7 Fast-Food Chains That Use Real Chicken in Nuggets—Not That Mystery Meat

Chicken nuggets aren't known for being super healthy. While chicken chunks or chicken strips are usually made with whole pieces of chicken that are breaded and deep fried, the traditional "nugget" is usually made with ground up meat and shaped into a roundish form. And, many restaurants and food brands opt to make nuggets more affordable and appealing to kids by using additives, preservatives, and artificial flavors, resulting in a mystery meat like product. However, there are some fast food restaurant where you can enjoy nuggets made out of actual chicken. Here are 7 fast-food chains that use real chicken for their nuggets – not mystery meat.

Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A serves up some of the most famous real chicken nuggets on the market. The fast food chain's nuggets feature "bite-sized pieces of boneless chicken breast, seasoned to perfection, freshly breaded and pressure cooked in 100% refined peanut oil," they divulge on the website.

Shake Shack

Shake Shack introduced Chick'n Bites in 2019, "crispy pieces of antibiotic-free, hand-breaded chicken breast." Each is made fresh to order with "all-natural, antibiotic-free whole muscle that is sous-vide cooked for optimum flavor, moisture and texture, making them extra juicy and tender," the restaurant maintains.

McDonald's

Chicken McNuggets are one of the most famous chicken nuggets on the planet. According to the fast food restaurant, each is shaped into a nugget and made with all-white meat chicken and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. However, the iconic entree is technically processed, as the meat is ground up and mixed with the other ingredients, which include vegetable oil, enriched flour, bleached white flour, and vegetable starch.

Chester's Chicken

Served at convenience stores and travel plazas, Chester's nuggets, aka Chester's Chicken Bites, have become a cult favorite. They are "made of juicy, white meat chicken" and "marinated, breaded, fried, and tossed in Frank's RedHot® Stingin' Honey Garlic™ sauce" for a kick of a finish.

Jack in the Box

Jack-in-the-box serves all-white meat chicken nuggets and "crispy boneless wings," both made with chicken breast, not reconstituted meat.

White Castle

White Castle Chicken Rings are "made with tender, white meat chicken on the inside and crispy on the outside." The company did an email survey of customers, finding that more than 87% of the respondents said they preferred White Castle's Chicken Rings over nuggets, maintaining they are tastier (86%) and more "craveable" (87%) than conventional chicken nuggets.

Taco Bell

While Taco Bell is best known for South of the Border food, their chicken nuggets are delicious and recently returned to the fast food restaurant. They are made with "all white meat and tortilla chip breading. "I was cautiously optimistic about the Taco Bell chicken nuggets. I'm not a chicken nugget main, but I enjoy a good nugget from time to time as an add on to my official meal from other fast food joints," one Redditor shared. "The chicken itself is whole chicken – not a pink paste. Fairly large, all different sizes, but nothing too small. The breading was crispy and crunchy. Not over-salted/over-seasoned.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e