A Popular Discontinued McDonald's Menu Item Is Finally Returning

Customers are craving chicken more than ever — and McDonald's is bringing back two blasts from the past to help bolster sales. The items in question? Snack Wraps and chicken tenders. 

In 2023, CEO Chris Kempczinski teased fresh chicken offerings. "We see the potential to add another point of chicken share by 2026," he told investors. Fans have been anticipating the return of the McDonald's Snack Wraps, which were discontinued in 2016, ever since. But the tenders are a surprise: McDonald's hasn't served tenders in the U.S. since Buttermilk Crispy Tenders disappeared in 2018. Some fans hope that the news heralds the return of Chicken Selects: the brand dropped the beloved tenders from menus in 2013.

So why all the chicken? That's where the money is. In 2021, McDonald's entered the chicken wars with the Crispy Chicken Sandwich, later rebranded as the McCrispy. The sandwich was a success. In 2023, Kempczinski told investors that the sandwiches served as "the building blocks of our growing chicken business," and last year, the brand announced that poultry sales were on par with beef.

The poultry push comes after a major drop in overall sales. McDonald's was already floundering when an E. Coli outbreak sent traffic down 10% last October, and the brand has struggled to recover ever since. Now, the brand plans to position the tenders and wraps as an expansion of the McCrispy line.

Some fans are suspicious: There has been no word as to whether or not the new tenders will use the same recipe as the Chicken Selects. Fans don't even know if the name will be the same. While the Snack Wraps will be called Snack Wraps, McDonald's hasn't referred to the chicken strips as "Chicken Selects." So far, executives have only referred to the menu item as a "chicken strip offering." But if you're a die-hard Chicken Selects fan, there's still hope — if you're willing to shell out for a plane ticket. McDonald's still sells the product in the U.K.