MCDONALD'S chicken nuggets are loved universally - but what exactly goes into them?
They cost around £3.19 for six nuggets, while hungrier fans know a 20 piece share-box costs typically just under a fiver.
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Prices can vary between stores though.
You can also get McDonald's chicken nuggets in a meal for around £5.09 and often you can take advantage of Maccie's frequent deals to get your fast-food even cheaper.
Every Monday it hosts a 99p offer, for example.
But in this article we're looking at what makes up the scrummy meal option. Find out below.
What are McDonald's chicken nuggets made out of?
Contrary to popular belief, McDonald's chicken nuggets are made from 100 percent chicken breast meat, according to the fast-food giant.
But the chicken only adds up to 45 percent of a McNugget - as the rest of the recipe is a combination of batter, seasoning and oil.
They are lightly battered before being covered in a second coat of tempura batter, which gives them the signature crisp we all know and love.
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After being partially cooked in a fryer, they are cooled, frozen, and packaged up to be sent to McDonald's restaurants where they are fully cooked.
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Are McDonald's chicken nuggets real chicken?
McDonald's states that their Chicken McNuggets are made with inspected boneless white-meat chicken — cut from the chicken breast, tenderloins and rib meat.
They are sourced from a range of suppliers and local farms across the UK.
McDonald's says: "We are deeply committed to the health and welfare of all animals in our supply chain.
"That’s why we’re proud to only work with approved suppliers who adhere to our high standards, as well as those required by UK and EU legislation."
Are McDonald's chicken nuggets bad for you?
McDonald's chicken nuggets aren't necessarily the healthiest option on the menu, and you might be able to make a healthier and cheaper choice at home too.
But McDonald's does advertise its calorie count online if you do want to take a look at what goes into the nuggets.
Six McNuggets have 261 calories.
A nine-piece option has 391 calories too.
Meanwhile, a 20 piece sharebox has 869calories - these are designed for four people to take a bit so it works out as around 216 calories per portion.
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Who invented the chicken nugget?
Chicken nuggets were invented by Robert C. Baker in a lab at Cornell University in 1963 - it didn't take long for the public to fall in love with them after.
And in 1977, chicken became known as the "healthier" meat after Congress released "Dietary Goals for the United States," urging Americans to favour lean protein like poultry and eat less red meat.
McDonald's owner Ray Kroc was inspired by this food trend to cater to the public's wants and began to develop a convenient swap for red meat to sell in his restaurants.
McDonald’s ChairmanFred Turnerdecided upon "a boneless piece of chicken," that they would sell "almost like French fries".
After some trial and error to create the perfect chicken nugget formula, they hired Keystone Foods to automate the chicken-chopping process and Gortons to create a batter that could be produced on a mass scale.
McDonald's introduced the McNuggets nationwide, created a chicken craze, and never looked back.
Was the pink slime rumour true?
The pink slime rumour that plagued McDonald's McNuggets has repeatedly been debunked by the food chain.
Nicoletta Stefou, the supply-chain manager at McDonald's Canada said: "We don't know what it is or where it came from, but it has nothing to do with our Chicken McNuggets."
Pink slime is the product of meat being mechanically processed and treated with anti-microbial ammonia - but McDonald's does not use this method.
McNuggets have been made with all white meat since 2003 and the restaurants stopped using mechanically processed beef in 2011.
McDonald’s FAQ pagereads: "The [pink slime] photo is not a representation of how we create our Chicken McNuggets®, or for that matter, any item on our menu."
What is the world record for the most amount of chicken nuggets ever eaten?
The Guinness World Records crowned Leah Shutkever as the winner of most-eaten chicken nuggets.
In March 2022, Shutkever ate 352 grams or 12.42 ounces of chicken nuggest under 60 seconds.
This is equivalent to consuming 10 McNuggets in under a minute.
She broke the previous record of model and competitive eater Nela Zisser, who ate 298 grams in November 2020.
Among other celebs, Kim Kardashian also revealed she is a fan of McDonald's famous nuggets, as is her little sister Kylie Jenner.
