mistake. I rarely see adults eating chicken nuggets or chicken fingers. Look at any children’s menu — you’ll always find chicken nuggets or fingers. Adults can handle chicken on the bone, or whole chicken breasts … or 100 wings if there’s a football game on.

Second, where’s my Extra Crispy Bites? Original Recipe doesn’t have the crunch or the leftover stamina of Extra Crispy breading.

On the plus side, KFC does have a way with chicken, and Original Recipe Bites are made with whole pieces of real chicken breast. No McNuggets chicken glop here.

The bottom line isn’t such a good bottom line — six Bites for $3 is pretty steep. I’d go next door and get five Wendy’s Spicy Nuggets off the $1 menu.