Skip The Drive-Thru And Snag Copycat Wendy's Spicy Nuggets At This Grocery Chain

Wendy's spicy chicken nuggets outperformed both Burger King and McDonald's in a ranking of fast food nuggets. But, if you're not willing to shell out the big bucks every time you have a Wendy's craving, you can skip the drive-thru and snag copycat nuggets from none other than Trader Joe's. Not only is Trader Joe's known for unique products you won't find anywhere else, but they also make fast food dupes that taste just as good as the original.

Trader Joe's spicy chicken nuggets are a dead ringer for Wendy's spicy chicken nuggets, from taste to texture. Just like Wendy's, Trader Joe's nuggets have the same fiery finish to their juicy, savory chicken as well as the uniquely textured, moderately crispy breading. Plus, at $3.99 per box of about 20 nuggets compared to $3.99 for 4 pieces of Wendy's nuggets, Trader Joe's is saving you a lot of money. Trader Joe's customers were as impressed as we were with the spicy chicken nuggets dupe. One Redditor wrote, "[The chicken nuggets are] really flavorful and juicy too...they do have a kick. I was worried they wouldn't because that was my experience with grocery 'spicy', but these don't disappoint." Many proclaimed at just how close their taste was to Wendy's spicy chicken nuggets, although they recommended air frying or oven roasting them at much higher temperatures for longer to get a crispier exterior. "Air fry them on 375 or 400 for like 10-15 minutes from frozen," says one customer. 

Not only did Redditors give Trader Joe's spicy chicken nuggets their approval as a Wendy's dupe, but they also recommended various creative ways to enjoy them. Of course, if you want to recreate a Wendy's combo meal, "I have these with the TJ's french fries and it's like a $2 Wendy's meal," says one Redditor. That said, TJ's frozen fries are not our favorite frozen french fry brand. So, you might have to look elsewhere for a decent frozen fry. If you're looking for a complimentary dipping sauce for your nuggets, Trader Joe's has quite the lineup of sauces. Our favorite is the highly complex Yangnyeom sauce, a sweet, spicy, tangy, and savory miso and molasses sauce with a gochujang kick. Of course, for a spicy chicken nugget, a creamy, cooling ranch or tangy and creamy tartar sauce would also taste delicious. You can use Trader Joe's tartar sauce to slather over one of Trader Joe's highly ranked ciabatta rolls, stuffing them with a few nuggets and crunchy pickles to make a drool-worthy spicy chicken sandwich at home.

Trader Joe's also has a wide selection of delicious prepared foods for you to add chicken nuggets to. For example, one Redditor says to "pair them with TJ's lemon arugula salad." Another recommends "put[ing] them in a Caesar salad." To that effect, you could slice them into strips to make a chicken Caesar salad wrap with a kick.