We ranked chicken nuggets from 6 fast-food chains. Taco Bell's came out on top.

Cost: $3.89 — excluding taxation and extremity — for an eight-piece battalion astatine a Burger King successful New York City.

Note: All prices listed present whitethorn alteration successful antithetic markets.

Erin: I thought the nuggets' coating was well-seasoned, but the breading was somewhat connected the thicker side. While they were a bully conveyance for 1 of the chain's dipping sauces — specified arsenic the Zesty sauce, which is simply a idiosyncratic favourite — these nuggets enactment amended arsenic an accompaniment to 1 of the chain's burgers alternatively than an entrée themselves. Burger King is known for its burgers, aft all.

If you're craving chickenhearted the adjacent clip you sojourn a Burger King, I suggest opting for the chain's chickenhearted sandwich oregon 1 of its chicken-tender wraps.

Priyanka: When I held the chickenhearted nugget successful my hand, I could consciousness its crisp texture and was excited to effort it. However, upon taking my archetypal bite, I recovered the bread coating, though crunchy, was excessively heavy and overpowered the chicken, leaving a somewhat salty aftertaste.

I hold with Erin that the chain's nuggets are a broadside order, best enjoyed erstwhile dipped successful immoderate sweet-and-sour sauce.

Business Insider reached retired to Burger King for remark but did not person a response.

Erin: Like Burger King and McDonald's, Wendy's is chiefly a burger chain. So, it should travel arsenic nary astonishment that its chickenhearted nuggets are beauteous unremarkable, successful my opinion.

They were well-seasoned, and the breading had a batch of flavor, but they were besides beauteous small. Wendy's nuggets decidedly enactment much arsenic a broadside crockery than a crushed to spell to the chain.

Priyanka: I'd heard large reviews astir Wendy's chickenhearted nuggets, particularly its spicier offering, truthful erstwhile the clip came to effort them, I was looking guardant to becoming a loyal fan, too.

Instead, I recovered myself yearning for aged favorites, similar Chick-fil-A.

While Wendy's does a large occupation with the nuggets' coating, which is some well-seasoned and crispy, it fails to amusement disconnected the prima ingredient: the chicken.

It took immoderate effort connected my portion to propulsion isolated the chicken, which felt somewhat chewy alternatively of however I usually similar it: juicy and casual to wound into.

Erin: They were a small bland successful the spirit department, but I thought the chickenhearted itself tasted higher prime than the nuggets from Wendy's, Burger King, and McDonald's. It was much shreddable and paired good with the chain's caller Comeback condiment — launched successful October with its new chickenhearted tenders — but I would person liked much breading to springiness it that crunch.

Speaking of KFC's chicken tenders, I'd astir apt urge those implicit the chain's nuggets.

Priyanka: For a concatenation that specializes successful fried chicken — and 1 that I usually bask eating astatine — I besides felt a spot fto down by KFC's chickenhearted nuggets, which were lone introduced past year.

In presumption of size and texture, KFC's chickenhearted nuggets look beauteous akin to Chick-fil-A's, and yet, erstwhile it comes to taste, the 2 are rather different.

While KFC delivers with its succulent chicken, it falls abbreviated erstwhile it comes to seasoning. I hold with Erin: skip the nuggets for its overmuch nicer tenders instead.

In a remark to Business Insider, KFC said, "Feedback connected our nuggets has been overwhelmingly positive, and we sold much than 100 cardinal nuggets successful the archetypal 8 weeks that they were available. Our fans tin bask KFC Chicken Nuggets nationwide 7 days a week, and we instrumentality pridefulness successful their quality."

Erin: McDonald's chickenhearted nuggets are the worldly of legend. They've been astir since the aboriginal '80s, and there's thing astir the tempura-style-fried chickenhearted nuggets that support maine coming backmost for more.

They're ever crispy, ever salty, and ever the aforesaid — I ever cognize what I'm going to get with a McDonald's nugget.

Priyanka: I'm a large instrumentality of the brand's spicy chickenhearted nuggets, which were introduced for a constricted clip earlier this twelvemonth but not truthful overmuch of its regular recipe.

While they're consistently crunchy, I find them somewhat underseasoned, and the salty after-taste a tad spot excessively overpowering for my liking.

Erin: While immoderate of the different nuggets leaned connected the drier side, these nuggets were moist and would apt brace good with practically immoderate dipping sauce. Each nugget was connected the smaller broadside but packed a batch of spirit into a tiny bite.

Priyanka: Until I tried Taco Bell's chickenhearted nuggets, Chick-fil-A's bite-sized chunks were my go-to. I've had them connected aggregate occasions, and they've ever tasted consistently good. When eaten caller retired of the box, they're satisfyingly crunchy, and the chickenhearted is perfectly juicy.

While they're bite-sized and often thought of arsenic a broadside dish, I urge sizing up — I usually opt for the 12-piece battalion with a broadside of waffle fries and Chick-fil-A condiment — and giving them a accidental arsenic a main meal.

Cost: $3.99 — excluding taxation and extremity — for a five-piece bid and 1 dipping sauce.

However, we were invited to sensation the caller chickenhearted nuggets astatine an aboriginal preview hosted by Taco Bell successful New York City successful December, truthful we received complimentary tastings of the nuggets.

Erin: These chickenhearted nuggets, coated successful a blend of breadcrumbs and crunchy tortilla chips, stood retired from the contention with their well-balanced flavor. They were salty, with a subtle maize sensation from the tortilla-chip breading. They reminded maine much of a boneless helping than a chickenhearted nugget.

Paired with the chain's caller Hidden Valley occurrence ranch sauce, a modular creamy ranch condiment with a flimsy hint of heat, and the jalapeño chromatic mustard, an antithetic operation of tangy mustard and beardown yet balanced jalapeño flavor, these nuggets genuinely blew maine away.

Priyanka: When it comes to nuggets, the 3 things that substance the astir to maine are a crisp exterior, well-seasoned coating, and juicy chicken. Taco Bell's latest offering checked disconnected each three.

At archetypal glance, the nuggets — all successful antithetic shapes and sizes — seemed arsenic though they had a pugnacious exterior, but arsenic soon arsenic I took my archetypal bite, I was pleasantly amazed astatine however easy the chickenhearted tore apart. I besides enjoyed the "Taco Bell twist," arsenic 1 typical called it astatine the preview, wherein breadcrumbs were combined with crispy tortillas successful the coating.

Usually, I brace my chicken bites with regular ketchup oregon mayonnaise, but since I've tried Taco Bell's jalapeño chromatic mustard sauce, I've recovered myself swapping the regulars for this operation instead. The jalapeño adds a subtle yet bully kick, pairing beautifully with the caller nuggets.

This communicative was published successful December 2024 and updated successful May 2025.