McDonalds Spicy Chicken McNuggets Are Back For a Limited Time

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McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets are one of the bestselling McDonald’s menu items, but if you’re not careful, you might be spending too much on them. There’s a lot to know about the mighty McNugget, both quirky facts and info that can save you money on your next McDonald’s run.

But before we dive into all of that, there’s big news: Spicy Chicken McNuggets are back for a limited time at participating locations as of April 19. Keep reading to find out how to get your fix of these exclusive nuggets.

We’ve done all the research to find out how to save the most on your McDonald’s McNuggets and hidden secrets that you should know — including ways that you can get free McDonald’s year-round.

Want to know more ways to get McDonald’s specials for cheaper? We’ve got you covered.

Spicy McDonald’s McNuggets are available at participating locations starting April 19.

Want to spice up your Chicken McNuggets order? Every year since 2020, McDonald’s has offered a spicy version of their chicken nuggets at some time in the year. Each promotion typically runs for about a month. After that, you have to wait for them to come again.

This year McDonald’s is bringing back the Spicy McNuggets with the Spicy McCrispy (not to be confused with the Hot & Spicy McChicken) and Deluxe McCrispy. Each option will be the same price as their regular counterpart with the exception of the Spicy McCrispy, which is $0.20 more expensive. Here’s how much each item will cost you (prices will differ depending on your McDonald’s location):

6-Piece Spicy McNuggets: $2.50
10-Piece Spicy McNuggets: $4.59
20-Piece Spicy McNuggets: $8.09
40-Piece Spicy McNuggets: $12.99
Spicy McCrispy: $4.79
Deluxe Spicy McCrispy: $5.59

Here’s when the Spicy McNugget promotion ran in the last few years:

April 2022
February 2021
August 2020

NOTE: McDonald’s used to sell Chicken Tenders in 2017, but they haven’t made a reappearance on the McDonald’s menu.

The 40-piece McDonald’s McNuggets give you the most value at $0.32/nugget.

Person sitting down at a mcdonalds restuarant eating the 40 piece chicken nugget meal with two large fries and drinks

McDonald’s sells their Chicken McNuggets in five different quantities: 4-piece, 6-piece, 10-piece, 20-piece, and a whopping 40-piece McNugget. Generally, the more nuggets you get, the more value you’ll get per nugget. Here’s the breakdown of each quantity:

4-Piece McNuggets: $1.89; $0.47/nugget
6-Piece McNuggets: $2.50; $0.42/nugget
10-Piece McNuggets: $4.59; $0.46/nugget
20-Piece McNuggets: $6.59; $0.33/nugget
40-Piece McNuggets: $12.99; $0.32/nugget

NOTE: There are currently six different dipping sauces that you can pair with your McNuggets: Tangy BBQ, Sweet N Sour, Hot Mustard, Creamy Ranch, Honey Mustard, and Spicy Buffalo.

Reheat your McDonald’s McNuggets in an air fryer.

Chicken nuggets and fries inside an air fryer

If you have leftover McNuggets, you’ll know that trying to eat them cold or microwaved isn’t the best experience. We’ve found that the best way to recreate the texture and freshness of McNuggets at home is by popping them in an air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for three to four minutes, depending on how many nuggets you’re reheating.

If you don’t have an air fryer yet, we keep track of all the air fryer deals that you should know about.

The McDonald’s Rewards app discounts Chicken McNuggets at least once a month.

Person on their phone looking at the Mcdonalds app while holding a Soda cup from McDonalds

One of the best ways to get free McDonald’s all the time is to download the McDonald’s Rewards app. The app will consistently give you the best coupons, and you’ll earn 100 points for every $1 spent.

Once you reach 3,000 points (or $30 spent), you’ll be able to redeem your points for 6-piece McNuggets. That’s a 8.3% cash-back reward.

They also periodically give coupons that make your McNugget purchase worth it. During the McDonald’s December deals, we saw them offer a free 6-piece with any purchase of $1 or more. In April, 6-piece McNuggets were just $1. And almost constantly, you can get a 20-piece McNuggets order for just $5 (regularly $6.59) — making them just $0.25 per nugget. You can only redeem one coupon or reward per transaction.

Chicken McNuggets come in four different shapes.

Person putting chicken nuggets into an airfryer

If you’ve ordered McDonald’s McNuggets, you might have noticed that they aren’t all the same shape. In fact, there are four different shapes each with their own unique name:

Ball: a round chicken nugget
Bone: a rectangular-shaped chicken nugget
Boot: somewhat shaped like the “bone” with a growth in one corner
Bell: a diamond-shaped chicken nugget

You’ll get a random assortment of any of these chicken nuggets, and while you can ask for a preference of which shape you want them to be in, most cashiers are trained to just give you a random assortment of nuggets.

NOTE: Unfortunately there’s no way to order a bag of frozen chicken nuggets from McDonald’s.

There are six different ‘official’ dipping sauces.

Whenever you order Chicken McNuggets at McDonald’s, the person taking your order will ask you which sauce you want. Here are the six different dipping sauces to choose from:

Tangy Barbecue
Spicy Buffalo
Creamy Ranch
Honey Mustard
Honey
Sweet & Sour

Also: In addition, people dip their nuggets in ketchup, mustard, mayo, and even tartar sauce. These sauces are available for free, but most McDonald’s limit them to two per entree. You can also ask for Big Mac sauce on the side, order a packet of salsa, or go buy some Chick-fil-A sauce to find your favorite McNuggets dip.

Make your own Spicy Chicken McNuggets with a secret menu hack.

Person opening a box of chicken nuggets from McDonalds with buffalo sauce in the background

Missed your chance to get your Spicy McNugget? While we won’t be able to replicate the McNuggets exactly, you should always try this McDonald’s secret menu item to get Spicy McNuggets all the time at no additional cost to your order:

Order a McDonald’s McNugget of your choice
Ask for Spicy Buffalo sauce
Pour half of the Spicy Buffalo sauce into the nugget container
Shake the container and enjoy

The cheapest nuggets are from Wendy’s — at $0.25 apiece.

McDonald’s nuggets are, at their cheapest, $0.27 each. Wendy’s can beat that. When you order a 4- or 6-piece, they cost as little as $0.25 apiece. Strangely, when you order a 10-piece, Wendy’s then becomes the most expensive at $0.47 per nugget. Burger King finds themselves right in the middle of the nugget price wars.

Here’s how each restaurant breaks down: