40 McNugget Facts To Celebrate Their 40th Year

It's hard to imagine McDonald's without the Chicken McNugget on their menu, but it only became available in America, nationwide in 1983 (be sure to watch this puppet-friendly company training video for its launch). Prior to that, it was born out of a limited run, oniony side dish that had failed to catch on, and tweaked and tested into a boneless poultry item by a famed European chef for years before being ready for primetime dipping.

Ever since its launch, the McNugget has made customers scream for more, question what they're made of, survive pandemics, spark controversy, cause injuries, incite violence, assist in marriage proposals, become a pricey body pillow, and even help fuel the quest for Olympic gold. The Chicken McNugget is celebrating its 40th year of official existence in 2023, and what better time than now to examine and re-examine 40 facts that prove this golden-brown oldie is just warming up? Sadly, we were unable to verify if the popular McDonald's item was related to immigrant Adam McNugget, who arrived in America in 1836, or inspired the naming of an individual born in 1992 named McNugget McNugget. These facts may have to wait for birthdays #41 and #42.

René Arend was a Luxembourg chef who had cooked for the likes of Queen Elizabeth, Cary Grant, Sophia Loren, and Ray Kroc. The latter diner, the founder of the modern McDonald's franchise, was able to coax the chef to leave haute cuisine for the hot cakes of the Golden Arches. He became McDonald's first executive chef in 1976.

In McDonald's Oak Brook, Illinois test kitchen, Arend was tasked with pushing the menu beyond burgers and into the realm of poultry. After striking out with chicken pot pie, fried chicken, and an early version of the McChicken sandwich, he had a bona fide boneless hit with the idea hatched by McDonald's chairman Fred Turner — the Chicken McNugget. He told the New York Times that it took 14-16 months to develop the McNugget, followed by years of testing and modification before it was sold nationwide by 1983. While he certainly remembers those "once-in-a-lifetime dinners" he cooked for royalty and celebrities, he told The Morning Call that his legacy is tied to the Chicken McNuggets, which "will go on long after I am gone."

After a product leaves the McDonald's test kitchen, it is then tested out in the wild, at a select market. When the McNugget left home for the first time, in the spring of 1980, it traveled to the volunteer state — Tennessee. In six stores between Knoxville, Alcoa, Morristown, and Oak Ridge, customers volunteered their taste buds to try 5 pieces for $1.10. One of the Knoxville McDonald's chosen was a brand new, adult-oriented location, which even had a salad bar.

"The Chicken Lover' Rush is on!" ran the headline of a newspaper ad in The News-Sentinel, and run they did. McDonald's interviewed these new consumers and found that some took McNuggets home to freeze and reheat later, while kids appreciated that they were literal finger food.

When it was introduced to the world, the McNugget was advertised as "savory chunks of boneless white and dark meat, dipped in a specially seasoned batter and fried to a crisp golden brown". While the product's popularity quickly rose in the '80s, so did questions about its make-up, including from the Federal Trade Commission and reporters wondering about McBeaks. The anatomy questions persist to this day, even with modifications to the recipe and the launch of a "new" McNugget in 2003 ("now made with seasoned white meat" goes the TV ad) and then again in 2016 ("no artificial colors, flavors, and now, no artificial preservatives" went that TV ad).

And what about the rumors of pink slime? McDonald's and their chicken suppliers have been more open about their processes these days. In 2014, former "MythBusters" host Grant Imahara got a sneak peek at no beaks at McNugget supplier Tyson's plant (via CNET), and McDonald's Canada posted a similar video with their supplier.

From the get-go, McNuggets were paired with dipping sauces, with Chef René Arend telling The Morning Call, "It enhances and diversifies the food. It adds the cook's personal touch to food." Arend personally made the three original sauces, which came in a round (not rectangular) container, whose flavors were chosen based on market research — barbecue, sweet and sour, and his personal favorite, hot mustard, which went through 199 variations before receiving the chef's kiss.

Honey was also an original dipping option offered, and by 1984, Louisiana Hot Sauce and Jalapeño were briefly on the table. The U.S. market has seen over 25 dipping sauces drop since then, including Habanero Ranch, the Cajun and Sweet Chili ones in collaboration with the Korean band BTS, and the renaming of a classic, "Saweetie 'N Sour," in honor of the rapper.

While the McNugget has been a fried star within the McDonald's restaurant, it has also been shining bright, handing in quiet, but memorable cameo roles in movies and on TV. They have been both talked about and enjoyed on screen, and Wayne Wang's 1985 film "Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart," even featured them on its theatrical poster.

