KFC Is Introducing Chicken Nuggets for the First Time

The chain is testing its nuggets at KFC stores in Charlotte, NC.

You might think KFC would've mastered the chicken nugget long ago, but you'd be wrong. Even though the fast food joint has built its entire business around fried chicken, it's taken 70 years for it to take on nuggets.

On Monday, KFC rolled out its first-ever Chicken Nuggets as part of a trial run in Charlotte, North Carolina. The nuggets are made from 100% white meat chicken and hand-breaded with KFC's Original Recipe of 11 Herbs and Spices.

"While nuggets often come in small packages, that doesn't mean they should have small flavor. We wanted to introduce Nuggets with the flavor and ingredients that live up to our legacy as the original fried chicken experts," CMO Nick Chavez said in a press release. "Our Kentucky Fried Chicken Nuggets offer a new way to enjoy our distinctive 11 Herbs & Spices and will have you saying, 'Now that's finger lickin' Good.'" 

You can pair your nuggets with various dipping sauces, including KFC sauce, Honey BBQ, Classic Ranch, or Honey Mustard.

To celebrate the long-anticipated Chicken Nugget arrival, KFC is delivering an exclusive first taste to staffers at several Atrium Health maternity centers across Queen City this week. Meanwhile, other customers in the Charlotte metro and surrounding towns like Concord, Mint Hill, Shelby, and Salisbury can order the nuggets as an 8-, 12-, or 36-piece entree.

While KFC has never introduced a traditional nugget before, the chain's Popcorn Chicken—which landed at number 7 on our fast food ranking—isn't too far off. They're smaller than the new nuggets, but feature the same crunch and iconic KFC flavors. Now you've just got more options.

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Megan Schaltegger is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist.