McDonald's Spicy Chicken McNuggets Aren't The Hottest Thing Ronald Has Ever Served Up

In 2020, the world was on lockdown, but in the fall of that wild year, McDonald's enticed eaters to leave their homes with the introduction of Spicy Chicken McNuggets and an accompanying Mighty Hot sauce. After its initial limited-time run, these hot ones have since come and gone several times and are returning once again in this pivotal time when days at the beach give way to one spent in classrooms. Not sure if their return has anything to do with the debut of Burger King's newly refurbished, awesomely delicious, and crown-stealing nuggets of its own, but in any case, here we are

Quick refresher for those who need one — McDonald's bills its Spicy Chicken McNuggets as "Breaded in a spicy tempura coating made with a blend of aged cayenne and chili peppers, they deliver the perfect kick in every bite." These days, there's plenty of spice to be found on the menu, from the Spicy McCrispy, Spicy Snack Wrap, Hot 'N Spicy McChicken, and Spicy Buffalo sauce. But amongst all these, can Spicy Chicken McNuggets still raise the temperature?

Tasting Table wanted a refresher on these nuggets as well and ran out to our nearest Golden Arches for a taste. So, do McDonald's Spicy Chicken McNuggets show that this is some heat that cannot be beat, or are these amped up bites just smoke and mirrors? Well, the truth can now be told in this chew and review — napkins not included.

In advance of their official return to menus, I found the Spicy McNuggets available at a McDonald's location in Wildwood, New Jersey. I ordered the nuggets in-store and consumed them on site, as well as took leftovers home for further taste testing. I also ordered plain old McNuggets for comparison's sake, as well as a Spicy Snack Wrap, and a slew of dipping sauces. Sadly, the location I ordered my grub at did not have the returning Mighty Hot Sauce available, so the Spicy McNuggets had to do their spicy work all by themselves.

This chew and review is a summary of my own personal tastes and opinions. I also factored in my previous experiences with McDonald's, its nuggets and spicy items, and my overall impressions of these Spicy McNuggets. The deciding criteria considered for this review were flavor, presentation, taste, texture, familiarity, originality, uniqueness, spiciness, and, ultimately, whether this is something worth your time and dime.

Somehow, during its many happy returns to menus, I had never experienced the pleasure of trying Spicy Chicken McNuggets. In fact, I was really surprised when I popped open my box of 20 and didn't see a bunch of nuggs drowned in some sort of hot sauce. Instead, what I saw were some orangey-browned nuggets that look ready for Halloween. These guys came in the familiar McNugget shapes, from oblong circles to the one that looks like a fat Christmas stocking, and another one that forms something resembling an outline of Massachusetts. The skin looked particularly dry and crusty. Picking them up, they had a familiar heft to them, but these were dusted in seasonings, which stained my fingertips in a Cheetos-esque way.

Taking a bite, the first thing my mouth noticed was that famous McNugget crunch, followed by a dash of juiciness from the purely white and squishy meat within. The spice mildly popped in at the end. This is a mere pep, and not a full-on fireball. Since the spice resided in the seasoning, it was akin to noshing on dry rub wings, but with less meatiness. The more nuggets I consumed, the more the heat surfaced, but again, it never seemed to get to the point of raising any fire alarms. When I got home later and reheated them in a toaster oven, the refreshed McNuggets did a better job of conveying the heat they were reservedly packing.

After giving the Spicy Chicken McNuggets a naked taste test, it was time to introduce some sauces into the mix. I was disappointed I wasn't able to apply the Mighty Hot sauce for maximum effect, but there were plenty of other options to try. I figured the cool and creamy ranch could perhaps ignite the spice's fire, but it didn't move the needle. The awesome Caesar dressing made for a better pairing, but also turned out not to be an enhancer. Things finally got en fuego with the spicy nuggets slathered in the gold standard Spicy Buffalo sauce. Then again, the same was true when I tested the regular nuggets in the same buffalo sauce. 

There are plenty of other spicy items on the menu, but I chose the Spicy Snack Wrap as a litmus test. It's essentially a McDonald's chicken tender doused in spicy pepper sauce, housed in a tortilla with shredded cheese and lettuce. I skipped the latter two for the purposes of this review, and knife-and-forked the sauced, breaded chicken piece. I wasn't sure I had ever had one of these before, but this one was so spicy, it could have earned a walk-on role in the David Lynch movie "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me." Wow, just wow! The sauce was overpoweringly great; it will remain on my mind as an awesome option. 

With the existence of that winning wrap, and the knowledge of how kicking the buffalo sauce works with a standard Chicken McNugget, the Spicy Chicken McNuggets now seem like a moot point. Don't get me wrong, their spice is nice, but I prefer the other everyday items that are much naughtier. Flame on!

Spicy McNuggets and the Mighty Hot Sauce will be officially available at participating locations nationwide starting September 1, although some restaurants may have them available on menus earlier. They will remain on menus for a limited time only, while supplies last. These nuggets can only be ordered when McDonald's breakfast hours end and the lunch and daytime menu begins. Ordering can take place in person or in advance using the app, for dine-in, pickup, or delivery where available. The Spicy Chicken McNuggets are available in five sizes — 4-piece, 6-piece, 10-piece, 20-piece, and, if the heart desires, 40-piece boxes. Prices will vary by restaurant, but at the Wildwood, New Jersey, location I picked my nuggets up at, the respective costs for those orders were $3.49, $4.79, $5.99, $7.99, and $13.99.

Key ingredients that separate the Spicy Chicken McNuggets from the regular ones are: onion powder, garlic powder, extractives of paprika, extractives of turmeric, vinegar solids, cayenne pepper, and good old regular vinegar. A 6-piece order of Spicy McNuggets nets an eater 290 calories, 18 grams total fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 45 milligrams cholesterol, 630 milligrams sodium, 17 grams total carbohydrates, 1 gram dietary fiber, 15 grams protein, as well as 10 milligrams calcium, 0.5 milligrams iron, and 260 milligrams potassium. Additionally, the item contains a wheat allergen warning.