I Tried McDonald's New Chicken Big Mac & Was In For a Huge Surprise
Even the most casual fast-food fan is surely familiar with the Big Mac, the signature McDonald's burger with its listed ingredients—"two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun"—forever captured in a famously catchy jingle. In what could very well be the biggest McDonald's menu launch of 2024, a popular new version of that iconic sandwich finally made its way to the United States this week.
The Chicken Big Mac officially hit menus at participating McDonald's restaurants across the country for a limited time starting on Oct. 10. The sandwich, which replaces the Big Mac's traditional beef patties with tempura-battered chicken patties, was briefly available at select Miami locations in 2022 and has made limited-time appearances in the United Kingdom and Canada. However, this is the first time that McDonald's is offering the Chicken Big Mac nationwide in the United States.
"With the introduction of the Chicken Big Mac, we're excited to pay homage to one of our most iconic menu items, the Big Mac, and introduce it to a whole new generation of fans," Tariq Hassan, chief marketing and customer experience officer at McDonald's USA, said in the launch announcement earlier this month.
Because the Chicken Big Mac has been such a rarity in the United States and a huge hit overseas, I was curious to find out if the new sandwich is truly worth the hype and how it compares to its beefy counterpart. So, I grabbed one to try for myself as soon as it hit menus this week. Here's what I found.
Calories: 700
Fat: 37 g (Saturated Fat: 8 g)
Sodium: 1,410 mg
Carbs: 61 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 25 g
The hugely anticipated double-decker chicken sandwich cost me $5.79 at McDonald's in Des Plaines, Ill.
The look: Pretty neatly assembled and surprisingly close to McDonald's promotional photos for the Chicken Big Mac. The cheese was nice and melty. The bun was shiny and not at all soggy. The lettuce was green and fresh-looking. Plus, the tempura chicken patties were golden brown, which I hoped would result in a crispy bite. Overall, the Chicken Big Mac looked mighty enticing.
The taste: I had some major issues with McDonald's classic Big Mac during a previous taste test, with dry beef patties and an absolute overload of special sauce being my top complaints. After that poor experience, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this long-awaited limited-time item.
The Chicken Big Mac has nearly all of the craveable flavors you'll find in the original: zesty pickles, savory cheese, fresh lettuce, and tangy, slight sweet Big Mac sauce. However, I enjoyed it far, far more than a traditional Big Mac because those chicken patties added a delicious, subtle crunch you just can't get in the original sandwich. (The tempura batter was noticeably thicker than the breading you typically get on the restaurant's McCrispy patties.) I've also never found McDonald's beef patties to be all that flavorful or juicy to begin with, so I didn't miss them at all in the poultry version.
Additionally, I have to commend the suburban Chicago McDonald's where I purchased my Chicken Big Mac for executing it so well. The chicken patties had been cooked until perfectly crispy and the amount of Big Mac sauce was just right. I know from past experience that too much of that special sauce can throw the whole sandwich out of balance and make it unpleasantly messy to eat.
Overall, this is probably one of my favorite limited-time McDonald's items ever—and I think any Big Mac fan would do themselves a disservice by not trying it while it's available. If you're anything like me, you might just like it better than the original.
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