Before the chicken tender became the hottest fast-food must-have, there was the humble and hearty chicken nugget.
Its small size made it the perfect side dish, post-work snack, or, as millennials will recall, the perfect drunchie (drunk munchie).
One way fast-food brands are attempting to capitalize on chicken’s popularity, especially among Gen Z diners, is by adding — or upgrading — chicken nuggets on their menus.
Most recently, on September 1, Burger King released an updated version of its classic chicken nugget in response to customer feedback that its originals were “rubbery,” “dry,” and “disappointing.” The same day also saw the return of McDonald’s Spicy Chicken McNuggets, which will be available for a limited time.
Here’s how six fast-food chain chicken nuggets ranked, from worst to best.
My least favorite nuggets came from Wendy’s.
Cost: $7.49 — excluding tax and tip — for a 10-piece serving at a Wendy’s in New York City.
All prices listed here may vary in different markets.
The chicken nugget was crispy, but instead of being juicy, the chicken tasted a little chewy.
Like Burger King and McDonald’s, Wendy’s is primarily a burger chain. So, it should come as no surprise that its chicken nuggets are pretty unremarkable, in my opinion.
They were decently seasoned, and the breading had a lot of flavor, but they were also pretty small. Wendy’s nuggets definitely act more as a side dish than a reason to go to the chain.
KFC’s nuggets were a little bare-bones.
Cost: $7.31 — excluding tax and tip — for a 10-piece serving at a KFC in New York City.
KFC’s nuggets were the least breaded out of the ones I tried.
They were a little bland, but I thought the chicken itself tasted higher quality than the nuggets from Wendy’s, Burger King, and McDonald’s. It was more shreddable and paired well with the chain’s comeback sauce, but I would have liked more breading to give it that crunch.
I’d probably recommend the chain’s chicken tenders or fried chicken over its nuggets.
McDonald’s nuggets were a classic.
Cost: $2.39 — excluding tax and tip — for a four-piece serving at a McDonald’s in New York City, or $5.79 for a 10-piece serving.
The nuggets from McDonald’s were predictably good.
McDonald’s chicken nuggets are the stuff of legend. They’ve been around since the early ’80s, and there’s something about the tempura-style fried chicken nuggets that keeps me coming back for more.
They’re always crispy, always salty, and always consistent — I know what to expect with a McDonald’s nugget. That being said, I thought they were a touch too salty.
Burger King recently upgraded its chicken nuggets.
Cost: $5.19 — excluding tax and tip — for a 10-piece at a Burger King in New York City.
The nuggets were crispy and paired well with the chain’s sauces.
Released September 1, the new chicken nuggets are crispier than the original nuggets, and were updated to include a more flavorful marinade and new packaging, Burger King said.
I thought the nuggets had just the right amount of crunch and flavor, and held their own as a stand-alone entrée on the Burger King menu.
While they were very similar to McDonald’s nuggets, they were slightly cheaper, giving them the edge.
Chick-fil-A
Cost: $9.19 — excluding tax and tip — for an eight-piece serving at a local Chick-fil-A in New York City.
The nuggets were flavorful and juicy, with just the right amount of seasoning in the breading.
While some of the other nuggets leaned on the drier side, these nuggets were moist and would likely pair well with practically any dipping sauce.
Each nugget was on the smaller side — despite being the most expensive of the ones I tried — but packed a lot of flavor into a small bite.
Taco Bell’s nuggets may not be on menus right now, but they were my favorite.
Cost: $3.99 — excluding tax and tip — for a five-piece order and one dipping sauce. However, I was invited to taste the chicken nuggets at an early preview hosted by Taco Bell in New York City in December 2025, and I received complimentary samples.
The exterior felt hard. However, when I bit in, the chicken was extremely juicy and flavorful.
These chicken nuggets, coated in a blend of breadcrumbs and crunchy tortilla chips, stood out from the competition with their well-balanced flavor.
They were salty, with a subtle corn taste from the tortilla-chip breading. They reminded me more of a boneless wing than a chicken nugget.
Paired with the chain’s Hidden Valley fire ranch sauce, a standard creamy ranch sauce with a slight hint of heat, and jalapeño honey mustard, an unusual combination of tangy mustard and strong yet balanced jalapeño flavor, these nuggets blew me away.
The nuggets were initially rolled out as a limited-time offering, but Taco Bell continued to bring them back in 2025 and 2026 as it expanded its crispy-chicken menu.
Here’s hoping they’ll be back again soon.
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