Big Flavor, Small Bites
Look, maybe this is presumptuous, but we think that the Greek Gods only ate ambrosia because they didn’t have the deep-drying technology necessary for chicken nuggets. Whether they’re our companions on a road trip or nurses after a long night out, we’ve had our fair share of nuggets and are here to tell you definitively which fast food chains reign supreme and which dips best complement them.
1. McDonald’s
The tempura-style batter at McDonald’s is the stuff of legends. Crisp, airy breading gives way to juicy seasoned meat in what may well be the perfect bite—comforting and nostalgic. Even if you didn’t grow up in a fast-food family, there’s something about these nuggets that is so quintessential to childhood; every bite tastes like coming home.
2. Wendy’s
Wendy’s chicken nuggets may be small in stature but definitely make up for it in flavor. Stacked with spices that you can actually see stacked atop the breading, these nuggets aren’t meant to be a meal on their own. More of a side dish than a main (unsurprisingly for a chain specializing in burgers rather than chicken), these nuggets are meant to complement your meal rather than overpower it. Go for the Ghost Pepper Ranch and thank us later.
RightCowLeftCoast on Wikimedia
3. Burger King
“But they aren’t crown-shaped anymore”! We hear you, we’re listening, and we also mourn the loss of BK’s crown-shaped nuggets every day of our lives. That said, the Burger King nuggets are solid on their own. The batter is seasoned without being too salty, and they pair well with the available sauces—at $2.99 for 8 nuggets, we can’t find anything to complain about.
4. Taco Bell
The Taco Bell nuggets—to put it mildly—go crazy. Almost more of a popcorn chicken bite or boneless wing than a traditional nugget. With a mixture of jalapeño buttermilk and tortilla chip breading, these nuggets are a cut above the rest. Crunchy and meaty, they’re worth the gas money it takes to get there.
5. Chick-Fil-A
We’d be surprised if Chick-Fil-A didn’t make an appearance on this list given that they are a chicken restaurant, but it should not shock you that they churn out some quality nuggets. These nuggets are a bit heavier on the breading than some other chains, which results in some excellent pressure-cooked crispiness. They’re also one of the juiciest offerings available, and even better when dipped in their signature sauce.
jill, jellidonut... whatever from Seattle WA, USA on Wikimedia
6. Shake Shack
If there’s one thing we appreciate about these nuggets—sorry, chick’n bites—it’s that they’re made with actual chicken. Don’t get us wrong, we aren’t above a little mystery meat now and then, but if we’re going to eat 8 or 10 in a row (which are the only portions Shake Shack offers), it helps to know that we’re eating actual meat. They do tend to lean towards salty, so we recommend the BBQ over the honey mustard for a more balanced taste.
7. Arby’s
Arby’s recently removed nuggets from their menu, but they will live on forever in our hearts. Like snowflakes, every Arby’s nugget is unique in terms of size, flavor, and breading distribution, which is a nice change of pace from nuggets that look like they were cloned from one queen bee super nugget. Maybe if enough of us write in to complain about this national tragedy, Arby's will put these bad boys back on the menu.
8. Popeyes
It may surprise you to learn that nuggets are relatively new to the Popeyes menu; they were only introduced in 2021! Knowing that, we can’t imagine a world without them. The chicken, of course, is sensational: meaty but not too chewy, tender without being overprocessed. Slap a layer of Popeyes signature buttermilk breading on top, and you have a recipe for success.
Ser Amantio di Nicolao on Wikimedia
9. Carl’s Jr
In the absence of BK’s iconic crown-shaped nuggets (never getting over that, sorry), Carl’s Jr has a monopoly on fun-shaped nuggets. They’re star-shaped, for crying out loud! Aside from their iconic shape—and food always tastes better when it’s a fun shape, which is why we always cut our sandwiches diagonally—these nuggets hearken back to childhood, when the biggest problem we had was choosing between dipping sauces.
10. Whataburger
Another nugget in everything but name, Whataburger’s WhataChick’n Bites are so fresh you’d think they’d have the chickens running around in the back if only it weren’t a health violation. The hot younger sibling of the Texas chain’s strips is a wonderful balance of crunchy batter and juicy meat. Ordering the meal gets you two triangles of Texas toast to make your own chicken sandwich on the fly.
