Ex-McDonald's Chef Claims You Can Buy the Chicken McNuggets at the Grocery Store
The next time you find yourself longing for an order of McDonald's popular Chicken McNuggets, you might be able to skip the tedious drive-thru lines entirely. An insider for the fast-food chain just revealed that there's a grocery store version that's awfully similar to the original.
Mike Haracz, a former McDonald's corporate chef and TikToker (@chefmikeharacz), recently embarked on a mission to find the closest match for the famous McDonald's menu item at the grocery store. In a viral video that has racked up more than 352,000 views, Haracz explained that he initially tried to find a dupe by comparing the ingredients and nutrition info for a variety of grocery store nuggets to McDonald's nuggets.
That method turned out to be a little difficult because McDonald's lists all of its nugget ingredients together, while many grocery store versions will specify which ingredients are used in different parts of the nuggets (i.e. the breading versus the filling). So, rather than just relying on the ingredients to find the closest match, he suggested buying a frozen grocery store brand that uses the same tempura-style batter as McDonald's: Pilgrim's Chicken Breast Nuggets.
Kroger, Walmart, and H-E-B all list the nuggets on their websites, so customers should be able to score a package at those retailers. Availability could vary, so customers should check directly with their local stores to confirm that they're in stock before heading over.
Haracz warned customers against cooking the store-bought nuggets in the microwave, and instead air fry them or deep fry them for the best results. He also noted that these frozen nuggets are sold raw, so customers will have to make sure they cook them completely through when preparing them at home.
In the comments section on his video, McDonald's were ecstatic to finally know how to find a Chicken McNugget dupe at grocery stores.
"We finally have McDonald's at home," one TikToker commented.
"Game changer," another said.
Throughout 2023, Haracz has given McDonald's fans plenty of insider knowledge and ordering tips for the fast-food chain on TikTok. Earlier this week, he provided viewers with detailed instructions on how to make a McDonald's McMuffin sandwich that's "much better" than the original at home. Haracz has also been working to find grocery store dupes for a range of other McDonald's menu items, including the popular breakfast sausage, French fries, Big Mac sauce, and hash browns.
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