On "The Wire," Michael B. Jordan praised the McNuggets' inventor, but in "Who's That Girl," Madonna pondered why they're called what they're called. The McNuggets have been on the minds and lips of "The Simpsons," "South Park," "Family Guy," "Rick and Morty," "Cheers," "Moonlighting," and even Woody Allen, and thanks to Yarn, you can watch all their mentions.

The tender chicken bites were also served up for a very awkward first date, but a totally tender moment in Bo Burnham's 2018 film "Eight Grade." Fellow director Josephine Decker praised the moment, telling Yahoo! that "it felt like everything in the universe was going to be alright."

While children have long been enjoying an entire meal plus drink with the Happy Meal, the adults were forced to order theirs a la carte. Thanks to the innovation of Bay Area McDonald's employee Alan Dimayuga, the Extra Value Meal changed all that when introduced in 1991, pairing sandwiches, fries, and a drink for a discounted price point.

Six years before the Extra Value Meal was born, McDonald's had the precursor Value Pack giving customers a run for their money — 30% larger fries, 22-ounce soft drink, and 11 nuggets — in an awesome tequila sunrise hued-box that held them all. The Richmond Times-Dispatch noted that they were such a success locally, it sold out before the promotion ended. The splashy ads at the time promoted the "Supersize" Value Packs that could also be ordered with the Big Mac, the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, or the Filet-O-Fish. There was also a Super Value Pack that came in a large red box and contained 24 McNuggets.

Christmas came early in 1987 for McDonald's eaters, when Holiday Chicken McNuggets dropped in stores for a limited time, from December 4 through Christmas Day. Two new sauces were whipped up for the occasion by Chef Arend — Apple Cinnamon or Cranberry Orange, and came in 9 or 20 pieces in "a festive Holiday Box that's perfect for seasonal get-togethers." With eggnog milkshakes and peppermint sundaes as creamy add-ons, there was a "Ho-Ho-Host of Holiday Treats ... for a sleighful of fun".

The Holiday McNuggets had an encore in December 1988, but Canadians were the only ones with extra festive cheer at the end of that particular year. Even if Holiday McNuggets were a product of yesteryear, that hasn't stopped fans from remembering them, and in the case of pop culture blogger Dinosaur Dracula, recreating the scene and even the sauces. He said he wanted the "chance to turn fast food into fine dining. I want to use the good plates on Chicken McNuggets."

Thanks to Jon Huntsman Sr. and his innovative clamshell packaging, starting in the mid-'70s, McDonald's Big Mac and other McProducts could "keep food fresher, hotter (or colder), and more sanitary, which would enhance the product and boost sales" (via his biography, "Barefoot to Billionaire"). When the McNuggets arrived on the scene, they too were outfitted with their own clamshell packaging, one worthy of being a part of the Smithsonian's collection – although their 9 and 20-piece brothers and sisters were sold in paper boxes. Food packaging archivist Jason Liebig of Collecting Candy has several iterations of the 6-piece clamshells that had a dip holder section in his own collection, viewable on Flickr.

As the '80s wore on, and environmental concerns about CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) depleting the ozone layer became more prevalent, calls for McDonald's to stop using their styrofoam polystyrene packaging became too hard for them to ignore. In 1990, McDonald's dropped the clamshell from use, with Ed Rensi, president of U.S. operations, telling the Los Angeles Times, "Although some scientific studies indicate that foam packaging is environmentally sound, our customers just don't feel good about it. So we're changing."

Two simple sentences: "Katsu. McNuggets." were uttered in December of 2020 and got things all a Twitter for British McDonald's fans ready to sink their teeth into the new item. The Katsu Nuggets, which were coated in crispy curry panko breadcrumbs, came with a sweet curry dip. The company suggested the unorthodox method of enjoyment by slicing the nuggets into segments and drizzling the dip over them.

In store for only six weeks, one fan loved them so much that they were even worth the pain, tweeting, "Katsu nuggets are probably the best thing I have ever eaten despite it instantly triggering my IBS cramps." Sadly, for some, they sold out before the promotion ended, left to vent at the same place they built their excitement in the first place — Twitter. Despite continued pleas from fans, McDonald's response remains, "At the moment we don't have any plans to bring back the Katsu McNuggets."

British speed eater Leah Shutkever is quite the pacesetter when it comes to Guinness World Records, owning several titles for plowing throw plates of various vittles. There's one food in particular that is perhaps her pièce(s) de résistance — chicken nuggets. In 2020, Shutkever set the Guinness record of "Most chicken nuggets eaten in three minutes" with 1 lb, 11.34 oz inhaled, and two years later broke the record of "Most chicken nuggets eaten in one minute" with 12.42 oz of the McDonald's specialty, which is the equivalent of 19 McNuggets.

