McDonald’s has launched a Chicken Big Mac for the first time in the UK, but for a limited time only.
The revamp of the classic Big Mac is available in participating McDonald’s restaurants from Wednesday 2 February until 15 March.
The Chicken Big Mac features the burger’s instantly recognisable triple layered bun, but instead of two beef patties, it will have two chicken breast patties in a crispy coating.
It will also come with a slice of cheese, lettuce, pickles and the signature Big Mac sauce.
The burger is already a permanent fixture on McDonald’s menus in Australia and the UAE. The fast food giant says it is one of the most requested products in the UK.
But before you rush out to get your hands on one, our Lifestyle team has done the hard work of taste testing to help you decide if the Chicken Big Mac is The One for you.
Our Deputy Lifestyle Editor Laura Hampson is a seasoned classic Big Mac eater, but was quite impressed by the new chicken option.
She said: “I’m not usually a fan of chicken burgers, but McDonald’s Chicken Big Mac was surprisingly delightful. It retained all the qualities of your classic Big Mac but the chicken felt somewhat more substantial than the beef.”
However, she noted that the burger was “lacking a bit of the magic that beef Big Macs have”.
“It wasn’t as saucy (which most would argue is the MVP of the Big Mac) and the cheese didn’t have that deliciously melted texture,” she explains. “Would I order it again? Unfortunately not. The original is just too good.”
As for me, (Kate Ng, Lifestyle Writer), I had a lot of big expectations for the Chicken Big Mac. Although I’m more of a Double Cheeseburger gal myself, I do enjoy a classic Big Mac from time to time.
But the idea of a Chicken Big Mac was intriguing, and McDonald’s has been hitting the mark lately with its new menu items, such as the vegan McPlant Burger and the Festive Crispy Chicken it brought out over Christmas. So my interest – and appetite – was definitely piqued when the Chicken Big Mac was announced.
My first impression of the Chicken Big Mac was: beige. Beige burger buns and beige chicken patties just aren’t that appealing, but I thought I’d give it the benefit of the doubt.
But then I lifted up the top bun and was horrified to discover there was no promised iconic Big Mac burger sauce! It was dry! Why was it so dry? Oh wait, there’s the sauce, a small dollop hidden under the patty, lettuce and pickles. So far, so… not promising.
A first bite of the Chicken Big Mac confirmed my suspicions that it might be a bit bland, which it was. However, once the tanginess of the sauce and the pickle kicked in on my tongue, it certainly improved things tremendously. The crispiness of the chicken patties and the lettuce also makes for a better textural experience than the soft-on-soft-on-soft classic Big Mac, in my opinion.
But further investigation revealed that there was simply not enough sauce to keep the Chicken Big Mac interesting. By the time I got to the end of my half of the burger, things were getting unpleasantly dry and chewy. It needed more sauce, and stat.
Overall, I found the Chicken Big Mac to be fairly underwhelming. However, I have faith: all it needs is (a lot) more sauce and seasoning, and it could reach the type of cult status McDonald’s Chicken Legend (which has made a triumphant return to the menu) enjoys.
