What was McDonald's first menu item marketed nationally as a chicken nugget?

Chicken McNuggets were McDonald's first nationally marketed chicken nuggets.

McDonald's introduced Chicken McNuggets nationally in 1983. The bite-sized, coated chicken pieces gave the chain a highly recognizable product with a name that extended the McDonald's “Mc” branding into a new category.

The product was developed after McDonald's explored ways to expand beyond hamburgers. Its standardized shape, portioning, and dipping-sauce presentation made it especially suitable for consistent restaurant production and family advertising.

The McChicken is a different menu item: it is a chicken sandwich rather than a nugget product. Chicken Selects and McBites were also later products and should not be confused with the original McNuggets branding.