As for non-Guinness certified records (listed on RecordSetter), the fastest time to eat 20 McNuggets was under a minute and four seconds, 150 was clocked at under an hour, and the most McNuggets eaten for a YouTube video is 155 ... although two people set their own mark together with 200.

While the Changeable toy line is near and dear to many McCollectors, there are plenty of forgotten gems in the world of McNuggets that thanks to places like eBay are only a click away from one's ownership. There was a yellow and red chicken faced-hat with googly eyes and a beaked bill that welcomed people to "try" the new menu item. In 1986, the Happy Meal got rather buoyant when they offered up four different "Boats 'n Floats," including a six-pack of McNugget Buddies. Having guests over for dinner? Why not break out the fine china from 1989 featuring Ronald McDonald and The McNugget Band, who "fill the air with happy tunes throughout McDonaldland." Looking for a bit of light reading? The 1992 comic book "The Mystery of the Missing McNugget" may just be the short page-turner you've been missing.

As great as all those are, none of them top Mattel's McNugget Snack Maker from 1993. The toy let kids make their own faux McNuggets by utilizing ingredients found in the home, like bread, cereal, and honey.  If you can't find a set to own, live vicariously through Lucky Penny Shop's great instructional video.

One person who never forgot about the short-lived McDonald's "Mulan" McNuggets campaign was "Rick and Morty" co-creator Justin Roiland. In a Season 3 episode from 2017, Rick rued how McDonald's "created a new sauce for the McNuggets called the Szechuan sauce, and it's delicious, and they got rid of it ... The only place we can try it is in my memory." Upon the episode's release on April Fool's Day, the show tweeted, "Please God, I don't ask for much, please let us gain enough cultural influence to force McDonald's into bringing back that f***ing sauce." Ten days later, a packet from 1998 was found in an old car and sold on eBay for $14,700.

Almost four months after the episode aired, McDonald's came through big time for Roiland, through a dimensional portal and "finally brought back some Szechuan sauce". Someone else sold their 64 oz. bottle for over $15,000 on eBay, but McDonald's gave less famous customers a one-day crack at getting the sauce at limited locations. Alas, it turned into a fiasco, with fans chanting "we want sauce," as supply didn't nearly meet the demand. Twenty million packets (50,000% more than last time) were released in 2018 to appease the whetted appetites who previously missed out, and the sauce with a "savory and slightly sweet taste profile with hints of soy, garlic, ginger and mild vinegar notes" returned once again in 2022.

While peeling the skin from McNuggets takes away from its signature taste, there are lifehacks that enhance them and further make one fall in love with them. Australian TikToker Bec Hardgrave has shared two "nuggets" of wisdom — ask for them well done, and mix Sweet and Sour dipping sauce with McChicken sauce to form what one of her fans called "sweetonaise". Another TikToker, bespokendrip, recommends tearing off a bit of the skin and slipping in pickles.

How about an easier way to enjoy them on the road? Skip the box and ask for a large cup to put your McNuggets in, as YouTuber HellthyJunkFood suggests. Worried about running out of sauce before your last McNugget is eaten? Bayashi TV wants you to fear not and dump your sauces into the box, shake them all about, and enjoy your evenly sauced McNuggets. There are also some hacks that have nothing to do with taste, but your wallet — like this one that nets you two free McNuggets.

Want to keep up with the Kardashians? Then do as Kim does and dip McNuggets in honey, as she tweeted that is "the ONLY way to eat them!" Even her sister Kylie battled pregnancy cravings thanks to some McNuggets. Model Irina Shayk makes no bones about her love of McNuggets, saying, "I don't feel bad eating it. Life is too short to be on a diet."

Cardi B may not need a 40-piece orchestra to record her music, but once recruited a 40-piece McNuggets to help out with one late-night recording session. They put Mariah Carey at ease before an interview, and apparently, former NBA draft pick Sofoklis Schortsanitis possibly once ate 100 McNuggets in one go. Just don't count on James Cromwell, Emily Deschanel, Alison Pill, or Moby to indulge in them anytime soon.

One of the saddest and darkest chapters in the history of McDonald's occurred on July 18, 1984, when James Huberty walked into the San Ysidro, California location, and over 77 minutes brutally shot and killed 21 people, injuring 19 others, before being killed himself by a police sniper. At the time, it was the largest mass shooting in America and left the nation in shock.

