Tweet

Hot, crispy and juicy. These are the words I would use to describe the perfect chicken nugget. The question is: who has the best chicken nuggets around? Well, as a nugget connoisseur I went on a mission to find out the answer and solve this very serious mystery.

To start, I went to a place that is known for nuggets and burgers all around the world: McDonald’s. People love to hate McDonald’s and are always the first to say how “gross” it is, but personally I am a fan, so I was looking forward to eating their nuggets. Once I arrived, I ordered a six—piece nugget meal for $3.99. Once I had the nuggets in my possession, I took my first bite and discovered how warm, crispy and juicy they were. Although the nuggets here turned out to be delicious, it’s all about the sweet and sour sauce. Pairing the chicken nuggets with the sauce gave them the perfect balance of salty, savory and sweet; I would highly recommend it. McDonald’s nuggets delivered a great taste for a good price, but I wasn’t going to stop there. I decided to give them a rating so you know what to look for when you’re searching for the best nugget. Value: B, Flavor: B+, Sauce options: B+

---

Next, I decided to head to a place named after chicken. If you guessed Chick-fil-A, then you’re right. This is already one of my favorite places. I typically order the chicken sandwich but I haven’t tried the nuggets yet. I walked into Chick-fil-A, and my mouth began watering as the smell of fried chicken filled my nose. I sat down with my six-piece nuggets, which I paid $3.24 for, and was pleasantly surprised with the way they looked. The outside of the nugget was a golden brown color, and the breading was so crispy, making these nuggets look as though they were cooked to perfection. The meat to breading ratio is great, and they don’t taste processed or overly greasy. Pairing these nuggets with some Chick-fil-A buffalo sauce or ranch was a good touch. Value: A, Flavor: A+, Sauce Options: A

Although these nuggets topped McDonald’s with not only better taste but a cheaper price I headed to B-Bop’s to do some more investigating. I had never tried B-Bop’s before but had previously heard a lot of hype about it. So with a hungry stomach, I entered determined to get myself some nuggets. I ordered another six-piece for $2.59, and my first impression of these nuggets was that they looked very similar to McDonald’s. Since first impressions aren’t everything, I took a bite into these thinly breaded nuggets and was a little disappointed. They tasted a bit greasy and soggy, but the white meat on the inside was quite tender and juicy. Another thing that disappointed me about these nuggets was the B-Bop’s sauce game. Safe to say next time I go I’ll stick to a classic burger. Value: A, Flavor: C, Sauce Options: C

---

After trying all these fast food places, I wanted to try one more option. Something that is a little more easily accessible: Tyson’s frozen chicken nuggets. The pack that I bought was $4.97 and had approximately 50 chicken nuggets inside. I opened the freezer, pre-heated the oven and popped those nuggets in. After waiting patiently, I took the nuggets out and felt like Gordon Ramsey, admiring my chef expertise. I cooked them long enough for them to have that crispy brown breading because sometimes frozen chicken nuggets can be soggy. Having eaten so many chicken nuggets throughout the week, I dipped my nugget in some ketchup and took a bite. The taste? Disappointing. Keep in mind that at this point my expectations of chicken nuggets has become very high. While eating these frozen nuggets, all I tasted was a lot of bread and little meat. Not only was there little meat, but it was also a tad bit dry. Value: A, Flavor: C, Sauce Options: B

So after a week filled with chicken nuggets, some very serious research and my pants not fitting, I believe I may have solved the nugget mystery. All of the nuggets had a different flavor, but overall Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets topped the cake. Not only did they have the juiciest, warmest, crispiest nuggets, but they also have such a wide variety of sauces to pair with the nuggets. I’m sure before reading this article you were all very concerned about not knowing where the best chicken nugget was, but now you can take a deep breath and relax knowing the mystery is solved.