What was McDonald's first menu item sold nationally under the McChicken name?

The first McDonald's menu item sold nationally under the McChicken name was the McChicken sandwich.

McDonald's introduced the McChicken in 1980 as a chicken sandwich made with a breaded chicken patty. It was positioned as a new poultry offering during a period when the company was expanding beyond its traditional hamburger-focused identity. The original product was not an immediate success and was later removed from many United States menus, where Chicken McNuggets became more prominent.

The McChicken name returned in the United States in 1988 with a reformulated sandwich. It then became a continuing part of McDonald's chicken branding, although recipes and availability have differed between countries.

A common mistake is identifying Chicken McNuggets as the first McChicken product. McNuggets were introduced in 1983, several years after the original McChicken sandwich. The names belong to related but separate parts of McDonald's poultry menu history.