I tried McDonald's spicy chicken nuggets and I'd choose them over the original flavor any day
Rachel Askinasi
- McDonald's brought back its Spicy Chicken McNuggets in April for a limited time.
- I headed over to my local McDonald's to see if I could try them out for myself.
In April, McDonald's brought back its Spicy Chicken McNuggets once again for a limited time and they're still available.
There have been a lot of discontinued McDonald's menu items over the years, though every now and then some are given another chance.
The Spicy Chicken McNuggets had their first run in September 2020, according to USA Today. After leaving the menu, their most recent relaunch came in April, the news source reported, when they dropped again as a limited time offer at approximately 6,900 locations (out of around 13,500 in the US).
Representatives for McDonald's weren't immediately able to confirm the drop date or how long this offering will be available.
As a personal fan of spicy chicken, I walked over to my local McDonald's to give them a try.
I love spicy fried chicken — I even tasted and ranked the spicy fried-chicken sandwiches from five fast-food chains — so I had to get my hands on the latest version of McDonald's Spicy Chicken McNuggets before they disappeared from the menu again.
So, on Friday afternoon, I headed to my nearest location for lunch.
I ordered a six-piece size and got it as part of a combo meal with fries — the person at the register told me it was cheaper this way, and he was right.
While I didn't see the spicy nuggets listed on the menu, I asked the employee working the register and he confirmed they had the item in stock.
When I went to place my six-piece order, he told me it would be cheaper to get it as a bundle with small fries. My order came to $3.99 before tax — he said it would have been $5.99 without the fries.
My meal also came with one dipping sauce option, but I was able to ask for more at the pickup window.
I tried the nuggets as soon as they were handed over to me, and thought they were delicious while fresh.
When I first opened the box, I saw that the nuggets were the color of buffalo sauce and I could see some little black flecks which looked like pepper, but I couldn't tell if that's what they were. (According to McDonald's, the breading is seasoned with cayenne and chili pepper.)
They were fresh, crispy, hot, and juicy — which all added to how enjoyable I found them.
I was only able to detect a small amount of heat at first. The spice picked up a little bit as I continued to eat, but it never got to the point of leaving a burning sensation in my mouth.
The best part, in my opinion, is that the flavor carried through to the chicken rather than just existing in the breading.
While the spicy ingredients didn't make these nuggets super hot, they did add significant flavor, which I thought was a great upgrade from the original McNuggets.
I tried both the breading and the chicken separately, as well as together, and I noticed that the chicken had taken on the spicy flavors as well, which gave it depth and made the taste more intricate than I had expected.
As someone who usually doesn't get the nuggets at McDonald's, these have me reconsidering my order.
Next time I find myself in McDonald's, I'll probably order a large fries and an M&M's McFlurry. Back when chicken selects were on the menu, I used to order those, too. But I've never really been a superfan of the McNuggets.
After tasting the spicy version, though, I might change that. The sweet heat fills a specific craving, and I can see myself indulging in a few once in a while.
If you haven't tried these because you're afraid of the heat, don't let that stop you — it's mild at most.
I'm glad I got my hands on the Spicy Chicken McNuggets before they disappear again.
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