McDonald’s Chicken Big Mac

McDonald’s Chicken Big Mac

McDonald’s Chicken Big Mac Review:

Price: £4.09/£5.39/£5.89 subject to variation.

Calories: 544 kcal.

The Chicken Big Mac has finally arrived at McDonald’s UK in 2022 and for its debut, it is joined by the returning Double Big Mac.

I can’t recall the first time I was aware of its existence in overseas markets but I would estimate it was around 2011/2012 when I started an unhealthy obsession of what was on menus in other countries.

McDonald's

There have been countless nations across the globe which have had the Chicken Big Mac available – almost too many to list. Primarily, it has featured permanently on the menu in countries where the general population do not eat beef.

You have also been able to sample it in Europe, Australia and The Far East – it seems the UK was pretty much last to get it…

The smartest McDonald’s fans in the UK (YES YOU!!!) will have known about the CBM landing on our shores since our tweet/post on 22/12 and we have discussed its impending arrival on your favourite fast food podcast.

If you haven’t listened to the McPlant and/or Official History of the Burger Lad Website episodes, I implore you to give them a listen RIGHT NOW!!

Chicken Big Mac

First things to mention regarding the Chicken Big Mac is that it is actually priced approx. 50p more than the standard Big Mac.

Note the prices above are from one of the restaurants at the higher end of the pricing scale.

The other thing I noted is that the calorie count is more than that of its beefy counterpart (508 vs. 544) which surprised me.

Does the CBM live up to the juggernaut of hype behind it?

Well…. the simple answer is no – but hey, that’s just my opinion and I’m sure there will be a varied response to this latest LTO.

Chicken Big Mac

The Chicken Big Mac looks decent enough but it is strangely disappointing… maybe the prolonged wait and years of expectation led to such a build-up that it was destined to fail.

Again, in my opinion and I am under no disbelief they will sell a staggering amount of units – the UK does like a Macdonalds after all.

Let’s focus on the positives first:

The new Tempura Chicken Patty is an upgrade from the previous budget burgers used on the Mayo/Bacon Mayo Chicken.

They look a bit smaller than before but have got a satisfying crispiness to them.

I just don’t think chicken works as well as it does with beef. Here’s why.

The Chicken Big Mac feels like something you could whip up at home using frozen store-bought ingredients (minus the Big Mac Sauce) and even the most famous fast food sauce on the planet struggles to rescue it. Such a shame…

I wonder if this could lead to a Chicken Big Tasty in the future as that has also featured around the world but has yet to make an appearance in the UK. EDIT: Sorry I forgot it was out before. What I probably meant was using these new chicken patties instead of 2 x Chicken Selects. SORRY!!

Chicken Big Mac

Joining me on this mission, before our local was invaded by the Midday Maccies Marauders, was Captain QP.

He is potentially a bigger McDonald’s fan than me and found his “very dry and tasteless” but it had a “decent crispiness” to it.

I couldn’t bear to see his sad little face as he finished his CBM. Luckily he had some other items to cheer him up.

Today, I also had a regular Big Mac (99p) via an offer on the app and a Double Cheeseburger (no ketchup, extra mustard, extra onions). Oh the onions…

No dinner for me tonight. Piggy.

Chicken Big Mac

I have to agree with the crispiness comment from QP. My Chicken Big Mac didn’t feel too dry, but then you’re talking to a guy who grew up on plain Cheeseburgers…

Is it a strange decision to omit the onions from the CBM?

I certainly would love to know why Development went via this route, especially as all the other countries that have had it on their menu leave them on.

And… as predicted on the podcast, you cannot add any extra ingredients (other than the ones already on the build i.e. extra lettuce, sauce, pickles, not chicken before you ask) and you can obviously remove.

Chicken Big Mac

I joked recently (hilarious that I am) that I was tempted to order the Chicken Big Mac and a Hamburger but remove everything apart from the onions and manually add them. But I am not that bothered.

IMO the CBM misses the onions found on its beefy big brother and I found it to predominantly taste of cheesy chicken… even the Big Mac sauce fizzles out and the pickles seemed flavourless and almost out of place on the build.

All very odd.

This is going to be controversial, but I even said I would get a McPlant ahead of this – you should have seen QP’s boat!!!

For me, after waiting approximately ten years to see the Chicken Big Mac in the UK (excluding our previous menu hacks and April Fools posts) it has turned into a mild disappointment.

Will I lose any sleep over it? Certainly not.

Will I try it again? Definitely not.

If I had the choice between the beef and chicken versions again in the future, I would probably pick the original 9 or even 10 times out of 10.

I would be interested to hear what you have to say.

