Almost every fast food chain has its own version of chicken nuggets, and some are definitely
better than others.
We've tasted nuggets from the most prevalent fast food chains, all so you don't have to
put your stomach to the test.
White Castle does a lot of things well, but when it comes to their chicken nugget offering
— if you can even call it a nugget — they fall short.
Let's go ahead and say what everyone is thinking: a chicken ring is just weird.
It's probably best not to spend too much time pondering how White Castle molded chicken
into a ring form, but it certainly goes against nature.
As for looks and taste, well, the ring is pretty flat and it could easily be mistaken
for an onion ring with its golden brown breading.
It definitely tastes like chicken, but as far as its flavor profile, there really isn't
much to make you want to reach for another one.
Remember the chicken nuggets in those Kid Cuisine meals from your childhood?
That's basically what these taste like, only with a hint of black pepper.
Pass, and just get some sliders.
Burger King's flame-grilled burgers may be top notch in the fast food world, but what
about their chicken nuggets?
Burger King uses all white meat in their nuggets, which are coated in what they call a homestyle
seasoned breading.
The breading, however, is one of the main differences between a great nugget and a disappointment,
and this stuff falls short.
The overall texture of the coating is dry and almost dusty, though it does have a nicely
seasoned flavor profile.
The nuggets are overall pretty soft, and the meat inside is soft and dry too, rather than
firm and juicy.
All that adds up to mean Burger King is definitely behind the times when it comes to nuggets.
They didn't even start serving chicken nuggets until 2013, when they replaced the chicken
tenders formerly on their menu.
Go for the Whoppers, go somewhere else for the nuggets.
"I didn't know they served chicken nuggets at this restaurant."
"It’s cod.
It’s, uh, they made it special.
Dennis has some dietary restrictions."
For all the hype surrounding Wendy's spicy chicken nuggets, their standard chicken nugget
offering is a bit of a disappointment.
The outer coating is a bit floury, and crunchy rather than crispy, which is a hugely important
distinction.
Some may prefer crunch to crisp, but the coating is inconsistent, meaning that areas of the
nuggets wind up soggy.
Then, there's the meat.
Wendy's chicken nuggets are made with 100 percent white meat, but for some reason it's
oddly soft and squishy in this preparation.
The meat is also under seasoned, while the coating is over seasoned to the point of being
a distraction from the meat.
It does get points for coming with some tasty dipping sauces but, that being said, due to
the textural inconsistencies and seasoning issues, these aren't the nuggets to reach
for to satisfy some serious cravings.
Sonic serves Popcorn Nuggets instead of formed nuggets.
They're made with all white meat chicken, then covered in a simply seasoned coating
and fried.
These nuggets are big, with a nice meaty bite, and a fairly satisfyingly crunchy outer coating.
The chicken inside is juicy, too.
The downfall of Sonic's Jumbo Popcorn Chicken is that it just doesn't get crispy enough.
The coating is good, true, but it just doesn't compare to the texture of real fried chicken.
The pieces are also a little drier than is ideal, but that just means you'll definitely
want to pair them with one of Sonic's dipping sauces.
If you're looking for a nugget that tastes a little more homemade, KFC is a safe bet.
That's because instead of the usual uniform nuggets, they serve Popcorn Nuggets like Sonic,
although KFC's are smaller in size.
These chunks of white meat chicken are covered in the chain's signature coating, then fried
until golden and crunchy.
KFC's popcorn nuggets are delicious when served hot.
The crust is extra-crispy, the little bits of chicken are juicy, and it's nice that they
retain the texture of traditional chicken meat.
Unfortunately, when the popcorn chicken is served cold, it can taste rather greasy.
The seasoning blend used is also quite salty, and that makes them delicious, but best eaten
fresh and sparingly.
McDonald's classic nugget has gone under several changes.
As of 2016, the chain listed a new, shorter set of ingredients for their McNuggets, and
started making their crispy chicken bites with all white meat chicken.
They also contain no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, and that gets them extra
points.
McNuggets have a uniform, crispy coating that doesn't taste too oily or greasy.
The meat inside is dense, juicy, and well-seasoned, creating a lot of balanced, savory-sweet flavors
into each small bite.
Some might shun the very standardized nature of these nuggets, but McDonald's has stated
that the uniformity helps ensure that every Chicken McNugget has the same cooking requirements,
so they come out crisp and juicy every time.
Jack in the Box didn't get started on chicken nuggets until 2012, and even though they got
a late start, Jack in the Box serves surprisingly good 100 percent white meat chicken nuggets.
Each one is fried to a deep golden brown, and the crispy exterior is salted and seasoned
well.
The meat inside is juicy, salty, and actually tastes distinctly like chicken, and it has
a firm texture that's not rubbery or chewy.
You wouldn't mistake these for homemade nuggets, but for a fast food nugget, they hit all the
marks: crispy, hot, seasoned, moist, and identifiable as chicken.
In other words, so good.
How good?
“Are you crying?"
"I've been waiting for you.”
Let's not kid ourselves, when it comes to fast food chicken nuggets there are Chick-fil-A's
and then there's just a list of wannabe nuggets trailing behind.
No offense to any other fast food favorites, but there's a reason the drive-thru line at
any given Chick-fil-A regularly stretches into the street, and it's all about those
nuggets.
Maybe it's the peanut oil the company cooks them in or the marinade that adds to the juicy
flavor before they're dipped in buttermilk during the breading process, but whatever
the case, the result is a nugget that doesn't feel like it came out of a plastic bag and
was then merely dropped in the deep fryer.
No wonder Chick-fil-A decided it was time to make its nuggets available in a 30-count
— and no one will judge you if you order one just for yourself.
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