Wendy’s Just Debuted New Saucy Nuggs—Here’s What You Need to Know
Updated: Jun. 24, 2024
You've never had chicken nuggets quite like these before!
Step aside, McDonald’s—there’s a new chicken nugget in town, and it just may become your top choice this summer. Wendy’s is giving its signature chicken nuggets a flavor-packed glow-up with the launch of Saucy Nuggs and seven new flavor combinations that range from smoky to sweet and tangy to spicy.
But what are Saucy Nuggs, exactly, and are they worth the switch from your tried-and-true favorites at Wendy’s and elsewhere? We had the chance to try them, and let’s just say that a trip to Wendy’s should definitely be included in your summer travel plans. Ahead, find out what to expect and which other popular fast-food chain just might give the Saucy Nuggs some serious competition.
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What are Wendy’s new Saucy Nuggs?
Wendy’s new Saucy Nuggs are the fast-food chain’s traditional chicken nuggets tossed in one of seven mouthwatering sauces. These aren’t for dipping—the nuggets are fully immersed in the sauces. They’re kind of like Buffalo wings in that sense, but the chicken is tossed and coated in the chosen sauce after cooking.
Saucy Nuggs come in seven flavor combinations. Each features either Wendy’s signature Crispy or Spicy Chicken Nuggets tossed in one of the four new sauces: Garlic Parm, Honey BBQ, Buffalo or Ghost Pepper. The pairings are classified as “Not Hot,” “Kinda Hot” or “Real Hot.” Here’s what you can choose from:
- Garlic Parm (Not Hot)
- Honey BBQ (Not Hot)
- Spicy Garlic Parm (Kinda Hot)
- Spicy Honey BBQ (Kinda Hot)
- Buffalo (Kinda Hot)
- Spicy Buffalo (Real Hot)
- Spicy Ghost Pepper (Real Hot)
The “spicy” varieties use Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Nuggets, which have spicy breading, while the other varieties stick to the classic Crispy Chicken Nuggets. You can order Saucy Nuggs in 4-piece, 6-piece, 10-piece or 20-piece sizes, and each order of Saucy Nuggs includes your choice of ranch or blue cheese dipping sauce.
What are people saying about the Saucy Nuggs?
Full disclosure: I’m a vegetarian, so I couldn’t try the Saucy Nuggs myself. Instead, I enlisted the chicken-nugget connoisseur in my life, my husband, to help out, and he made a pit stop at Wendy’s during a recent road trip. He took this research task very seriously and ordered 4-piece boxes of the Spicy Ghost Pepper, Garlic Parm, Honey BBQ and Buffalo Nuggs. He loves spicy food, so I wasn’t even remotely surprised when he said that Spicy Ghost Pepper was his favorite.
What did surprise me, though, was the difference he noticed between the Saucy Nuggs that use Crispy Chicken Nuggets and the ones that use Spicy Chicken Nuggets. The Saucy Nuggs that have Spicy Chicken Nuggets as the base are much crispier, even when drenched in sauce, than the classic Crispy Chicken Nuggets. That said, he did find all of them to be pretty tasty and said he would definitely order them again.
The internet tends to agree with my husband’s review: Saucy Nuggs are delicious! This TikTokker, who filmed herself enjoying Spicy Garlic Parm Nuggs, said it “might be the best Parmesan garlic sauce” she’s ever had. Another noted that the Honey BBQ sauce has “a very rich and classic honey barbecue flavor” and that the nuggets are crunchy and well coated in sauce.
How much do Saucy Nuggs cost?
Wendy’s prices vary by location, but at the restaurant in Southern California that my husband visited, prices started at $2.79 for a 4-piece size. The 6-piece, 10-piece and 20-piece sizes were $3.79, $6.19 and $10.99, respectively. You also had the option to turn your Saucy Nuggs into a combo with medium fries and a medium drink for an additional $4.80. (The famous Wendy’s baked potato isn’t included in the combo offer, FYI.)
How long will they be available?
There’s no telling how long Wendy’s Saucy Nuggs will be on the menu, so if you’re thinking of trying them, head to your nearest restaurant sooner rather than later. Wendy’s frequently offers limited-time menu additions but, of course, also adds new additions to its lineup, so only time will tell if Saucy Nuggs are here to stay.
What other chain just announced its own saucy nuggets?
Wendy’s has a little competition in the Saucy Nugg category! KFC also recently launched its own Saucy Nuggets, which come in five flavors: Honey Sriracha, Korean BBQ, Sticky Chicky Sweet ‘n Sour Sauce, Nashville Hot and Georgia Gold. Despite being known for fried chicken, KFC has only had chicken nuggets on its menu for a little over a year, and with its Saucy Nuggets, it has officially entered the chicken-nugget competition arena.
KFC’s Saucy Nuggets come in 8-piece, 10-piece and 12-piece sizes, and like Wendy’s offerings, they can be turned into a combo meal for an additional charge. While prices vary between KFC locations, a 10-piece order of Saucy Nuggets is currently priced at $5.99 nationwide, making it $0.20 cheaper than a 10-piece order of Wendy’s Saucy Nuggs.
Are Wendy’s or KFC’s saucy nuggets better?
Public opinion is split right down the middle (at least according to our very official Instagram and TikTok research). The most noteworthy difference between the two is the nugget itself. Wendy’s chicken nuggets are a traditional take on the classic finger food, while KFC’s are more like chicken bites, using whole chunks of white-meat chicken. Since we can’t give you a clear-cut answer, you’ll just have to go out and try them yourself!
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Originally Published: June 20, 2024
