McDonald’s McNuggets come in four flavors, that’s why

McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets have been on the fast food chain’s menu since the 1980s, but did you know that it almost had a very different story?

The idea for Chicken McNuggets came from a failed experiment by McDonald’s executive chef René Arend, according to McDonald’s website.

At the time, Arend was working on “onion nuggets,” but the recipe wasn’t working well.

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“In a passing conversation in 1979, Chairman Fred Turner suggested that Arend ditch the onions and start working with chicken instead. Soon after, the Chicken McNugget was born,” says the McDonald’s website.

McNuggets were tested in several markets and became an instant hit. In 1983, they were added to menus in the United States.

At the time of their release, McNuggets were available in six, nine and 20 pieces.

Today, McNuggets are available in four-piece, six-piece, 10-piece, 20-piece and 40-piece boxes, McDonald’s said.

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McNuggets began appearing worldwide the following year, according to McDonald’s website — and were initially sold at McDonald’s locations in Canada, Japan, France and Germany.

McNuggets are now sold in boxes of four, six, 10, 20 and 40 pieces. (Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A YouTube video posted in 2014 by McDonald’s Canada offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of McNuggets.

The process starts with whole chickens – and the breasts are separated and put into a container.

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These millets are then ground and seasoned; then a small amount of chicken skin is added as a binder, says McDonald’s Canada.

The ground chicken mixture is then cut into four shapes – called “Bow Tie” (or “Bone”), “Ball,” “Steel” and “Boot.”

The four flavors are then cooked, battered, fried and then frozen, the company said.

McNuggets come in four shapes, seen here (from left): “Bow Tie” (or “Bone”), “Boot,” “Ball” and “Steel.” (Lucia Buricelli/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The nuggets are sent to McDonald’s locations, where they are re-fried to complete the cooking process.

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“These conditions were created to ensure even cooking and make the nuggets delicious and easy to eat,” according to a description in a 2023 YouTube video from McDonald’s about the shape of McNuggets.

The original McNuggets sauces were “Honey, Sweet and Sour, Hot Mustard and Barbecue,” according to McDonald’s website.

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In the 41 years since McNuggets were added to menus, there are now more than 25 different McNuggets sauces in the United States, the website added.

In 2003, a new recipe for McNuggets was released, featuring only white meat chicken, McDonald’s said.

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McDonald’s did not provide any additional information about the investigation into its nuggets.