McDonald’s has finally acknowledged the booming spicy chicken market with their brand new Spicy Chicken McNuggets and we’re taking a look on how they stack up.

McDonald’s website describes their new spiced creation like this:

McDonald’s new Spicy Chicken McNuggets have a spicy breading that adds a real kick to the fan favorite Chicken McNuggets®. Our Spicy Chicken McNuggets are breaded in a crispy coating, flavorfully spiced with a blend of aged cayenne and chili pepper that is sure to get your attention.

For the longest time, Chicken McNuggets have been the American staple for down and dirty nugs. From kids to inebriated adults, these poundable mounds of breaded chicken that show up in either boots or blobs have been an unrelenting and unaltered presence. But now we’re getting a spicy variety that has been long over due.

Since Wendy’s debuted the Spicy Chicken sandwich decades ago and followed up with their own spicy nuggets that have come and gone and come again, McDonald’s has barely seemed to notice. But in what many are hoping is a permanent move, Spicy McNuggets are here and we got some to see if they’re worth the wait.

The Spicy McNuggets are noticeably redder and more fiery looking than their original counterpart. There isn’t any dry rub like seasoning present here, the blend of aged cayenne and chili pepper noted in the description must be solely in the dredge of the breading.

Biting into the nuggs, there wasn’t an explosion of spice like I was expecting but more of a long, slow burn. The aftertaste was especially spicy.  I’d say that the spice level here would probably be a 4 out of 10 on the normal human scale. So this is relatively acceptable because the spice is present but definitely isn’t anywhere near the danger level.

Ranch provided a very solid dipping experience although any of the Golden Arches’ famous sauces could be experimented with I’m sure.

Not sure if it was an old batch but these Spicy McNuggets came in on the dry side and weren’t especially juicy biting down. Had they been piping hot and juicy, they would have probably fared better in my eyes. Overall the flavor was spiced, above one note, and while it didn’t sock you in the face, it was enough to get your attention.

McDonald’s Spicy Chicken McNuggets: 6.5/10