A Definitive Ranking of the Best Fast-Food Chicken Nuggets

Updated on 11/9/2019 at 10:40 AM

No matter how old you are, chicken nuggets are one of life's greatest joys. But, like many other fast-food items, not all are created equal. Friendships have been tested over which fast-food nuggets have the best crunch and the juiciest chicken and are simply the perfect meal overall. If you're a fan of Wendy's Spicy Chicken Nuggets, you're probably thanking Chance the Rapper after he asked the chain to bring them back in a tweet earlier this year (spoiler alert: it did). Or maybe you're a McDonald's nuggets fan who hasn't strayed from tradition. We decided to finally put this debate to rest and rank the best fast-food chicken nuggets, so keep reading to see where your favorite landed.

Wendy's Spicy Chicken Nuggets

With a brilliant spicy aftertaste and a perfect crunch, these are really hard to beat. Get yours while they last for a limited time at participating Wendy's. Thanks, Chance!

★★★★★

McDonald's McNuggets

No matter where you are, McDonald's has the same familiar taste (even down to their ketchup) that just feels like home. With up to a 40-piece McNuggets meal on the menu, the greatest takeaway is the crunch, every single time.

★★★★

Chick-Fil-A Nuggets

Chicken nuggets are always a great choice, but at Chick-Fil-A, they aren't the best item on the menu when you also have the chicken sandwich and tenders to choose from. Although they're perfectly juicy and white inside, the size of the nuggets is significantly smaller than many of its competitors. However, Chick-Fil-A does offer a bread-less version, too, which we have to give them credit for!

★★★★☆

Wendy's Classic Nuggets

Like their spicy counterpart, these nuggets are a great size and have a consistent crunch, which is so important. If you want to mix things up, order a Frosty for some nugget dipping (we promise it's amazing).

★★★★☆

Burger King Chicken Fries

It's hard to not think of how processed these are with their inorganic shape, but it's a creative hybrid of chicken in the form of fries. There's an array of spices used including onion, paprika, and turmeric, accompanied with "Chicken Fry Sauce."

★★★☆

Shake Shack Chick'n Bites

Shake Shack only recently introduced their nuggets to the world, and we still prefer their burgers. Yes, the chicken is juicy, but they're a little over-battered to the point that the breaded exterior slides right off the meat. It also lacks the crunch we crave.

★★★☆☆

KFC Popcorn Nuggets

This popcorn chicken is more about the breaded exterior than the actual meat. Although we love a good crunch, these are on the smaller side and aren't as filling compared to other items on the menu.

★★☆☆☆

Burger King Classic Nuggets

While we wouldn't turn these down, we've found that these classic nuggets fall just a little bit short when it comes to crunch and juicy meat.

★☆☆☆

White Castle Chicken Rings

Removing the inside of a nugget to create a ring shape is a little unsatisfying. Aside from the shape, these can sometimes be a little too salty and have no crunch.

★☆☆☆☆