McDonald’s introduced Chicken McNuggets nationwide in the United States in 1983.
The product had been tested in selected markets before its national rollout. Its small, uniform pieces were designed for easy handling and quick cooking, making them a natural fit for the company’s assembly-line restaurant system.
Chicken McNuggets expanded McDonald’s menu beyond hamburgers and helped establish breaded chicken as a major fast-food category. They are fried before being served, although production methods involve several stages before the restaurant cooking step.
The launch is sometimes confused with the earlier development of chicken nuggets by food scientist Robert C. Baker. Baker’s work helped demonstrate that formed chicken products were possible, but McDonald’s national Chicken McNuggets launch was a separate commercial event. The 1983 date refers specifically to nationwide availability in the United States.