8 Things You Didn't Know About McDonald's^® Chicken Nuggets

McDonald's^® chicken nuggets first hit the menu in 1983, and they've been a fan favorite ever since. In fact, the fast-food giant sells more than 25 billion units every year around the globe. In honor of one of McDonald's most beloved items (second only to their classic apple pie), we've put together some fun facts about McNuggets^® — a true fast-food legend.

#1 It Was Almost an... Onion?

Back in the 1970s, McDonald's CEO Ray Kroc asked his team to focus on a new idea — an onion nugget, sort of like a bite-sized onion ring. McDonald's chairman Fred Turner wasn't crazy about the idea. As Reader's Digest reports, one day, he ran into the creator of the onion nugget, Herb Arend, in the hallway and reportedly said to him, "Why not a chicken nugget?" That simple suggestion sparked something big. Arend went back to the kitchen, chopped up some chicken, breaded it, and fried it up. The result was a crispy, flavorful bite-sized nugget of perfection. As for the onion nugget? It just couldn't compete with the new chicken snack, and onion nuggets were eventually pulled off the menu.

#2 They Got Usain Bolt Through the Olympics^®

During the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt made a surprising admission: he ate 1,000 chicken nuggets over the course of his 10-day stay. Bolt revealed that he had nuggets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner because his stomach couldn't handle the local Chinese food. For the world's fastest man, McDonald's chicken nuggets were the perfect fuel to keep him going — and clearly, they didn't slow him down!

#3 McDonald's Used Them to Solve a Crisis

In the 1950s and 60s, heart attacks were on the rise in America, and doctors started to link them to junk-food staples of American diets — including hamburgers. By 1977, the government released new dietary guidelines urging people to eat less red meat. That was bad news for McDonald's, where burgers were the star of the menu. To turn things around, McDonald's began exploring chicken options to add some variety to its beef-heavy menu. Enter René Arend, a chef from Luxembourg who had a pretty impressive resume — he had cooked for Queen Elizabeth II and the King of Belgium. McDonald's brought him in to create something new, and the Chicken McNugget was born.

#4 McNuggets Started Out With 4 Sauces

When McDonald's first launched its chicken nuggets in 1983, customers could dip them in just four different sauces: Honey, Sweet and Sour, Hot Mustard, and Barbecue. These classic choices quickly became favorites for dipping, adding extra flavor to the crispy nuggets. Over the years, they introduced more than 25 different sauces to the U.S. market! Some were bold and spicy, like Habanero Ranch, while others were sweet and tangy, like Cranberry Orange. There was even Green Chili Salsa and Teriyaki, giving customers a whole new range of flavors to explore with their chicken nuggets.

#5 No Pink Slime Here!

In 2012, a viral video sparked outrage when it showed what was described as "pink slime" — a substance added to some ground beef, including burger patties. The "pink slime" looked like a gooey paste and was treated with ammonia hydroxide to kill bacteria. While the ammonia was completely safe to eat, many people were grossed out by the idea of it being in their food. McDonald's insisted the image didn't represent their food. However, after customers demanded that the chain remove the controversial ingredient, McDonald's made the decision to stop using ammonia in all of its products. This move helped restore consumer trust, but it also led to some confusion about how fast food is made. Turns out there's no ammonia involved in making McNuggets. The so-called "pink slime" is often confused with another ingredient called mechanically separated meat, which is made by forcing meat through a machine to remove tissue from animal bones. In 2003, McDonald's made a major change, switching from mechanically separated poultry to using only white-meat chicken in its nuggets. So, while the "pink slime" controversy raised a lot of questions, McDonald's responded by making changes to ensure that its food met customer expectations — and without using ammonia or controversial additives in their nuggets.

#6 You're Not Imagining the Shapes

McNuggets come in four distinct forms. These shapes are part of the official nugget design, and they each have names: the "ball" is round, the "bone" looks like a rounded rectangle, the "boot" has a little jutting edge, and the "bell" is diamond-shaped. The shapes method helps the nuggets cook more evenly, but it also makes them more fun to eat. So, next time you're munching on your nuggets, you can appreciate the little details that go into making each one just a bit different from the others!

#7 They Turned Up the Heat

In 2020, McDonald's launched Spicy Chicken McNuggets in the U.S. These limited-edition nuggets were breaded in a crispy tempura coating that had cayenne pepper mixed in, giving them a bold, spicy flavor. To take the heat even further, they were paired with a brand-new dipping sauce called Mighty Hot Sauce, which was packed with fiery heat that had fans reaching for more. The Spicy Chicken McNuggets quickly became a favorite for anyone who loves a bit of spice with their meal.

#8 They're Healthier Than You Think

Good news for nugget lovers: A four-piece box of McDonald's Chicken McNuggets has just 170 calories. McDonald's chicken nuggets are made with USDA-inspected, boneless white-meat chicken, which comes from the chicken breast, tenderloins, and rib meat. The company is open about what goes into their nuggets and lists all the ingredients right on their website.

Chicken McNuggets have come a long way, becoming one of the most popular menu items in fast food history. In fact, McDonald's Chicken McNuggets deserve a place of honor in the company's story, which is why we've looked back at their journey and celebrated some of the key moments that made them a fan favorite.

References: 10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About McDonald's Chicken McNuggets | Iconic Chicken McNuggets Celebrate Its 40th Anniversary | Things You Probably Didn't Know About McDonald's Chicken Nuggets | Things You Probably Didn’t Know About McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets