The Reason Burger King Chicken Nuggets Are So Cheap

"Burger" might be in the name of Burger King, but the chain has been serving chicken nuggets for years. Back in 2018, Burger King announced that they would be selling their chicken nuggets for the very low price of 10 for just $1 (via QSR Magazine). "They are crispy, they are golden, they are tender, there are 10 of them, and they are now just a buck," Burger King's President Chris Finazzo said at the time. 

As for how "crispy" and "tender" Burger King's nuggets are is debatable, but you really can't fault them on the price. So how exactly does Burger King make a nugget with all-white meat chicken that it sells for a dime apiece without losing money?

Ten nuggets for just a buck is really all about benefiting the customer, because that deal by itself isn't benefiting Burger King really much at all. As Darren Tristano of the restaurant consultancy group Technomic pointed out to BuzzFeed, the deal is all about trying to pull customers away from other ridiculously low-priced menu items from competitors like McDonald's. "All the major chains have jumped on the dollar pricing in an effort to maintain share against competitors," Tristano said. 

Make no mistake about it, Burger King's nuggets aren't what anybody with functioning taste buds would consider good — even by fast food nugget standards. What they are is a loss leader, which means Burger King (and other fast food chains in the same boat) are willing to lose a little money on an item if it gets customers in the door who will purchase other items. 

This is especially common now with fast casual chains stealing customers away from fast food. "Unless you're offering some type of promotional or deal, you're not going to get them into the restaurant," restaurant industry analyst Bonnie Riggs told CNBC.