McDonald's Has Good News For Fans Of Its Spicy McNuggets

McDonald's has brought back the Spicy Chicken McNugget. According to Chew Boom, Spicy Chicken McNuggets will be available as a limited time offer at participating locations and will be sold in 4, 6, 10, 20, or 40 piece options. This marks the return of the Spicy Chicken McNugget after an initial limited time run in September 2020, making it, as CNN noted, the first time that McDonald's had introduced a new McNugget flavor in the United States. The spicy version, as McDonald's boasted in a press release, resembled a regular chicken McNugget with the addition of "a sizzling tempura coating made of both cayenne and chili peppers." They also offered a Mighty Hot Sauce made from crushed red peppers and chilies for those who want extra heat.

The return of the item suggests that the first run of the Spicy Chicken McNuggets proved popular. This makes sense, as Taste of Home explained in October why the new McNuggets' run lasted barely longer than a month: "It seems, while they were never intended to be a permanent menu item (at least not from the very start), McDonald's undershot just how popular they would be. That's right — they're all sold out."

Reviews paint a similar picture. Writing for Forbes, Michelle Maynard found them tasty, though lacking in the spice department when compared to competitors' chicken offerings. Mashable's Brian Koebber's reaction, however, was very enthusiastic, declaring that the new McNugget had all the good qualities of the original but with a kick.

With such a popular product on their hands, some may wonder why McDonald's would only introduce the Spicy Chicken McNuggets as a limited time offer. The reason is that such limited time offerings have become a key component in the brand's trafficking strategy, as Food and Drink Resources explains. The short window to catch the Spicy Chicken McNugget can be used as a way to test the product without fully committing. It can also be used to create hype for a pre-existing consumer base. 

If we take Delish's coverage of the return of the newer McNugget, the strategy for making us crave the tender, juicy nuggets is working: "Months after McDonald's Spicy Chicken Nuggets were so cruelly taken away from us, they have returned!" If that does not convey the point, Delish reiterates "DO NOT HESITATE" in full capitals.

However, you have no need to fear, thanks to Taste of Home. If, for some reason, you ignored Delish's caps and miss the Spicy Chicken McNuggets, you can follow their recipe for spicy chicken nuggets. All you need is some chipotle pepper, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and, of course, chicken. So, you have an old standby if and when they take away everyone's favorite limited time offer once more.