Searching for her own answers as to why he did it, Huberty's wife Etna found one in the academic paper by psychologist Robert W. Hall called "MSG Massacre?" She claimed that the monosodium glutamate her husband built up from what the AP labeled an "overdose of Chicken McNuggets," combined with the lead and cadmium in his system he received from his job as a welder may have set him off. She filed two wrongful death suits, one against his former employer and the other against McDonald's, with her attorney Thomas Lally saying, "The only thing the plaintiff can prove is that on the day of the shootings, he had been eating McNuggets."

The San Ysidro location was razed, and replaced with a memorial. Today, as BorderReport notes, the massacre is a "distant memory for [the] border community."

If you have been impacted by incidents of mass violence, or are experiencing emotional distress related to incidents of mass violence, you can call or text Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 for support.

In 2020, McDonald's did something they hadn't done in 19 years — feature a celebrity's name on their menu. Michael Jordan had that previous honor in 1991 with his McJordan special, and Travis Scott would be the first of (now) many to follow. Scott not only had a meal that could be ordered but a line of merchandise under his Cactus Jack label. Shirts, hoodies, shorts, rugs, basketballs, lunch trays, action figures, and styrofoam cups were just some of the items up for sale, but none drew more attention or want than the Nugget Body Pillow.

Simply described as a 36-inch long body pillow with woven label," and despite a hefty price tag of $90, it sold out soon after its launch. It took months for them to arrive, and when they did, some had buyer's remorse. Hes Kicks did an unboxing video of his "4-piece" set and called it, among many other things, "the most uncomfortable pillow in the world."

Ronald McDonald statues were once a ubiquitous presence at McDonald's starting in the 1970s, capturing the eyes of eaters, and in some cases, were captured by enterprising thieves. In 1986, at a Dover Township, New Jersey location, two "McNappers" took off with the store's 7-foot statue, and nine days later, left a ransom note on the back door. It read, per Asbury Park Press, "Don't you wish your Ronald McDonald was replaced? If so, place 8,891 nuggets at 886-3rd Ave., New York, N.Y. Don't forget the sauce, or he gets it." A photograph with a gagged Ronald was also later found at the McDonald's.

A few days later, thanks to an anonymous tip to a radio station, the Ronald statue resurfaced, "standing by himself in the middle of a field," police Sgt. Edward McDowell told The Daily Register. While no arrests were made, the final word on the event came from a note attached, "Freed me from McDonaldland to see if Wendy's has more beef."

Not all stories have happy endings. In 1985, one Fullerton, California thief thought he was getting away with a bag full of cash, but instead, it was a bag of McNuggets.

People are passionate about their McNuggets, so much so that they incite violence in the name of them, or in the absence of them. In 2010, a Toledo, Ohio woman was caught off-guard at the drive-thru when she learned they weren't available at 10:30 am. She hissed, punched, and then broke the window. She later served 60 days in jail and was ordered to pay for the window.

In 2017, the finger food led to a fistful of action as one Indianapolis customer who didn't get the McNuggets they ordered resorted to throwing punches through the window. The customer behind them in the drive-thru captured it for all the world to see.

While not exactly as recognizable as America's forefather and first president, there was another McNugget making quite a lot of noise and money for another eBayer in June of 2021. That summer saw the collaboration with the K-pop boy band BTS, who had their own branded McNuggets meal, and an unofficial, unintentional collaboration with the popular online game "Among Us."

A sharp-eyed eater named Tav thought one of his McNuggets had an "unmistakable correlation with the actual character, even including an odd bump on the back that would represent the backpack." He put it up for auction on eBay, telling CNET, "I had figured it would get somewhere around $50," but it would go on to set the Guinness world record for "Most expensive chicken nugget sold at online auction," netting a cool $99,997. If you missed out, you can currently buy an imposter version for only $41.40.

How do you propose to a woman who loves Chicken McNuggets perhaps even more than they love you? For Kristian Helton, in 2017, there was no other option than to replace the ring box with a McNuggets box, place the ring within an actual McNugget, and scribble "Will You McMarry Me?" Helton told KSN, "She was pretty excited, I think more about the Chicken McNuggets." The future Mrs. Helton, Karsyn Long, said, "I didn't hesitate to say yes, because he's obviously the one I want to spend the rest of my life with." The Heltons aren't alone in love with McNuggets, as a Canadian couple insisted they wanted to incorporate them in their engagement photos, to which photographer Katie Marie replied, "Say no more."

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