We are scheduled to record our next episode of the podcast on Sunday 06/02 so please give us a listen as we talk more in-depth about this latest LTO from McDonald’s.

Burger Lad

Once again I can’t thank all our readers, followers and listeners enough and if you joined me on my Instagram livestream last night then I hope it was fun. The party has only just started…

Chicken Big Mac – I was dubious when I heard about the lack of onions. The chicken patties/burgers are decent enough but for me it is a thumbs down on this occasion.

Agree? Disagree?

Let us know in the comments section below or via the usual BURGER LAD® channels.

It’s a great time to be… in The Empire!

Burger Lad®

Website: https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb.html

McDonald's

Chicken Big Mac

£4.09
4.7

Taste

4.0/10

Look

6.0/10

Price

4.0/10

Hot

  • Finally in the UK
  • Tempura Chicken Patties

Not

  • No onions
  • Doesn't live up to the hype

10 thoughts on “McDonald’s Chicken Big Mac

  • 03/02/2022 at 12:26 am
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    Was just about to go to sleep but checked to see if you had uploaded, thanks for reviewing – I’ll avoid it!

  • 03/02/2022 at 3:45 pm
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    Thanks for the review – I was very tempted to try it, but it sounds like it is not going to be for me. The current King for me is the Double Quarter Pounder – such a Beefy, Cheesy and satisfying wonder that nothing else on the menu compares. Keep up the good work as this is an essential public service. 🙂

  • 03/02/2022 at 11:02 pm
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    I actually enjoyed the Chicken BigMac, perhaps even more so than the original. Part of me hopes it’ll become a permanent addition, but I doubt it…

  • 04/02/2022 at 4:28 am
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    Not keen, it tasted like cheesy chicken nuggets in bread. I don’t think the Big Mac sauce works with this either. For me, a double chicken burger would work better with a punchier sauce like BBQ or chili. I’m glad I tried it but I wont be buying another.

  • 05/02/2022 at 5:46 pm
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    Tried this today after my son was desperate to try it.

    First disappointment was the lack of customisation – you can take stuff away, but not add anything. Not ideal.

    Second it arrived. It looked awful – it had clearly been thrown together in haste and it looked like they missed. It was almost impossible to pick up, one chicken burger was desperately trying to escape to the right whilst the sauce and pickle was left bound. I suspect the person who made it had never seen a completed burger before.

    Third. The taste. Apart from the pickle (which was eaten in the first bite lest it made a run for it) everything was incredibly bland. As a combination it did not work and the dominant taste was that of cooking oil and the occasional hint of sauce that had not jumped lemming-like from the side of the burger to its inevitable demise.

    So I did something I have never, ever done before at McDonald’s. After eating half of this abomination, I put the remains back in the box. Placed it upon the tray and threw it away.

    0/10 at best. Would not eat again.

  • 06/02/2022 at 10:33 pm
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    Bear with me here, last weekend I went to a nearby chippy for the first time in a while, £6 for fish and chips, enough chips for two people. Unfortunately a rather tastless meal, this weekend I bought the chicken big mac on its own, two very thin chicken burgers which, I could only taste the sauce and pickle. So this was essentially collection of chewy bread, lettuce and sauce or pay £2 more for three times the quantity of food with fish that has been on a significant journey to my tum. McDonald’s is edging closer to very poor value for money with some of these offerings

  • 11/02/2022 at 11:26 pm
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    Well I had one of these instead of a Double Cheeseburger with cheese and was surprised. Mine actually looked like the McDonalds ones they image. I was impressed how it looked actually.
    If you ask me if I’d buy another one then the answer is, yes! This was purchased at the North London Leisure Park at around 02:30 on a Saturday morning. As I live 3 minutes away by car it was good to eat at home (as currently they don’t allow eating in after 22:00).
    In a nutshell, very nice to eat. As all of these large burgers you are fighting the contents moving away from you as you eat. So IMHO a great addition and probably on the same level as the Chicken Legend?
    Michael

  • 12/02/2022 at 11:03 pm
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    I totally agree with the reviewer. Very disappointing. The ingredients just don’t go together. If I hadn’t been so hungry (I saved myself to try this) I would have thrown it in the bin. I won’t be ordering another one!

  • 07/03/2022 at 10:41 am
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    I wish I’d read this review before trying it myself.
    With all the hype I was looking forward to trying it, but I can honestly say I’ve never been more disappointed. The burger sauce does not work with chicken, it is too acidic with the pickles as well.
    Also, there is no mayonnaise and I’m not so sure about the cheese.
    All in all, 3/10 for me.

  • 05/04/2022 at 1:39 pm
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    Have to agree, it was a major disappointment and I wouldn’t order it again. So so bland.

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