As A Chicken Nugget Fanatic, I Tried These Nuggets From 5 Popular Fast-Food Chains — Here's My Definitive Ranking
Hello, BuzzFeeders, chicken nugget enthusiasts, and curious cats alike! I'm Dannica, and I enjoy nothing more than taste-testing foods and drinks and relaying to you all whether they're worth it or not. (You're welcome.)
So, when I heard that Taco Bell was permanently bringing back their Crispy Chicken Nuggets to their menu, I just knew I couldn't mind my business. Taco Bell first introduced chicken nuggets at the end of 2024, but it was a limited-time menu item that apparently only lasted for a week until they sold out. But now that the Crispy Chicken Nuggets are officially back for good, I thought it would be a good idea to see how they stack up against other popular fast-food chains' nuggs: McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, and Jack in the Box.
Dannica Ramirez
P.S., I did not include chains that are famous for their chicken, like Chick-fil-A, Cane's, KFC, Popeyes, Wingstop, etc.
That said, welcome to the ~Chicken Nugget Championship.~
Dannica Ramirez / Canva
BTW, this is not my first rodeo trying and ranking chicken nuggets. If you're itching to learn my thoughts on KFC's and Wendy's saucy nuggets, feel free to take a gander.
Here's the very professional rubric I made up to judge and rank the chicken:
For fairness, I tried each nugget as I bought them to ensure they were still fresh and hot.
So, without further ado, here's my ranking of chicken nuggets from worst (meh, kinda sad) to best (crispy deliciousness, give me 20 more):
5. JACK IN THE BOX: I've never had nuggets from Jack in the Box until now, and let me just say that they won't be my go-to menu item in the future (that title is reserved for the tacos). First, these nuggets are smaller than their other fast-food brethren. Like brothers from another mother, these are nuggets from another bucket, if you will.
The breading itself was OK, but it wasn't as flavorful as the other nuggets on the list. In fact, it kinda just tasted a bit too salty for my taste. The chicken itself didn't taste like much, and the nugget as a whole was flat in taste and appearance, and lacked meatiness. There was barely any crisp, and to me, there was just too much to be desired for me to pick these up again.
Dannica Ramirez
However, let me just say that Jack in the Box's buttermilk ranch is amazing and instantly elevates this chicken nugget from, like, a two to a solid three. Too bad we're not counting sauces, though!
4. WENDY'S: Some of you may be surprised that Wendy's is toward the bottom of the list, but believe me, I am, too! I am a huge fan of Wendy's spicy nuggets, but the regular ones just don't keep up.
Contrary to the ranking of these nuggies, I actually really love Wendy's (I loved the Krabby Patty Kollab meal). HOWEVER, the regular nuggets just don't hit the same as the spicy ones, and when compared to the other nuggs on the list, they just kind of pale into the background.
Dannica Ramirez
They had a decent crisp to them, and I do like how you can see the spices used in the breading, but despite that, they still lacked some flavor for me. Though the chicken wasn't super dry, it was overall lackluster. TBH, I'm still so surprised by this ranking that I'm trying to convince myself that it was just my batch of nuggs that happened to be mediocre.
3. BURGER KING: Now, I've honestly never really paid much attention to Burger King before because I've had no reason to, but after trying their nuggets, I might just have to pay them another visit.
Burger King's nuggets are similar to Wendy's, but somehow better. They're surprisingly well-seasoned but not super salty, and the breading made for a nice crunch. You can visibly see the seasoning on the nugget, and I personally feel like I could eat them without any sauce because, though not the ~juiciest,~ they aren't even close to being dry! They certainly aren't the meatiest of nuggets, but for a four-piece being $2?! I'm not complaining.
2. TACO BELL: Please, please, PLEASE hear me out for a second. I was skeptical about trying these chicken nuggets because why wouldn't I be skeptical trying chicken nuggets from Taco Bell?? I honestly came into this taste test not having high expectations for them, but alas, I've been proven wrong. First of all, look at these things:
Like, are these chicken nuggets or popcorn chicken?! Look at the size! The crisp! Anyway, I'm going to keep it transparent and say that I didn't think I liked these nuggets at first. I don't know if I was taken aback at first by the texture or the flavor due to how non-traditionally chicken nugget-y they were, but they truly ended up growing on me. First, these bad boys are VERY crispy. There was an audible crunch when I took my first bite, and it was in that moment when I thought, Does this even count as a chicken nugget??
Dannica Ramirez
The chicken was juicy, and the nugget itself was very meaty, but what turned me off upon first trying it was the seasoning blend. Don't get me wrong, the nuggets are well-seasoned and have a lot of flavor, but I think I was just initially hesitant about the taste because I was expecting a regular schmegular-tasting nugget. But I should've known that if Taco Bell was going to release chicken nuggets, they weren't going to be basic! Apparently, these nuggets are actually marinated in jalapeño buttermilk and breaded with tortilla chips?! Fascinating.
Just because these nuggets are new and I want y'all to have all the deets if you're considering trying them, you have three dipping sauces to choose from: Fire Ranch, Jalapeño Honey Mustard, and Bell Sauce. I tried all three, and the only one I liked paired with the chicken nuggets was the ranch. The other two sauces just had too much going on for me, but I do recommend trying all of them to see which one is your fave!
Anyway, to keep it Sabrina Carpenter (short and sweet), I wasn't sure about the chicken nuggets at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized they were pretty good. Will Taco Bell become my go-to nugget place? Probably not, since I don't think it's an "everyday nugget" type of taste. But overall, I was pleasantly surprised. Well played, Taco Bell.
1. MCDONALD'S: Some of you will hate on me for this decision, but I don't care! To me, McDonald's chicken nuggets are just the epitome of everything a chicken nugget should be: crispy, good batter-to-chicken ratio, juicy, and flavorful.
What I like most about McDonald's nuggets is the batter. It's a unique, tempura-esque batter that provides an airy and thin crisp like no other fast-food chicken nugget has accomplished. The chicken is juicy and flavorful; I personally think the nuggets can stand on their own and don't need a sauce. The nuggets are simple flavor-wise, but the texture is what really makes them for me.
Dannica Ramirez
(I also might be a little biased because getting McDonald's chicken nuggets after school when I was younger was always the highlight of my Fridays.)
Whew, that was a lot of chicken. Just know I definitely had to take a long walk after all that to settle my stomach. Despite that, I had so much fun, and now I truly feel like a chicken nugget ~connosseur.~
Dannica Ramirez
To recap, here's my final ranking and the prices for the lowest count of nuggets:
1. McDonald's: $2.99 (4-piece)
2. Taco Bell: $3.99 (5-piece)
3. Burger King: $1.99 (4-piece)
4. Wendy's: $2.69 (4-piece)
5. Jack in the Box: $2.59 (4-piece)
And that's a wrap on the Chicken Nugget Championship! Let us take a moment for the crowning:
For really good chicken (and non-chicken) meals, download the free Tasty app to explore our library of 7,500+ recipes without a subscription.
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