Why McDonald's Will Probably Never Have Hand-Breaded Chicken

McDonald's has a long, storied, and sometimes scandalous history, as when its original CEO betrayed the founders in the 1960s. Chicken has occupied a less controversial place in the chain's story, but its introduction to the menu is no less interesting: An executive chef working for the company in the 1970s was actually testing onion nuggets before one of the higher-ups suggested switching to chicken instead. Since then, its chicken products have occupied a prime spot on menu boards, with nuggets, sandwiches, and Snack Wraps rivaling the beefier options. However, one item that has been notably absent from the McDonald's menu is hand-breaded chicken, and it's likely the chain will never carry such a product because it simply isn't equipped to deal with the food safety issues.

You see, hand-breading chicken implies that the tenders are raw, dipped in batter and perhaps a flour mixture, and then dunked in the fryer to crisp up. The issue is that McDonald's has historically handled very little raw meat (its Quarter Pounder is the only burger that uses fresh beef). The addition of raw chicken, along with dipping and breading stations, would pose a unique challenge for a fast-food chain that is firmly established in its kitchen setup. Introducing raw chicken into the assembly line could require an entirely new set of safety guidelines for employees to learn, including how to prevent cross-contamination and cook the meat to the appropriate temperature. That would no doubt slow down efficiency, causing major delays in the kitchen — delays customers would be none too happy with.

In late 2025 and early 2026, social media sources began reporting that McDonald's was testing a "hand-breaded" chicken strip in the Chicago area, where the chain is headquartered. These strips are apparently different from the McCrispy Strips currently available on the menu, which were rolled out in 2025. They certainly look different; instead of having a smoother exterior, the hand-breaded versions have nooks, crannies, and crags.

But how could this be? It's possible the burger chain may be hand-breading poultry that isn't raw, since there are methods for getting the coating to stick to a cooked chicken surface. It could also be that McDonald's is playing fast and loose with the term "hand-breaded," and the strips are breaded by hand off-site, cooked, flash-frozen, and then shipped to restaurants, where they are fried as needed. Whatever the case, no one from the test kitchens has said anything, so we likely won't find out how they're made until — or unless — McDonald's expands their release nationwide.