McDonald's Chicken Big Mac Review: Worth Crossing The Road For, But It Might Not Wow You

McDonald's signature Big Mac received a much-anticipated variant on October 10 when the fast food giant debuted its Chicken Big Mac. The twist on the classic menu items marks the first time that the Big Mac will be served with anything other than beef in the United States. In short, the new Chicken Big Mac menu item has the same familiar toppings and construction as the Big Mac, only with two tempura-battered chicken patties substituted in place of the beef.

The Big Mac first hit McDonald's menus in 1968 — about 20 years after the franchise launched. When it was first release, the burger sold for $0.49. More than half a century later, it continues to be a top-seller for the restaurant and is a major reason why McDonald's sells 75 burgers a second globally. McDonald's says that "fans have been clamoring for" a Chicken Big Mac, which is why the chain has finally delivered. 

In its press release, McDonald's poses the question: "is the Chicken Big Mac a Big Mac?" Whether it is or isn't, Chowhound would rather ask: "Is it worth it?" To find out, we hit up our local McDonald's at 11 a.m. — as soon as breakfast ended — to be one of the first to give it a go. Here's everything you need to know about McDonald's new Chicken Big Mac.

Is the Chicken Big Mac a Big Mac or not? Well, I would say "yes." When I think of the Big Mac, two things come to mind: The signature middle piece of bread separating the two patties and one of fast foods most special sauces: Big Mac sauce. Despite this variant swapping the ground beef patties for fried chicken patties, it doesn't really change the nature of the sandwich. The Chicken Big Mac still has "the same familiar toppings" as the Big Mac, including the sauce, shredded lettuce, single slice of cheese, and pickles on a sesame seed bun. (The one change I noticed was the Chicken Big Mac did not include the diced onions that come on just about every McDonald's burger.) And then, of course, the major change is the beef is subbed out for chicken patties.

About that chicken: McDonald's says it has created a new chicken patty designed specifically for the Chicken Big Mac. While it already has two chicken patties — those used in the McChicken and McCrispy sandwiches — neither of those would have made sense in this sandwich. Instead, McDonald's turned to its McNuggets for inspiration, creating a tempura-battered chicken patty. In essence, the Big Mac patties are similar to jumbo McNuggets. What this says to me is that this wasn't a case of McDonald's simply already having the ingredients in store to make this happen; the Golden Arches put research and development into the creation of this new menu item.

Unlike top rival Burger King — which often releases spin-offs of its signature menu item, the Whopper — McDonald's has largely left its Big Mac alone (at least in the United States). While McDonald's has offered riffs of the Big Mac in Europe, Asia and elsewhere, the only major variants that have been found in the U.S. include the "Mega Mac," which is complete with four, 1.6-ounce patties and an extra slice of cheese; the Denali Mac, made with two, quarter pound patties, available only in Alaska; and the Little Mac, a single-layered version of the burger. 

Burger King, on the other hand, launched the Whopper about 10 years prior to the Big Mac. Since then, it has offered the Impossible Whopper, the Pizza Burger (available only in Times Square, New York), the spicy Angry Whopper and sub-variant Angriest Whopper, and Whopper Jr., among others.

But even the Whopper has not received a facelift so dramatic as swapping the beef for crispy chicken. So, why now? Like Wendy's and Chick-fil-A, McDonald's must know Gen Z is all about chicken. And despite its global appeal, fast food chains must continue to stay relevant to consumers — and, more importantly, their taste buds.

The Chicken Big Mac is available starting October 10 at participating locations nationwide, while supplies last. The sandwich is also available to order via the McDonald's App and via McDelivery. One good thing to know: At my location, I noticed the Chicken Big Mac was not available to order after midnight, and it became available as soon as this local restaurant switched over from its breakfast menu to the daytime menu (either 10:30 or 11 a.m.). Other than "at participating locations while supplies last," a spokesperson for McDonald's could not tell Chowhound anything else about the sandwich's longevity on the menu.

I was pleased to see the Chicken Big Mac cost the exact same as the classic Big Mac: $6.19 for the sandwich or $10.49 for a medium meal at my New York City location. The McDonald's spokesperson said that prices will vary by location. (A large meal at my storefront cost $11.29.)

Whenever you add breading — or a batter, in this case — you're going to add a few calories. The Chicken Big Mac comes in at 530 calories (compared to 493 for the classic Big Mac). That said, the Chicken Big Mac has less fat, including saturated fat (20 grams and 4.2 grams, respectively) compared to the Big Mac (24 grams and 8.8 grams). It also has slightly more fiber (3.7 grams versus 3.3), just about the same amount of protein (25 grams versus 26), and more carbohydrates (61 grams versus 42). Both sandwiches have the same amount of salt.

A medium meal may run about 1,020 to 1,290 calories, McDonald's estimates (based on the drink), while a large meal will total between 1,180 and 1,560 calories. If you're looking for the healthiest thing on McDonald's, the Chicken Big Mac obviously isn't that. But, then again, everyone's diet is different and, so, I'm not here to say it's good or bad for you; rather, I simply wanted to convey some of the most important nutritional information about the sandwich, especially as it compares to its namesake.

Ok, the "boring" stuff is out of the way. How does the Chicken Big Mac taste? Well, I was pretty pleased with it. I found the new tempura-battered chicken patties to be very crispy and plenty juicy, despite their (relative) thinness. The patty's flavor and texture worked perfectly with everything in the sandwich — special sauce, cheese, and pickles included. I also liked that the crispy patties provided an extra bit of crunch that was previously only provided by the shredded lettuce.

Some of the things I didn't like included the appearance (simply, it's a very tan sandwich; nothing really "pops") and it was pretty messy. I'm not sure if it was just the construction of my specific sandwich or if the chicken patties are more slippery than the beef patties, but this was a mess to eat. However, if that's my biggest complaint, then I'd say it's a pretty good sandwich.

In a taste comparison with the McChicken, I found the new patties to be much more crispy thanks to the tempura batter but also found that coating to be a little less flavorful. That said, perhaps if McDonald's used the McChicken patty with the Big Mac, it wouldn't have complemented the existing flavor components as well. And, as for the McCrispy, that patty would be far too large to include two patties. In all, it's a tasty, filling sandwich that needed the inclusion of the McNugget-style chicken patties in order to work.

And here we get to the crux of the story: Is the Chicken Big Mac worth it? Yeah, sure. As I've said, I found the sandwich to be tasty and filling — which are two of the most important aspects of a meal. Does it beat out the classic Big Mac, though? I'm not so sure. We eat with our eyes first and, as noted, the very tan nature of the sandwich isn't as appealing to me as the Big Mac, whose beef patties stand out among the layers of bread. If chicken, or chicken sandwiches, are your thing, definitely give this one a try. Heck, if you're a McDonald's or Big Mac fan, go give this a try.

In the end, though, do I think this is a game-changer for McDonald's and that the Chicken Big Mac is here to stay? Not necessarily. I could see it becoming a McRib-esque item that pops onto the menu once in a while to keep die-hard fans satisfied. If you're craving a chicken sandwich, this will do the trick. However, I don't think it's worth going to McDonald's and ordering it if, say, you haven't been in five years and don't really keep up with what the chain is doing. In short I would eat the Chicken Big Mac again, no doubt. Even if all I could think after eating it was, "It's been a while since I've had a Big Mac. I need to get that one next."