We Tried The New-And-Improved Burger King Nuggets (And They’re Nothing To Write Home About)

Burger King has been aggressive with its product launches and promises this year, and the momentum shows no signs of slowing down. From the revamped Whopper and the limited-time return of their elusive crown-shaped nuggets to their recent foray into fashion, the chain has been on a roll with its latest releases.

Perhaps one of the most intriguing developments from Burger King this year was a change that didn’t introduce an entirely new product, but instead reworked a fast-food staple into an improved version of itself. Burger King updated the recipe for its chicken nuggets, and they have been available on the market since September 1.

The nuggets feature a white-meat chicken filling and an “improved batter.” After noticing mixed reviews on social media, we knew we had to test the new recipe ourselves to determine if Burger King loyalists should find a new favorite or stick with their usual order. Here is our take.

We will be the first to admit that Burger King nuggets have never been our top choice. Out of all the fast-food options available, why would you visit a burger joint to order chicken? Furthermore, when you live near a Chick-fil-A, there is rarely a reason to go anywhere else. Still, we remained open to the possibility that this launch might turn us into fans of their nuggets.

While many comments on Reddit suggested these nuggets had a stale texture, that was not our experience. However, the employee serving us mentioned that our order had just come out of the fryer, which certainly influenced our experience. As is always the case with fast food, quality can vary significantly depending on the specific location and franchise.

To see how the product held up, we left them out for 10 minutes after eating the first few to observe any changes. Honestly, we understand the criticism. The strangely crumbly coating used for this recipe does not seem well-suited to sitting out for long after leaving the fryer. We were not particularly impressed that they became soggy and tasted somewhat stale after only 10 minutes.

The interior of the nuggets was much better and juicier than the previous version, which was a welcome change. While we prefer a crispy nugget, we also want to avoid dry chicken, and the interior of these was not dry in the slightest. They had a slightly spongy quality that wasn’t necessarily bad, but it did highlight that these are not made from whole, intact pieces of chicken.

The seasoning also seemed to decline in quality compared to the previous nuggets. Where they were once well-seasoned with pepper and sufficient salt, the same cannot be said for this version. Since we know that the seasoning was a major draw for many customers, this feels like a significant loss.

Ultimately, we finished the whole pack, and the new Special Savory Sauce released alongside them certainly helped. As you might expect, it is a savory addition that tastes like a blend of mayonnaise, ketchup, herbs, and spices, creating a flavor profile reminiscent of Cane’s Sauce. We would definitely order these nuggets again, but if we were specifically craving chicken, I cannot say we would seek these out as our primary choice.