Rejoice, Spicy Chicken McNuggets fans—it looks like McDonald’s will be bringing the limited-edition snackable back once more to tantalize your taste buds!
The news of the beloved menu item’s return comes hot on the heels of the fast-food giant’s announcement that they will be releasing their popular Big Mac Sauce as a dippable add-on condiment item for any order, an upgrade from previously only offering the sauce as a Big Mac topper.
McDonald’s hasn’t yet officially announced that Spicy Chicken McNuggets will be coming back, but the food Instagram account Snackolator spilled the news on Tuesday that “Spicy McNuggets are BACK at McDonald’s!” Snackolator is known for accurately previewing fast-food item launches before their official release, as with their coverage of Taco Bell’s spicy new version of their Nacho Fries days before the chain confirmed the new item.
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Spicy McNuggets Already Back On Some Menus
Snackolator wasn’t the only one to notice that Spicy McNuggets are coming back—fans are already seeing the item return to menus in some locations, and are taking to social media to share the good news.
McDonald’s spicy nuggets back
— P (@PerritosWay) April 17, 2023
Spicy McNuggets aren’t back on the official McDonald’s website menu just yet, but according to their previous listing, the fan-favorite item includes “a spicy breading that adds a real kick to the fan favorite Chicken McNuggets. Breaded in a crispy coating, flavorfully spiced with a blend of aged cayenne and chili pepper”. As reported by Eat This, Not That, Spicy McNuggets were incredibly popular upon release in 2020, selling out within weeks. The McNuggets variation returned again in 2021, and in 2022.
Back From The Vault—But For How Long?
McDonald's has become known for its limited-time and special edition menu items, especially in recent years.
The chain has several products that customers look forward to re-releasing at certain times of the year, only to be available for a short period before "retiring" again, including favorites like the McRib and Shamrock Shake. Other items have become cult classics during short limited releases, like their dippable Szechuan Sauce—originally released to coincide with Disney's animated film Mulan back in 1998, and re-released for a time in 2017 (as well as short periods in 2018 and 2022) thanks to its depiction in the dark comedy series Rick and Morty and subsequent popularity.
The famous fast-food restaurant has also debuted a number of influencer "collab" meal kits in the last couple of years, including the Travis Scott Meal, the BTS Signature Meal, and the controversial Cardi B and Offset Date Night Meal.
Fans are already excited at the impending return of Spicy McNuggets and some even prefer them to the milder originals, with one Redditor proclaiming "I only like the spicy ones".
On Snackolator's Instagram post about the menu item's return, some commenters were looking forward to snagging the Spicy McNuggets once more—"NO WAY ! 🏃♂️💨" wrote one—while others used the opportunity to memorialize other discontinued favorites, like Snack Wraps and chicken tenders. Hopefully, these too will make their way back onto the Golden Arches' menu.
