McFalling in Love With Spicy Chicken McNuggets

It is a new month, and a new McDonald’s! Spicy Chicken McNuggets are back! Debuting in September of 2020, they sadly left us after a short time. Made with a tempura coating flavored with cayenne and chili peppers, these little bites of bliss are sure to pack a punch for your taste buds. After popular demand, McDonald’s made the groundbreaking announcement on April 5th about their long-awaited return. According to “USA Today,” they will be available in roughly 7,000 select locations. 

Let’s take a deeper look into the history of McDonald’s restricted items. In 1998, McDonald’s released their Szechuan Chicken McNugget Sauce; which has a savory and sweet taste with hints of garlic and ginger. Initially the sauce was released as a tie-in for Disney’s animated “Mulan.”  It mimicked an authentic Chinese Szechuan sauce and bore the name of the popular movie that was just released.  The sauce was a hit before being taken away for nearly two decades. However, in 2017, a social media uproar was caused after the popular Adult Swim show “Rick and Morty” referenced the tangy sauce in one of its episodes. McDonald’s leaned into the hype and shipped out over twenty million packets of this scrumptious sauce to its locations for consumers to enjoy. Their efforts did not go to waste, as thousands of people took to their nearest fast food location to give the sauce a try!  I am pleased to report that McDonald’s will be offering this sauce for a limited time!

This was not McDonald’s first go at a limited release item. In 1981, they offered a sandwich called the McRib, and although not currently available, it has left a mark on the history of the fast-food chain! They rereleased it in October of 2019, and to this day, people still await it’s return to the menu. 

The last time consumers were this excited over limited items at food chains was over the Unicorn Frappucino at Starbucks. Packed with 500 calories in 240unces, this colorful and sour raspberry drink had everyone leaving their house in hopes of giving it a try for themselves. Many Starbucks employees were relieved when this popular drink left locations on April 23rd of 2017 due to its high demand and difficulty to make. It never returned to the menu.

With all this being said, limited-time food items are a clear way to get people to pay attention to an established food chain. McDonald’s has yet again, made their arches seem new. Now is the time to head on down and pick up some Spicy Chicken McNuggets with a heaping serving of Szechuan sauce to go with it!