Chicken McNuggets gave McDonald’s the “McNuggets” name when they launched nationally in 1983.
The bite-sized chicken pieces were developed for McDonald’s by food scientists, including René Arend, and were shaped into four standard forms. Their name extended McDonald’s distinctive “Mc” naming style beyond hamburgers and breakfast items.
Chicken McNuggets were first test-marketed in selected locations before their national rollout. The product broadened McDonald’s identity by making chicken a major part of its menu and advertising, rather than presenting the chain only as a hamburger restaurant.
The name is sometimes shortened casually to “McNuggets,” but the official menu name is Chicken McNuggets. They should also be distinguished from later chicken products such as the McChicken sandwich and Chicken Selects.