Review: The Chicken Big Mac Can't Quite Beat The Original

McDonald's released its newest limited time offering, the Chicken Big Mac, starting today, October 10. I was able to visit McDonald's headquarters a day early here in Chicago for a sneak preview of the sandwich. It's exactly what its name implies — this is pretty much a Big Mac-style sandwich with one slice of American cheese, lettuce, pickles, and secret sauce on a club-style sesame seed bun, but instead of beef, the sandwich features two tempura-battered chicken patties. The patties, which are made specifically for this product, are roughly the size of the usual hamburger patties in its original namesake. If this sandwich sounds familiar, that's because the Chicken Big Mac has already been out in the UK, Australian, and Canadian markets previously.

Prior to this sandwich's release, the question I heard floating around the internet was whether or not these are simply chicken patties for the McChicken, repurposed for the new sandwich. But McDonald's culinary team verified to me in person that they are not. They're more akin to Chicken McNuggets, using the same ground all-white meat mixture and tempura-style exterior, re-proportioned for the dimensions of the new Chicken Big Mac.

When I first bit into the sandwich, it was apparent that this was a much different eating experience than a typical Big Mac, at least texturally. Whereas a Big Mac's hamburger patties are yielding and relatively soft, the new chicken patties are much denser, meaning you have to bite a little more forcefully to get through the whole thing. And with the amount of secret sauce on it, you better hang on tight, because the patties have a tendency to slip around quite a bit.

Here's the thing — because of the breading and the relatively dry doubled-up chicken patty situation, the sandwich is a whole lot drier than a traditional Big Mac (not that the beef patties on the OG sandwich are exactly juicy). The secret Big Mac sauce makes it clear that this is a Big Mac variation, but overall, this reads as something quite different to me. I had a hard time figuring out why, but part of it is because one flavor happens to be missing: onion. 

Onions were deliberately omitted in the development of this sandwich. I spoke with Yue Ji, who's part of McDonald's U.S. culinary team, to gain some insight to that decision. Ji explained that in a traditional Big Mac, the onions are cooked with the beef patties directly on the grill. "For this particular Chicken Big Mac, it doesn't really fit the whole flavor experience."

I'm a little torn on whether or not I'd recommend the Chicken Big Mac overall, because in this case, I think it boils down to personal preference. If you don't like or can't eat McDonald's burgers, this is your short window to chow down into an officially sanctioned variation on the Big Mac. But I personally much prefer the classic beef version; it's less dry and delivers the overall McDonald's eating experience that's been stamped into my brain. Plus, the new sandwich loads you up with added breading from the chicken, which makes the whole thing feel heavier. 

But on the other hand, if you're a fan of McNuggets (I know there are lots of you) and love the idea of eating two flattened versions at once, this'll still be fun as a novelty bite. Prices will vary depending on where you live. In Indianapolis, Indiana, the Chicken Big Mac is on sale for $4.59, while it goes for a much higher price in other locations like El Paso, Texas, where it's $5.99. No matter what, though, expect to see more chicken on McDonald's menu in the future. In terms of sales, its chicken products are now neck and neck with beef, and considering chicken is a cheaper ingredient than beef, profit margins on products like this are likely easier to eke out, and you know corporate mandates are all about the money.

For me, it's a one-and-done sort of situation, but considering the Chicken Big Mac's verified success in overseas markets, I have a feeling this one'll sell pretty well here. After all, who wouldn't want to try eating two giant Chicken McNuggets on a sandwich?