advertisement

How do Taco Bell’s new chicken nuggets rank against other fast food nuggs?

While chicken sandwiches have been the darlings of the fast-food circuit for the last few years, another drive-though poultry staple is suddenly reminding us that it’s been here all along.

Are we in the midst of a nugg-aissance?

The humble chicken nugget is getting new attention, with the debut last month of Taco Bell’s unlikely addition to its lineup, a tortilla-chip-breaded nugget. And chains are innovating, coming up with novel saucy and spicy versions of their classics.

Nuggets are versatile — they can be a serviceable snack when you (or your kids) are hangry, a meal in a pinch, even an entertaining showpiece (I’m obsessed with the parties that designer Javier Burkle throws where he serves fast-food tenders on silver platters with sauces in gorgeous gravy boats).

There’s something a bit retro about the new appeal of a menu item whose popularity reached a fever pitch in the 1980s. A 1986 story in The Washington Post headlined “Nugget Mania” declaring the food to be “the hot dogs of the ’80s” included this prescient line, which seems even more relevant circa 2024: “We have less time to cook, less time to chew and an increasing ability to digest only bite-sized pieces, be it food or information.”

Now that even Taco Bell, which is better known for its titular menu items, is winging into the nugget game, we decided to take stock of the field and taste the offerings from the largest chains.

Now, there are two categories of nuggets: those that comprise a sort of chicken paste that makes for a more uniform filling and those that employ whole pieces of chicken meat, and we included both in our survey. I’m partial to the latter, but as you can see, less processing doesn’t guarantee a good nugg.

Here’s how they ranked:

Note: Prices vary by location.

6. Taco Bell

The newest entry into the nugget derby was unquestionably the worst. Which was too bad, because these sounded promising, like a Mexican-ish riff on the classic format: Whole bits of chicken are marinated in jalapeño buttermilk and breaded with tortilla chips, according to the Bell’s marketing folks. But I was wary as soon as I opened the clamshell; the coating on these guys was of a strangely uneven color, with dark spots appearing randomly. I determined that this wasn’t a one-off, since it occurred in two orders on different days (and confirmed by pics some others have posted online). And in one of my orders, several nuggets sported what looked like bald spots, where the breading had come off before frying, leaving off-putting dried-out patches on the bird flesh.

Looks weren’t deceiving, either. These nuggets were as tough as the box they came in (that’s a guess, seeing as I didn’t attempt a nibble of the cardboard). And the prevailing flavor was tortilla chip, which made me wish I had just … ordered nachos? It could be that Taco Bell simply isn’t as dialed in on its deep fryers as its competitors are, but whatever the reason, these aren’t cause for anyone to, as Taco Bell exhorts us, “think outside the bun.”

($3.99/5; $6.99/10)

5. Burger King

Here’s another chain that should probably just stick to its eponymous business model. The nuggets were no royalty — they were flat, flavorless and forgettable. The only note I could detect in the breading was, in at least one order, of overused fryer oil. And the interior, what little of it there was (did I mention these looked like they’d been run over by a steamroller?), was spongy. In these times of rising prices and budget-minding, it’s not irrelevant to note that these are the cheapest birds in the coop. Still, no matter the price, I wouldn’t call these sad snacks a bargain.

($1.59/4; $2.99/8; $5.39/16)

4. Wendy’s

These were paler and rounder than others I tried, and seemed like they were aping the success of Chick-fil-A’s nuggs (although Wendy’s doesn’t use whole chicken pieces, unlike its apparent inspo source). I found these to be softer than most of the competitors, which I didn’t mind. But these were the most likely to have the breading separate from the filling, which might be handy for that small cult of people who like to peel their nuggets (yes, they exist!) but a turnoff for the rest of us who consume them like normal humans. Scant seasoning makes it easy to see why the chain now offers saucy nuggets — they’re probably better as a sauce-conveying vehicle than a stand-alone dish.

($2.69/4; $3.39/6; $5.59/10)

3. McDonald’s

Admittedly, nostalgia might have factored into my appreciation for these classic specimens. The Golden Arches, after all, popularized the now-ubiquitous term “chicken nuggets” when it introduced them nationally in 1983, and since then they have become a staple of kid-dom for many, myself included. They aren’t all that flavorful, with no discernible spices. But for me, it’s the breading — a light tempura batter that stays crisp long after you’ve left the drive-through — that makes them special. Surprisingly, no other chain has tried to replicate it.

($2.99/4; $3.79/6; $7.79/10; $10.79/20)

2. KFC

The colonel’s chicken chain went years without nuggets on its menu before adding them in 2023, which seems impossible to fathom given how popular nuggets have become in the fast-food galaxy over the last few decades. These relative newbies clearly share the DNA of their bone-in forebears, cloaked in an identical breading that famously contains a secret blend of 11 herbs and spices. That made for a super-flavorful nugg, and with chicken that’s juicy and obviously well-seasoned itself, this instantly earned a spot ahead of most of the flock. I also liked their deep golden-brown color and the craggy shape, which offered nooks and crannies for an extra crunch factor.

($3.99/5; $5.99/8 or 10; $7.99/12; $22.99/36; $34.99/50)

1. Chick-fil-A

This fast-growing chain offers a distinct style of chicken: The breading is lighter than many competitors’ and the bird itself is juicy and flavorful. A persistent rumor credits the latter to a pickle brine, but a peek at the ingredient list — which doesn’t include vinegar — indicates that’s probably just the stuff of legend. Instead, you can probably chalk it up to that sugar, salt and MSG.

Whatever alchemy the chicken wizards are getting up to, the result was one irresistible nugget. The nuggets weren’t as crunchy as McDonald’s or KFC’s — I’d describe them as tender, if that word didn’t confuse things too much. (The chain also sells chicken tenders, which I found inferior to its nuggets.)

($3.75/5; $5.95/8; $8.09/12; $20.19)

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.