McDonald's Brings Back Fan-Favorite Spicy Menu Item
Spicy chicken McNuggets have come and gone from the menu since they were first introduced in 2019.
Temperatures may be dropping as fall arrives, but things are heating up at McDonald's. The Golden Arches has officially brought back its Spicy Chicken McNuggets in 6, 10, 20 and 40-piece sizes at participating locations "for a limited time," according to its website.
McDonald's Spicy Chicken McNuggets takes the chain's beloved original Chicken McNuggets and turns up the heat. The McNuggets feature a crispy coating, flavorfully spiced with a blend of aged cayenne and chili pepper, that "adds a real kick to the fan favorite Chicken McNuggets," per the chain. The McNuggets were first introduced in 2020 not only as competition for Wendy's own Spicy Nuggets, but also as McDonald's first-ever spicy spin to the beloved classic McNugget. At the time, McDonald's said the menu item was "craveable, dippable and downright-delicious" and managed to pack "plenty of spice and flavor into each bite."
Unsurprisingly, the Spicy Chicken McNuggets became an instant fan-favorite, though their lifespan on the McDonald's menu was short-lived. Almost as soon as they appeared nationwide, they disappeared, only to resurface again in February 2021 for a short time alongside Mighty Hot Sauce, which debuted the previous year and marked the first new sauce innovation since 2017. The hot sauce boasted "a powerful blend of crushed red pepper and cayenne peppers, all balanced with savory garlic and a hint of sweetness." Spicy Chicken McNuggets went on to reappear on the menu in April 2022, though the popular menu item was only available at about half the McDonald's locations nationwide.
Amid the Spicy Chicken McNugget's disappearing act, fans have called on McDonald's to make the McNuggets a permanent menu item. A Change.org petition launched in 2019 amid the McNuggets departure from the menu said news the menu item would soon be gone was "extremely saddening." Another petition in 2020 encouraged the fast food restaurant chain to "make Spicy McNuggets a permanent menu item," the creator writing, "My fellow Americans, I implore you to take but a moment out of your day to stand with me against the tyrannical structures that be. We are the land of the free, and the home of the brave, but our freedoms are actively being infringed upon. I ask you this – who are they to deny us the manna from heaven? Let your voices ring out through the streets. We will not rest until McDonald's rights their wrongs and brings back the Spicy McNuggets as a permanent fixture to their menu."
While it seems that McDonald's currently has no plans to make the Spicy Chicken McNuggets a permanent menu item, fans can currently order them at participating locations for a limited time.