Dive Brief:
- Burger King is reworking its chicken nuggets after guest feedback described its extant nugget products as “rubbery” and “disappointing,” according to a press release.
- The new nuggets will launch Sept. 1 and were developed following the chain’s listening initiative.
- The chain’s nuggets will have crispier breading and a juicier marinade, and Burger King is adding a new, limited-time Special Savory Sauce to accompany the launch of the nuggets.
Dive Insight:
Burger King’s brand turnaround over the last few years has seen it come back from major operator bankruptcies and sales declines.
The chain is currently outperforming its peer-competitors, Wendy’s and McDonald’s, in terms of same-store sales. Given the consumer trend toward chicken in recent years, the redesigned nuggets could help extend this lead.
During its menu development process, Burger King reevaluated every part of the nugget recipe — including the meat, marinade, breading, sauce and packaging, Amy Alarcon, the chain’s head chef for the U.S. and Canada, said in the press release.
“Our nuggets needed a total overhaul,” Alarcon said. “Throughout the process, we invited real Guests — including some of our toughest critics, kids — to test and refine the recipe, helping us create a nugget we believe delivers the quality, taste and experience that they have been asking for.”
In addition to the LTO Special Savory Sauce, the brand updated its honey mustard dipping sauce to be richer and creamier, and rebalanced the flavor profile of its Sweet & Sour sauce.
As part of its yearslong turnaround program, Burger King has been working to elevate core parts of its menu. Typically, these moves have resulted in a degree of premiumization: the new Whopper has creamier mayo and a new bun. Both the new Whopper and the new nuggets are now served in cardboard boxes, rather than paper wraps or bags, which can help the products stay hotter, longer.
That shift toward more premium products, or at least a more premium positioning, comes at a moment when QSR brands are competing over price-conscious consumers. One way to change the value equation without resorting to a price war is to improve the quality — or at least the perceived quality — of the product.
Wendy’s announced in March that it was upgrading its chicken sandwiches, which is notable because chicken innovation is a big part of rival McDonald’s strategy. The major burger brands are locked in a chicken war in addition to a value war.
Perhaps coincidentally, McDonald’s announced Tuesday that it was reviving its Spicy McNuggets for a limited time also on Sept. 1. That could make it more difficult for Burger King to take nugget share in the late summer and early fall.
