Which McDonald’s menu item introduced in 1983 became a major part of its product branding?

Chicken McNuggets, introduced in 1983, became a major part of McDonald’s product branding.

McDonald’s introduced Chicken McNuggets nationwide in the United States in 1983. The bite-sized, shaped chicken pieces gave the chain a product with a distinctive name, appearance, packaging format, and dipping-sauce association.

The product had been developed earlier, with McDonald’s testing it before the national launch. Its branding followed a familiar McDonald’s naming pattern: the “Mc” prefix made the item immediately identifiable as part of the chain’s menu family.

Chicken McNuggets are different from the McChicken sandwich, which is a separate menu product. They are also not the same as Chicken Selects, a later chicken-strip product. The McNuggets name specifically refers to the shaped bite-sized pieces.