Dive Brief:
- McDonald’s is adding chicken strips, called McCrispy Strips, to its permanent menu on May 5, the brand said Thursday in a press release.
- The chicken strips are McDonald’s first major addition to its U.S. core menu since 2021.
- This is the chain's first significant menu launch since it formed its restaurant experience teams, including a chicken menu division, in March.
Dive Insight:
McDonald’s chicken strip offering could help insulate the Golden Arches from the competitive threat posed by chicken QSRs.
Fast food as a whole has embraced chicken as a major sales driver. McDonald’s new restaurant experience teams include a branch solely dedicated to chicken product development, alongside divisions targeting beef products and dessert/beverage innovation. Rival Wendy’s is also looking to chicken as a menu innovation priority, and the fastest-growing major chains in terms of sales, according to Circana, are chicken chains like Wingstop and Raising Cane’s.
“The demand for chicken strips has been remarkable to see across the industry, so we knew we had to deliver something so craveable that it was worth the wait,” Alyssa Buetikofer, McDonald’s chief marketing and customer experience officer, said in a statement.
Cesar Piña, the chain’s senior vice president and chief supply chain officer, said McDonald’s has worked to ensure adequate supply of the menu item.
“Bringing new products to our fans requires collaboration across suppliers, franchisees, and company staff. We hold ourselves to the highest standard and aim to bring fans nothing less than greatness,” Piña said.
The Golden Arches is also adding a new permanent dipping sauce, called Creamy Chili Dip, to accompany its chicken strips. McDonald’s will sell the strips in three- or four-piece orders.
McDonald’s needs a win in culinary novelty, as the success of its Chicken Big Mac promotion and $5 Meal Deal last year was erased by a consumer pullback after an E. Coli outbreak linked to contaminated onions on Quarter Pounders.
