Burger King Is Bringing a New Nugget Nationwide

Get ready for the fire (and some free ice).

Cornell University Professor Robert C. Baker invented the chicken nugget—not McDonald’s, as many of us might think. Baker may have created them in the 1950s, but McDonald’s brought them front of mind in the 1980s.

Since then, almost every fast-food restaurant, fast-casual restaurant, and frozen-food company have created and re-created their own versions of breaded chicken nuggets. KFC only recently added nuggets to its menu, replacing popcorn chicken (already pretty nugget-like). Popeyes added chicken nuggets to its menu after its success with its chicken sandwich.

When we first started our love affair with chicken nuggets, they had a simple breading and were deep-fried. Any additional flavors came from dipping sauces—ketchup, honey mustard, and barbecue were early favorites.

Now, Burger King, which introduced its version of the chicken nugget in 1985, is bypassing the need for a dipping sauce altogether and bringing a hot, spicy flavor right to the nugget itself.

Burger King’s Fiery Chicken Nuggets

On June 19, Burger King rolls out Fiery Nuggets, a spicy version of its traditional chicken nuggets, coated with “an irresistible spicy glaze.” The glaze contains cayenne pepper, bird’s eye chili pepper, and black pepper. This limited-time menu item will disappear on August 17.

These are some seriously spicy nuggets if you compare the two spiciest peppers in the glaze to a jalapeño pepper. Cayenne peppers are about 12 times as hot as a jalapeño. Bird’s eye peppers, according to Chili Pepper Madness, bring heat that’s close to a habanero pepper and can be 10 to 20 times hotter than a jalapeño.

With all that spiciness, customers will need something to temper the heat, and BK has them covered in the form of a new, exclusive frozen drink.

Burger King's Frozen Fanta Kickin’ Mango

Fiery nuggets need the right companion to complement their flavors and take the fiery edge off, so BK added the limited-edition Frozen Fanta Kickin’ Mango, a Burger King-exclusive drink. The $1 frozen drink combines mango and citrus flavors with a touch of spicy chili flavor to kick it up a notch.

Kickin’ Mango is supposed to simultaneously cool and kick up the heat after customers eat the Fiery Nuggets. We’re curious about how that works, but we won’t be able to find out until June 19.

A Special Fire-and-Ice Deal for the Hottest Day of the Year

If you’re on the fence about trying these new spicy chicken nuggets, Burger King gives its Royal Perks members an added incentive on the doggiest of summer's dog days.

July 26 is historically considered the “Hottest Day of the Year.” On that day only, BK Royal Perks members will get a small Frozen Kickin’ Mango for free (excluding tax), only if they order on the restaurant’s app or website.