Burger King is bringing back two time-tested customer favorites to take down McDonald's

Burger King is reintroducing two customer favorites to take down all of its fast-food competition.

On Monday, the fast-food chain announced in a release that it is introducing a new take on Chicken Fries, with Chicken Fries Rings - crispy chicken in the shape of a circle, essentially a chicken-onion ring mashup.

The chain is also reintroducing the $1.49 for 10-piece chicken nuggets deal, a promotion that has emerged as a favorite of bargain-shopping customers over the last two years. Typically, 10 chicken nuggets in New York City cost almost four times as much, at $5.89 - some of the most expensive fast-food nuggets around.

Burger King's menu strategy is focused on introducing fewer high-impact items, instead of debuting many limited-time offerings that may not always be a hit with customers.

This is the fourth type of chicken fries that Burger King has added to the menu following the reintroduction of Chicken Fries as a limited time offering in August 2014 and a permanent menu item last March. Other varieties include Fiery Chicken Fries and Buffalo Chicken Fries.

Chicken Fries have become a key menu item for Burger King in the last two years, with the introduction of each variation providing a sales boost for the company. Burger King originally launched Chicken Fries in 2005 and discontinued the breaded chicken snack for two years in 2012.

The new menu items come at a time when Burger King needs to seriously up its game to compete with McDonald's. On Friday, the company announced that sales in the first quarter at McDonald's locations open at least a year jumped 6.2% globally, including a 5.4% increase in the US, thanks to the introduction of all-day breakfast and the budget-friendly McPick 2 promotion.

In February, Burger King parent company Restaurant Brands International reported that Burger King sales at established locations rose 3.9% globally in the quarter, with an increase of 2.8% in the US and Canada.