Arby's Just Upgraded Its Value Menu With These New Chicken Nuggets

Sound the alarms — Arby's has chicken nuggets! That's right, the sliced beef sandwich makers have expanded their menu yet again to include all-white meat Premium Chicken Nuggets (via Chewboom), which are sure to become a new favorite. These bite-sized morsels strongly resemble un-sauced, boneless wings and are sure to align with Arby's trademark for simple, yet delicious flavors. The breading is lightly seasoned and an order comes with nine bites and the choice of a dipping sauce. It should be noted that these nuggets are not the same as Arby's already-on-the-menu chicken tenders in three- to five-piece quantities (via Arby's).

Even better, these new Premium Chicken Nuggets join the 2 for $6 value menu along with Arby's Classic Roast Beef and Classic Beef 'n Cheddar sandwiches, allowing customers to mix and match their two preferred choices, available for a limited time. If you check the sides menu on Arbys.com, you'll also notice these nuggets can be ordered in four- to six-piece quantities, and also appear on the kids menu.

We'll admit that Arby's timing for the new nugget launch is a little strange, as the nation is apparently still recovering from a widespread chicken shortage (via NY Post). The chain isn't alone in launching a new product for summer 2021, however, as KFC also just debuted its latest chicken sandwich. Maybe the US demand for these tasty goods is simply that chart-topping as the fried chicken wars rage on.

It may be that national tastes are shifting again. Between September 2017 and September 2018, sales of chicken nuggets fell 3% while chicken tenders rose by 17% (via Grubstreet), noting a significant shift in how American consumers enjoyed their breaded chicken. The trend may have had something to do with tasters questioning the ingredients that actually go into a nugget, whereas tenders are often clearly and simply labeled as made with white meat. Arby's new all white-meat nuggets would solve that issue for sure. Or, perhaps a love of nuggets is coming back stirred by months of pandemic home cooking, with nostalgia of simple meals and togetherness? It's hard to know for sure.

What we do know is that we definitely have to try this new option at Arby's. The question is, will it be better than a Beef 'n Cheddar? That's for you to decide.