Chicken McNuggets Aren't The Original McDonald's Nugget

McDonald's isn't just fast food — it's also an innovative chain that is constantly evolving in order to exceed customers' expectations at every turn. Look at CosMc's, McDonald's space-themed restaurant concept, or its limited-release sauces in 2023, or its early willingness to try pineapple, not on a burger, but as a burger (which did not last). Then there is the Chicken McNugget, which debuted on the menu nationwide in 1983. These little bite-sized golden pieces of breaded and fried chicken were an instant success — but they weren't actually the first nugget on McDonald's roster.

That distinction goes instead to the onion nugget (yes, you read that correctly), which debuted in the late 1970s. Historically, onion rings were popular, so the founder of McDonald's, Ray Kroc, tapped his French corporate chef, Rene Arend, to make them into one-bite pieces. This the chef did, carefully calibrating the breading to golden-fried perfection, and the chain rolled out its new product in a limited release — and the crowd went mild. Actually, some customers were nuts for them, but the vast majority could take them or leave them.

Now, this onion nugget business was set against a backdrop of increasing public health concerns over red meat consumption, where the government actually issued an announcement in 1977 stating that people should eat less red meat and more white meat (as well as fish). Found Ray Kroc initially instructed chef Rene Arend to focus on developing chicken products, but when those went south (either by not testing well or being too similar to already-on-the-market chicken items), that was when he wanted to turn to onion nuggets.

The lore goes that Fred Turner, formerly McDonald's CEO and board chairman at that time, was passing Arend in the hall one day. He said, in an off-hand sort of way, "Why not a chicken nugget?" (via Time). That really got the chef's brain going, and he produced a prototype Chicken McNugget by the day's end.

After a rapturous response from test audiences, McDonald's knew it had its next big hit. And while its initial success might be credited in part to the public craze for eschewing red meat in favor of chicken, Chicken McNuggets have proved popular in their own right — and not for nothing, you can thank onion nuggets for leading the charge.