Do you love ordering a big box of nuggets from your local McDonald's? You’re not alone! With their unique taste and soft yet crispy texture, they’re hard to resist. But, like many other people, you've probably wondered how these chicken nuggets are made. We'll tell you how and what's in them!
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What are McDonald's nuggets made of?
The nuggets are made from chicken breast, however, the meat is ground up which gives the nuggets their melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Here is a list of the other ingredients:
- Chicken breast (47%)
- Water
- Flour (wheat, corn)
- Canola oil
- Starch (rice, potato, pea, cassava; contains wheat)
- Modified starch
- Wheat gluten
- Salt
- Breadcrumb seasoning
- Rising powders (Calcium phosphate, Disodium diphosphate, Sodium bicarbonate)
- Spices
- Sugar
- Dextrose (sugar)
- Sunflower seed oil
- Celery extract
Although this is far from a basic nugget recipe (chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, flour, oil), those made at McDonald's are quite complex, without being alarming. On the downside, there is a high sugar and gluten content. When it comes to the rest, none of the ingredients scares us, even though we should remember that nuggets are still fatty products. Therefore, eat them occasionally, and in moderation.
How are they made?
In 2010, McDonald's revealed how their famous nuggets are made. It all starts in the chicken deboning department. The meat is then ground and mixed with seasonings and chicken skin before being cut up. The nuggets are then partially fried, frozen, and then packaged and shipped. Once in the restaurants, all that is left to do is to finish cooking them in frying oil.