Which McDonald’s menu item became known by the name Chicken McNuggets in 1983?

Chicken McNuggets became a nationally marketed McDonald’s menu item in 1983.

McDonald’s had introduced the product in select markets before the national rollout. The bite-sized, shaped pieces were designed to offer a portable chicken product that fit the restaurant’s established fast-service format and family-oriented branding.

The product was developed with help from food scientist Robert C. Baker, whose earlier work on processed chicken helped make formed chicken products practical for large-scale foodservice. McDonald’s used several distinctive shapes, including the boot, bell, ball, and bone.

The name is sometimes confused with Chicken McChicken, which is a separate sandwich. McNuggets are also not simply pieces cut from a whole chicken breast at the restaurant; they are formed and breaded before cooking, under a standardized production process.