Wendy’s Has Brand-New Chicken Nuggets, and I Tried Them First

To punctuate a week filled with fast food brand after brand announcing they’re adding new value meals to menus, Wendy’s just came out with an announcement of their own. Not to tell customers about a $5 meal—in fact, they’ve had one of those for years—but rather to drop a new menu offering that’s sure to shake up the summer.

Wendy’s is adding all-new Saucy Nuggs to its menu next week. Maybe you recall us reporting on the Saucy Nuggs late last year when the fast food chain began testing the menu offering in Ohio. Originally, we reported that the nuggets would be coated in four signature sauces, including honey BBQ, Buffalo, ghost pepper, and garlic parmesan. While those four sauces will be joining the menu, the official nationwide launch includes three additional flavors.

After the successful initial test, Wendy’s is introducing Honey BBQ, Garlic Parm, Buffalo, Spicy Honey BBQ, Spicy Garlic Parm, Spicy Buffalo, and Spicy Ghost Pepper sauced-up chicken nuggets on June 3.

Wendy's Officially Launches Saucy Nuggs Nationwide

The Saucy Nuggs, which Wendy’s Global VP of Culinary Innovation, John Li, says have taken years to perfect, take the OG chicken nugget Wendy’s fans know and love and thoroughly drench them with one of the new sauces created just for this launch.

The new nuggets are not to be confused with the discontinued boneless wings the restaurant launched in 2009, which were lightly breaded chicken pieces tossed in Sweet & Spicy Asian, Honey BBQ, and Bold Buffalo sauces.

Li says his team developed each new sauce specifically to cover the crispy Wendy’s chicken nugget—and to ensure the sauce actually clings to chicken so you don’t even need any additional dipping sauce. Though, if you want some, Saucy Nuggs are all served with Wendy’s Buttermilk Ranch or its new Ken’s Blue Cheese Dressing—which will eventually be replaced with a Wendy’s-specific blue cheese.

The Nuggs launch exclusively in the Wendy’s app on June 3—meaning, if you join Wendy’s free rewards program, you can try the sauce-finished nuggets before the general public. Otherwise, they’ll hit menus nationwide on June 10 available in a four-, six-, 10-, and 20-piece—with the four-count starting at just $2.99.

Even though it’s not June 3 yet, I had an exclusive chance to try the new Saucy Nuggs, and here is my honest review.

My Honest Review of Wendy's Saucy Nuggs

Before I begin, let’s address the KFC-sized elephant in the room. I was also among the first to try KFC’s newest Saucy Nuggets, which launched in March. It’s hard not to compare the two as they’re both sauce-coated chicken nuggets, but they are fairly different. 

KFC has a few sauces that are more like a dry rub, and while Wendy’s Garlic Parm and Ghost Pepper flavors aren’t technically a sauce, there’s still an oil component that adds some viscosity that KFC doesn’t have. Truthfully, I enjoyed Wendy’s sauce flavors a little better than KFC’s—and Wendy’s Saucy Nuggs felt like actual saucy nuggets rather than boneless wings, which is what KFC’s reminded me of.

In all honesty, I loved Wendy’s new Saucy Nuggs. Despite not really beating KFC to the punch, Wendy’s nuggets do feel like something new—maybe because their chicken nuggets are as classic as fast food nuggets get.

All the nuggets I tried were heavily doused in sauce—and while I can’t promise that every Wendy’s crew member will load them up like that, I’m convinced that Wendy’s special sauce bottles with three nozzles are pretty conducive to ensuring you get a lot of the good stuff.

The seven-nugget lineup has something for everyone—from mild to extra, extra spicy. Among the seven sauces, Li says the Garlic Parm has had the best response with consumers; however, my favorites were the honey BBQ and Buffalo. But, when I’m in a spicier mood, I’d opt for the Spicy Honey BBQ.

I give Wendy’s Saucy Nuggs my stamp of approval and will be the first to say Wendy’s already strong chicken nugget game just got even stronger.