Best chicken nuggets 2024: A definitive ranking

The humble chicken nugget is a quintessential part of any fast food meal, but even though they are a simple delicacy, they do vary greatly from chain to chain – let’s look at which chicken nuggets are the best.

We’ll only be looking at straight-up chicken nuggets in this list – no tenders, wings, or boneless wings (even though they are nuggets in disguise). That being said, there are some iterations of the classic nug that just come in different shapes.

We’ll be ranking based on the crispiness of the outer coating, the quality of the chicken, and the overall flavor of the nugget itself. Let’s get into it.

Best chicken nuggets ranked

10. Burger King – Chicken nuggets

Burger King’s nuggets are good, but they’re no whoppers. These chicken nuggets get merit for their chicken-y flavor that trumps a lot of other nuggets out there that pack so much flavor into the coating that you can’t taste the chicken, and in that regard, BK really stands out.

• Chicken quality: 10/10 – juicy, tender, and clearly high-quality.
• Coating crispiness: 5/10 – suitably crispy, but there is at least one soggy one per pack.
• Overall flavor: 6/10 – great chicken, okay coating, quintessential nugget-y flavor.

9. KFC – Popcorn chicken

KFC’s popcorn chicken is a staple item on their menu, and the perfect little ball of joy to dip into some gravy, but what lets them down is the chicken quality. That being said, the coating is superior to others with its distinctive black pepper flavoring.

• Chicken quality: 5/10 – the chicken element of these is minimal and other nuggets definitely have more meat.
• Coating crispiness: 9/10 – The coating tastes amazing, and there is lots of it, but it can verge on greasy.
• Overall flavor: 7/10 – Definitely skimping on the chicken, but it makes room for that delicious coating so it’s forgivable.

8. Carl’s Jr. – Chicken stars

C’mon, if you think you’re too old for fun-shaped food, you’re wrong. Because no fast food place sells chicken dinos (yet) these chicken stars are the next best thing. The chicken is kind of dry, and the coating could do with more seasoning – but they’re crispy and cute.

• Chicken quality: 7/10 – the chicken element of these is minimal and other nuggets definitely have more meat.
• Coating crispiness: 10/10 – The coating tastes amazing, and there is lots of it, but it can verge on greasy.
• Overall flavor: 7/10 – Definitely skimping on the chicken, but it makes room for that delicious coating so it’s forgivable.

7. McDonald’s – Spicy McNuggets

Some of you might not be happy to hear this, but the ever-elusive spicy McNuggets from McDonald’s is not the best nugget out there. The spicy coating on the classic McNugget adds no real flavor, but that being said, it’s still a McNugget, so it’s still really good.

• Chicken quality: 5/10 – the chicken in these is indistinguishable texture-wise, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
• Coating crispiness: 8/10 – Crispy as expected, but a little thin with flavorless heat.
• Overall flavor: 7/10 – The classic McDonald’s nugget but slightly worsened, still good though.

6. Wendy’s – Crispy chicken nuggets

These nuggets get a gold star for their size. They’re chunky nuggets and Wendy’s has perfected the coating to chicken ratio. The coating also has a nice kick of black pepper and you won’t find any greasiness on these bad boys.

• Chicken quality: 8/10 – Solid chicken content here, perfectly tender and juicy.
• Coating crispiness: 8/10 – Perfectly crispy and flavorful
• Overall flavor: 8/10 – These nuggets deserve a cult following.

5. Jack in the Box – Chicken nuggets

Jack in the Box has been around since the 50s, but they didn’t launch nuggets until 2012. Considering how good these are, we only wish we could have had them sooner. They are a little on the small side, but they still have a good chicken content.

• Chicken quality: 9/10 – Really juicy and tender, exactly what you want.
• Coating crispiness: 8/10 – tasty black pepper seasoning, always crisp.
• Overall flavor: 8/10 – So good you don’t even need a dip, and you can order them at breakfast.

4. Wendy’s – Sauced nuggets

These new nuggets were launched at the beginning of June and come in seven flavors. Wendy’s staff coat these thoroughly in sauce and somehow, the coating doesn’t get soggy at all. The best one is the ghost pepper coating, but honestly, they’re all great.

• Chicken quality: 8/10 – Good as expected, but not the star of the show.
• Coating crispiness: 8/10 – They stay crispy even though they’re coated in awesome sauces, fast food magic.
• Overall flavor: 8/10 – Wendy’s has changed the nugget game with these ones.

3. Popeye’s – Chicken nuggets

Popeye’s are relatively new to the nugget scene, but being experts in the chicken world has certainly helped them here. Their nuggets launched in 2021, and have been perfect from the start. The nuggets have a buttermilk breading with Popeye’s signature seasoning that makes them stand out among the crowd.

• Chicken quality: 8/10 – It could be juicier, but we’re not mad about it
• Coating crispiness: 20/10 – Literally perfect, so crispy and with the taste of any good fried chicken.
• Overall flavor: 9/10 – The chicken is okay, but the coating is out of this world.

2. Chick-fil-A – Chicken nuggets

These nuggets are pressure-cooked and made with high-quality chicken, and you can really taste the difference. They’re so juicy without ever being oily, and the coating has that nice golden brown color that you know is always crispy. No need to reinvent the wheel, Chick-fil-A has just made a good quality nugget that comes out very close to the top.

• Chicken quality: 10/10 – You can tell this is high-quality stuff.
• Coating crispiness: 9/10 – Golden brown, never soggy, just what you want.
• Overall flavor: 9.5/10 – A perfect take on a classic.

1. McDonald’s – McNuggets

You probably already knew these would be number one. McNuggets are the OGs of the chicken nugget world, and for good reason. The chicken never has gristle and is that perfect blend of processed (which we all want for a nugget) and high-quality. The coating is kind of thin, but so tasty and has its own unique flavor. Just consistently tasty, the McNugget is always there and it always hits the spot.

• Chicken quality: 7/10 – Good quality but still that processed nugget taste you’re looking for.
• Coating crispiness: 10/10 – Tasty and iconic, McDonald’s does it right.
• Overall flavor: 10/10 – The OG, the quintessential chicken nugget.

Chicken deals across chains

If you want to test out some of these nuggets for yourself, there are a few chicken nugget deals going on at the minute at different chains.

You can get free nuggets from Wendy’s every Wednesday, and they even sell them in buckets of 50 now. Or, if chicken sandwiches are more your thing, you can get a free one from Popeye’s for National Best Friends’ Day.

More of a chicken wing person? We ranked all the Wingstop flavors from worst to best.