Recently, McDonald’s announced the debut of the Chicken Big Mac.
In a video related to the release, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski made a taste comparison between the classic Big Mac and the new Chicken option.
“The chicken [is] gonna start to give [the traditional Big Mac] a run for its money,” Kempczinski said in the video. “[It has the] same build, so you’ll recognize. We still have three buns, we still have all the lettuce and cheese and of course the McDonald’s Big Mac sauce, but we now have two chicken patties.”
So how does the new Chicken Big Mac stack up against the classic? Now, a former McDonald’s corporate chef has weighed in.
Is the new Chicken Big Mac good?
Chef Mike Haracz (@chefmikeharacz) is a former McDonald’s corporate chef who frequently posts videos about the restaurant chain.
In a recent video, Haracz says that, while he’s had a Big Mac with McChicken patties before, he was looking forward to trying the official version with a new patty.
Arriving in a generic box, Haracz notes that the patties in the Chicken Big Mac appear different from the McChicken patties. According to him, the new patties are not crispy and resemble “a big chicken nugget.”
After taking a bite, he says his suspicion about the meat was confirmed.
“Compared to the McChicken, I think this is all white meat,” he says, “so this is more literally a big Chicken McNugget, where the McChicken is a blend of white and dark meat in a certain percent.”
He further notes that they served the Chicken Big Mac to him at around room temperature.
Overall, he does not seem enthusiastic about the sandwich, saying that the patty does not have much flavor and that he would rate the sandwich just 6 out of 10.
Reviews for the sandwich have been mixed. Delish called it the chain’s “best new sandwich in years,” while Tasting Table dubbed it a “huge McDisappointment.”
Further critique
In an email to the Daily Dot, Haracz explained that the previous version of the sandwich he had tried as a “McChicken Big Mac,” which was “just a hack” many consumers have tried.
In his opinion, the “hack” produced a better result than the new Chicken Big Mac.
“The new chicken Big Mac lacks flavor, and the one I tried was room temp, and not very crispy. The chicken also was on the dry side,” he wrote. “I personally just don’t think [that] this was designed for the US market as this is the version sold in the UK, who have a different taste pallet.”
@chefmikeharacz Former #mcdonalds corporate chef rates a #chickenbigmac so you don’t have to. #chickenbigmacreview #BigMac #mcdonaldssecrets #mcdonaldsccsing #mcdonaldschallenge #mcdonaldshacks #fastfoodstories #fastfoodlife #fastfood #fastfoodreview #fyp #foodtiktok #foodtok #McDonaldsTikTok #foodreview #foodreviews ♬ original sound – Chef Mike Haracz
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments section, users offered their own views on the Chicken Big Mac.
“My husband said first bite was great then it got weird,” said a user.
“Chicken Big Mac is superior cause you can’t see through the meat like a regular big mac,” added another.
“My thoughts were the same. okay taste but the giant nugget doesn’t hold much flavor,” stated a third.
“I had it last night and really enjoyed it,” stated an additional user.
Others said that they wished the chain would bring back older, beloved items rather than rolling out new ones.
“BRING BACK THE GRAND MAC!!!! Hardly anybody remembers it & it was the best burger McD’s ever made!” exclaimed a commenter.
“Just tell them to bring the snack wraps back!” shared a second.
“I miss the mushroom Swiss burger,” wrote a further TikToker.
The Daily Dot reached out to McDonald’s and Chef Mike via email.
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