You can blame Popeyes for its viral chicken sandwich, but it seems like every fast food burger chain has tried to find the right recipe for chicken on its menu.
It’s something McDonald’s has embraced with its McCrispy sandwich and McCrispy Strips.
“We’ve been listening to our fans on social media and beyond, and they’ve made one thing clear: They want more chicken. But not just any chicken—they want juicy, dippable perfection. So, countless taste tests later, McDonald’s is ready to unveil McCrispy Strips and the new Creamy Chili Dip—a flavor-packed flavor that’s here to stay21. We’ve launched a permanent menu in the U.S.—available at all participating restaurants nationwide until May 5,” the chain said in a press release.
This move came after many different chain chicken failures:
Strong Wings: Bone-in chicken wings were introduced in the 1990s and later relaunched, but sales were poor and they were quickly withdrawn after a promotional flop, Mashed reported.
Chicken McBites: Bite-sized chicken nuggets were launched to compete with similar products, but never gained traction and were discontinued, according to The Quick Report.
Chicken McGrill/Crispy Chicken Sandwiches (previous generations): Various premium variants of grilled and crispy chicken sandwiches from the 1990s-2000s were eventually replaced as McDonald’s revamped its chicken lineup.
Chicken selections: high-quality chicken auctions that had a loyal following but were dropped due to declining sales; Rebranded iterations (Buttermilk Crispy Tenders) also eventually disappeared, CyChicken reported.
Crispy chicken with buttermilk : A later version of the chicken strips, which returned in 2017 but was discontinued again in 2020 amid menu simplification, shared the daily meal.
When you look at the different fast food chains we’ve covered, chicken has been kind of the elusive prize. When a product arrives, it can be a game changer, but it has proven very difficult to stand out with the chicken in a crowded market.
Now, with the success of the McCrispy line, a product that has become a billion-dollar brand for the company, McDonald’s has returned to chicken for a new broad list of products.
It’s easy to see why McDonald’s wants to expand its chicken lineup.
“Chicken continues to be a rising star in the fast-food industry, with chicken QSR chains growing 8.9% year-over-year in 2024, while burger company sales rose 1.4%, the Wall Street Journal reported. “Chicken now provides more than $53 billion in annual sales for U.S. fast-food restaurants that specialize in poultry.”
Restaurants have also struggled with rising beef prices.
“The tightening of cattle supplies has helped boost beef prices to record levels, making chicken a more profitable option for restaurants and meat companies alike.”
McDonald’s isn’t alone in tracking chicken sales. Wendy’s recently introduced their ‘Chicken Tendys’ chicken strips, which came shortly after their range of ‘Saucy Nuggs’ chicken nuggets.
“Consumers have made it abundantly clear that they want more chicken—preferably boneless, portable and crispy. The chicken category has continued to drive much of the industry’s recent growth, including nearly 15% sales growth for the top 500 chicken chains in 2024, according to Technomic data,” Nation’s Restaurant News reported.
McDonald’s rarely tests a wide range of menu items at the same time, but that’s not the case with its potential new chicken range.
“McDonald’s is going wild with their chicken menu and testing some amazing items right now,” Snackolator’s Instagram page reported. “Right now they’re testing THREE new sandwiches — the McSpicy with a spicy filet (not just hot sauce), along with two grilled chicken sandwiches with a deluxe and then a BBQ Bacon!”
This is actually just a small part of the chicken offering that the chain has tested in limited locations.
“Then they have six new McCrispy options with both spicy and sauce options. For the glazed options, they have Sweet Chili, Teriyaki, and Kickin’ BBQ, and then with spicy strips, they have Spicy Garlic, Sweet Asian, and Garlic Parm,” he shared.
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McDonald’s is also testing something at which it has failed miserably (or perhaps miserably) in the past.
“Then they have BONE-IN WINGS with that McSpicy spice, along with the return of the Big Mac sauce cups,” Snackolator said.
Unfortunately, only some of these items will make it to the national menu (and there’s no guarantee of that).
“Currently they seem to be testing in only a few locations in the Chicago area, but I’ll try to see if there are other cities testing,” he added.
The Chicken Big Mac was a sales engine in limited release.McDonald’s” loading=”lazy” height=”540″ width=”960″ class=”yf-1gfnohs loader”/>
The Chicken Big Mac was a sales engine in limited release.McDonald’s
McDonald’s has also used the Chicken Big Mac as a promotion around the world.
“Germany launched exciting marketing and full-margin menu innovations, such as the Chicken Big Mac, which achieved record sales in the market in its first full week of launch,” CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski said during the company’s second-quarter earnings call.
CFO Ian Borden was bullish on the opportunity in the chicken space.
“Chicken also remains a significant opportunity. It’s a larger global category than beef and continues to grow at a faster pace. In the second quarter, we grew chicken market share in our top 10 markets. And we remain on track to grow global chicken share by 100 basis points by the end of 2026, in line with the goal we shared with our investor,” he explained.
This was true in several markets, according to Borden.
Chicken was key to sales growth and overall market share growth in Australia in the quarter.
The market saw its first share gains in several years, thanks in part to the Hot Honey Chicken campaign, which includes both McCrispy and McSpicy options, which worked together with the strong value and affordability base that is now in place.
Chicken also helped boost McDonald’s performance in China in the second quarter, where it gained market share, not only in the category, but also in overall QSR.
Related: 46-year-old casual dining chain has closed more than 140 locations
This story was originally published by TheStreet on December 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the Restaurants section. Add TheStreet as a favorite source by clicking here.
