McChicken

History

The sandwich, originally introduced in 1980, proved to be a sales disappointment and was later replaced with the highly successful Chicken McNuggets. But following the success of McNuggets, the McChicken was reintroduced in 1988. But again, McDonald's removed the McChicken from its menus in the United States on September 26, 1996, and it was replaced with the Crispy Chicken Deluxe, which was part of McDonald's ill-fated Deluxe line of sandwiches. But once again, the McChicken was brought back on January 31, 1998, due to overwhelming letters and petitions. Additionally, in the United States, the sandwich is somewhat smaller than it was previously, as it is now on the Dollar Menu & More (previously just the Dollar Menu), which offers various food products starting at US$1.00.

The meat of the McChicken sandwich used to be 50% white meat and 50% dark meat. Viewed in April 2015, McDonald's website states that the McChicken contains a blend of dark and white meat chicken.

Variants

In certain regions and at specific McDonald's franchises, the McChicken is adapted to appeal to the local population's tastes.

Spiced McChickens

When the McChicken was reintroduced to McDonald's menu in 1998 as a smaller sandwich, it was initially marketed as the Cajun (Style) McChicken. The name was changed back to just McChicken around 2000, alongside the change to a milder, softer chicken patty.

In the south and southwestern parts of the US, the Hot 'n Spicy variant is sold. It originated as a nationwide menu item in January 2006, but by June of that year, McDonald's confirmed it had been discontinued due to soft sales. In March 2013, McDonald's re-introduced the Hot 'n Spicy across the country to what was then called the Dollar Menu. In November 2013, as part of the chain's Dollar Menu & More revamp, the McChicken (and the Hot 'n Spicy) could be ordered as a Buffalo Ranch McChicken, which is a McChicken with Buffalo and Ranch sauce instead of mayonnaise, or a Bacon Buffalo Ranch, which is a Buffalo Ranch McChicken with bacon. As of June 2015, the Hot 'n Spicy is no longer available nationally.

The Jalapeño Cheddar McChicken, a McChicken with jalapeño peppers sauce and a slice of white cheddar cheese, was available in 2011 and 2012.

McDonald's restaurants in Hong Kong, Singapore and India serve a McSpicy variant, with a larger, crispier patty with increased spiciness and flavor. The spicy variant is also available as the Double McSpicy, which consists of two spicy chicken patties.

Outlets in Taiwan serve the Hot n' Spicy variant, which is available on a traditional bread bun or a formed rice bun, while locations in Malaysia serve a variant similar to the McSpicy called the Spicy Chicken McDeluxe but with a cornmeal bun.

Other variants

In Hawaii, the Ala Moana Shopping Center McDonald's sells the McTeriChicken variant, a McChicken with teriyaki ("teri") sauce. "Teri" is heavily used in Hawaii and has been added to various McDonald's sandwiches, such as the McTeri Burger.

In other US states, there is also another variant of another variant, called the Cheddar Onion McChicken, which is a McChicken with caramelized onions and a slice of white cheddar cheese, both on a toasted bun.

In most countries outside of the US, such as India, the McChicken comes on a sesame-seed bun and is not spicy. In Canada, New Zealand, and Australia (where it originally appeared as a promotional menu item but, due to its popularity, became a full-time menu item), the McChicken also comes on a sesame-seed bun but with lettuce and mayo called "McChicken Sauce".

In the UK, the Junior Chicken is sold as the Mayo Chicken.

In Canada, the low-priced chicken option is called the Junior Chicken, which generally costs C$1.39 (as an offering on McDonald's Canada's "Value Picks" menu), but the sandwich is only lightly spiced. It is referred to as the cousin of the Canadian McChicken, which in turn is more akin to the US' Premium Crispy Chicken sandwich (though the latter is served on an artisan roll, instead of the sesame seed bun of its Canadian counterpart).

McDonald's restaurants in Spain serve a variant with barbecue sauce rather than mayonnaise.