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

Chicken McNuggets were introduced by McDonald’s in 1983 and became a major branded menu product.

McNuggets helped McDonald’s broaden its identity beyond hamburgers and french fries. The bite-sized pieces were designed for convenient eating and were marketed with a distinctive product name that fit the company’s established “Mc” naming style.

The product had been developed earlier, with McDonald’s testing and refining a standardized chicken item before its wider launch. Its success helped establish chicken as a central category in the chain’s menu and advertising.

Chicken McNuggets are sometimes confused with the McChicken sandwich, which is a different product. They are also not simply a renamed version of an earlier menu item: “McNuggets” became the specific branded name associated with the bite-sized chicken pieces introduced in the 1980s.