McDonald’s revealed this weekend that its Chicken Big Mac—a major hit in Europe—will begin testing in the U.S.
The item, which is similar to the typical Big Mac except beef is replaced with two tempura chicken patties, launched in the U.K. this year and sold out in roughly 10 days. In April, CEO Chris Kempczinski called it the market’s “most successful food promotion ever.”
The Chicken Big Mac will reportedly be piloted in the Miami area later in August.
“We’re always looking to give our fans more ways to enjoy the classic menu items they know and love,” the company said in a statement. “Made with two crispy tempura chicken patties, our iconic Big Mac sauce, and topped off with pickles, shredded lettuce, and American cheese, this sandwich brings some of our fans’ favorite flavors together for the perfect bite.”
Kempczinski said in August that core menu chicken continues to be a significant opportunity for the brand. In 2021, amid the thick of the chicken sandwich wars, McDonald’s released new Crispy Chicken and Spicy Chicken sandwiches. A few months prior, the brand rolled out Spicy Chicken McNuggets, which was the first time the chain introduced a new nuggets flavor since 1983.
Most recently, McDonald’s tested the McPlant in the U.S., but reports say the experiment did not go well. Peter Saleh, BTIG analyst, said “franchisee sentiment on the sales performance was underwhelming.” Similar to the Chicken Big Mac, the product performed well in the U.K. It was eventually launched across the country and Ireland.
McDonald’s did not indicate whether a future national rollout is planned for the Chicken Big Mac.
“While not everything we test makes it on our U.S. menus, we’ll use this time to gather feedback from both customers and restaurant crew as we consider opportunities to offer more delicious options in the future,” the company said.
