Wilde launches chicken-based protein crackers with bold flavors, no powder

Wilde is pushing protein out of the sports-nutrition aisle and into everyday snacking with a chicken-based cracker that looks built for the cracker shelf, not the shaker bottle. The new Wilde Protein Crackers come in Classic Cheddar, Smoked Gouda, Buffalo Cheddar and Hot Honey, and each serving delivers 12 grams of protein in a shelf-stable format that does not require refrigeration.

The formula is the point. Wilde says the crackers are made with chicken breast, chicken bone broth, egg whites, cheese and other ingredients, with chicken breast as the number one ingredient and no filler or protein powder. Founder and CEO Jason Wright is betting that a familiar salty snack can carry a more functional protein proposition if the ingredient story feels recognizable and the flavors feel bold enough to justify the premium.

That positioning fits a wider shift in snack food, where protein is increasingly showing up in crunchy, savory formats rather than only in bars and shakes. Food Business News has noted that protein remains a major driver in salty-snack innovation, while Mintel and Whole Foods Market have highlighted protein and functional foods as persistent consumer interests. Wilde is taking that trend one step further by leaning into meat-forward cues that make the product feel closer to a conventional snack aisle purchase than a diet product.

The launch also arrives with a supply story attached. Wilde opened a 100,000-square-foot facility in April and says the site will increase production capacity sixfold. The crackers started rolling out nationally immediately, with broader retail availability planned for summer, a sign that Wilde is preparing for more than a limited test.

That scale-up follows years of manufacturing buildout for the Austin, Texas-based brand. Wilde says it spent three years developing its first protein chip, which was made from chicken breast, egg whites and bone broth. Kentucky officials said in February 2023 that the company’s Winchester, Kentucky, facility had expanded from 50,000 square feet to more than 117,000 square feet over two years, employed 100 workers and planned to add 50 more jobs. Entrepreneur later reported Wilde was in 20,000 stores, had a 994% three-year growth rate and was supporting distribution through retailers including Target, Sprouts, Wegmans and Amazon.

Wilde has already used the same chicken-based thesis to build a brand around chips that it describes as grain- and gluten-free, Paleo certified, Keto friendly, non-GMO and allergen-free. The crackers extend that formula into a more familiar format, and that may be the bigger story: protein is no longer just a performance claim, it is becoming a mainstream savory-snacking language.