Burger King is now offering spicy chicken nuggets, seeking to fill a perceived customer void left by competing chain Wendy’s after it scaled back the product.
The brand will offer the nuggets as a limited time offer in 10-piece packs for $1.49, and original chicken nuggets will remain a permanent menu item. To celebrate the launch of the new nuggets, Burger King will offer guests named Wendy a free order after 12 p.m. on October 13 with a valid ID at participating restaurants in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York. Wendy’s has yet to weigh in on the promotion, but sent fans an online post in March explaining its decision to discontinue spicy nuggets in most markets.
“Simply put, not everyone in every city loved our spicy nuggets as much as you did,” Wendy’s representatives said in the post. However, the company has continued to serve spicy chicken nuggets in seven markets in Texas, Missouri, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
Burger King’s version is spicier than the competitors, president Alex Macedo told the Associated Press, and uses a mix of cayenne pepper and other spices. The brand’s menu also contains hot chicken fries, a spicy fish sandwich, and a spicy chicken sandwich, and parent company Restaurant Brands International owns Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, which specializes in spicy fried chicken.
“We know there is an appetite for Spicy Chicken Nuggets; our competitors have launched similar products in the past,” Macedo said in a statement.
Macedo says that the original chicken nuggets have performed well, and the spicy chicken nuggets will be on sale at Burger King for about three months or until sold out.
