Taco Bell Shades McDonald's Chicken Nuggets While Testing Out Their Own
McDonald's chicken nuggets
Taco Bell is testing out what may become their most outlandish menu option ever.
After all, they know an opportunity when they see it.
The Mexican-inspired fast food eatery is trying its hand at a decidedly un-Mexican-inspired new offering: Crispy Chicken Nuggets. And with the new nuggets come the perfect excuse to shade one of their rival fast food joints: McDonald's.
Chef Brett Pluskalowski, a member of Taco Bell's food innovation team, confirmed that the new option is made with all-white meat chicken.
"When you go to McDonald's, that's not what you see," he suggested, according to Insider.
According to the competitor's website, "McDonald's Chicken McNuggets are made from 100% chicken breast meat. However, as a percentage of the total recipe when the batter, seasoning and oil to cook the nuggets are taken into account, chicken meat constitutes 45% of the total Chicken McNugget."
The McNuggets are also frequently front and center of nasty accusations, including that they're really made with "pink slime."
Taco Bell's version, on the other hand, "is real chicken," as Pluskalowski puts it. The chicken is marinated in a jalapeño buttermilk, giving it a bit of that good old Taco Bell kick. There are also two new sauces to accompany it: Bell Sauce, which is mildly spicy and made with tomatoes, red chilies, garlic, and onions, and Jalapeño Honey Mustard, which is a mixture of honey and hot mustard with a mild kick.
"This is like truly a very premium nugget. It's not a chicken nugget patty you might get at some fast-food restaurants. This is very much more elevated," brand marketing representative Jessica Perri doubled-down in a media event at Taco Bell's headquarters in Irvine, California.
For now, they're only available in the Minneapolis area. Five-piece nuggets and a sauce range from $3.99 to $4.99, depending on the location, while a 10-piece comes with two sauces and ranges from $6 to $8.99.
