The shortest route between man and chicken these days follows the chicken nugget road. Who doesn’t like them? All the pleasures of fried chicken with the boneless finger food-size convenience. But not all fast-food chicken nuggets are created the same.
Chick-fil-A
Most realistic chicken of the nuggets sampled, with shreds of breast meat coming off in pieces. A light, crumblike breading. Not so much nugget-shaped as we’re accustomed to, more marblelike. Most flavorful seasoning of the four.
Suggested dip: Chick-fil-A sauce, which tastes like barbecue sauce painted orange.
Nutrition: 270 calories, 13 g fat, 1,060 mg sodium (8 piece)
Grade: A-
McDonald’s
The original and most familiar. A satisfying crisp-crunch hybrid, especially if you get a hot batch. The meat has the springy texture of sponge, with a neutral flavor, but mostly you’re tasting the fry oil.
Suggested dip: New to the roster is habanero ranch, a zippy option that tastes like the food descriptor “fiesta.”
Nutrition: 280 calories, 18 g fat, 540 mg sodium (6 piece)
Grade: B+
Wendy’s
Two nugget options available: spicy and regular. Sampling both, the spicy has surprising zing while the regular tastes dull. The nuggets offer some crunch via a pebbly exterior, with a strong flavor of breading. Interior chicken is spongy.
Suggested dip: Honey mustard, which tastes more honey than mustard.
Nutrition: 260 calories, 17 g fat, 750 mg sodium (6-piece spicy); 270 calories, 18 g fat, 520 mg sodium (6-piece regular)
Grade: C (spicy), C- (regular)
Burger King
A thick carapace of smooth exterior coating, almost like tempura batter in texture. Interior meat bears a crumbly quality. Because of the heavy breading, these nuggets have a short shelf life. Of the four, it was the least appealing consumed cold.
Suggested dip: Zesty sauce — a horseradish mayo.
Nutrition: 470 calories, 29 g fat, 890 mg sodium (10 piece)
Grade: C-