However, even the tastiest nuggets are nothing without a good sauce to dip them in. So, let’s round out this list with some of the best fast-food dips available. Feel free to mix and match nuggets and dips to your liking.
1. McDonald’s Spicy Buffalo
Once again, Mickey D’s tops our list. If you can’t get them to squirt a little of that signature Big Mac sauce in a little paper cup for your dipping perusal, the spicy buffalo sauce is a worthy replacement. With a subtler spice than their original spicy sauce yet a zing that reflects its vibrant orange color, this sauce may just be a menu dark horse.
2. Chick-Fil-A Polynesian Sauce
We don’t think it’s an exaggeration when we say that the mastermind behind Chick-Fil-A’s Polynesian Sauce deserves a Nobel Prize in chemistry. If you like a little sweet with your sour, then Polynesian Sauce is the dip for you—the pineapple adds a bit of tartness to a consistency a bit like the duck sauce you get with an egg roll. A dip you won’t find anywhere else.
3. Taco Bell Creamy Jalapeño
You could swim in this sauce Augustus Gloop style. Taco Bell’s Creamy Jalapeño Sauce achieves a sort of culinary thermodynamic equilibrium with the perfect blend of hot and cold. Neither too spicy nor too sweet, and so smooth you could spread it like butter, this is the sauce to complement your Taco Bell nuggets.
4. Burger King Zesty Sauce
BK’s Zesty Sauce is somewhat unique in our pantheon of sauces, as it balances its mayo base with a hefty dollop of horseradish that will clean your sinuses out and then have you go back in for a second dip. Fans online have described it as tasting like everything from deviled eggs to Outback Steakhouse’s iconic bloomin’ onion. An acquired taste fit for a king
5. Wendy’s Ghost Pepper Ranch
The first of two Wendy’s ranch sauces on the list (sorry for the spoilers), the ghost pepper ranch is a cut above your regular fast food ranch. While spicy-loving masochists may claim it isn’t nearly hot enough to rival a real ghost pepper, Wendy’s GPR brings the heat but with enough of that ranch creaminess to avoid any damage to your gastrointestinal tract. A Change.org petition to bring this sauce back after it was discontinued speaks to its quality.
Whitney from Chicago, IL on Wikimedia
6. Chick-Fil-A Sweet & Spicy Sriracha
The good people of Chick-Fil-A really know their sauces, and the Sweet & Spicy Sriracha is no exception.
This pan-Asian-inspired sauce skews a bit runnier than other dips, which makes it the perfect sauce for nuggets, which lap up the flavor. Mix a little bit of this sauce into one of your other faves for a bit of a kick without compromising flavor.
7. KFC Finger Lickin’ Good Sauce
The name isn’t for nothing, folks! Sour from the hint of dill pickle juice, yet sweet and savory, Finger Lickin’ Good Sauce was almost too good to be true. KFC put a pause on their slogan and this iconic sauce in 2020 for obvious reasons, but there are plenty of copycat recipes to be found online if you want to make a big batch of this sauce at home. We won’t even tell when you lick the spoon, we promise.
8. McDonald’s Honey Mustard
McDonald’s honey mustard is more than just a dip—it’s a cultural phenomenon. With stores selling out of those precious packets and diehard megafans stocking their fridges and consoles with spares in case of a shortage, we think this may be the best honey mustard on the market. McDonald’s leans towards a Dijon-style mustard with a creamy white wine base that cuts through the classic mustard acidity and ramps up the sweetness. The Mona Lisa of dips.
9. Popeyes Blackened Ranch
We know plenty of people will go to bat for Popeyes’ other sauces, demanding to know why we didn’t include the classic sweet heat or fan-favorite Mardi Gras mustard, but we think that blackened ranch deserves its moment in the sun. Popeyes combines that classic Midwestern ranch flavor with a Southern kick of Cajun seasoning for a sauce unlike any other.
10. Wendy’s Buttermilk Ranch
On the official Wendy’s site they describe their classic buttermilk ranch as “the GOAT of go-to’s for all your dipping needs,” and we couldn’t agree more. Ranch is the great equalizer; it could probably save the world, and Wendy’s ranch is no exception. Creamy, garlicky, and herbaceous, this is a sauce that just keeps on giving.
