Ingredients in 6 Popular Fast Food Chicken Nuggets

ByNutrition & Ingredients Updated:
Many chicken nuggets in background with list of ingredients used in fast food restaurants.

Today we take a look at the many ingredients found in fast food chicken nuggets. We selected six of the top fast food restaurants in the nation measured by popularity and sales.

Although Burger King nuggets are highly popular, we excluded them from our report because the restaurant does not publish ingredients by menu item.

Stacks of chicken nuggets from McDonald's.

Ingredients Guide

This guide provides lists of ingredients in chicken nuggets for select fast food restaurants:

  • Chick-fil-A
  • Dairy Queen
  • KFC
  • McDonald’s
  • Popeyes
  • Wendy’s

Definitions of Select Ingredients

Here are brief definitions of ingredients that are common in processed foods, but not generally well known to guests of the restaurants.

  • Dimethlypolysiloxane is a silicone-based polymer. It’s commonly used as an antifoaming agent when frying foods in oil.
  • Used in nuggets from Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, and Wendy’s.
  • Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), the sodium salt of amino acid glutamic acid, is produced by the fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane or molasses.
  • Used in nuggets from Chick-fil-A, KFC, and Popeyes.
  • Sorbitan Monostearate (SMS, Span 60), made from a sugar alcohol derived from corn or fruit and animal fats, is primarily used as an emulsifier to enhance the activation of yeast. It’s often found in mayo, sauces, and bread.
  • Used by Dairy Queen.
  • Tricalcium Phosphate is used as an anti-caking agent.
  • Used by KFC.

Common Ingredients

In addition to the less well-known ingredients listed above, many of the formulations use common ingredients, including salt, seasoning, and vegetable oils.

Common Ingredients used by all Six Restaurants
Chicken, Chicken Breast, or Chicken Tenderloin, Rib Meat
Flour enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid.
Leavening with sodium bicarbonate (may also include sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, and/or sodium aluminum sulfate)
Salt and Spices
Vegetable Oils (may include soybean, peanut, canola, and/or partially hydrogenated soybean oils)
Chicken nugget pieces with text list of ingredients.

List of Ingredients by Restaurant

Chick-fil-A

  • Contains MSG
  • Contains Dimethylpolysiloxane
  • Made with egg, wheat and peanut oil

Here is the complete list of ingredients in Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets.

Chick-fil-A Nuggets Ingredients

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Meat Nuggets, Enriched Bleached Flour, Fully Refined Peanut Oil (with dimethylpolysiloxane, an anti-foam agent), Sugar, Salt, Monosodium Glutamate, Pasteurized Nonfat Dry Milk, Leavening, Spices, Water, Soybean Oil, Paprika, Pasteurized Egg

  • Enriched Bleached Flour includes malted barley flour, niacin, iron thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid.
  • Sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate are used for Leavening.
Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets with summary of macronutrients.
Chick-fil-A Nuggets

Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen’s chicken strips are breaded and fried in vegetable oil. Here is the complete list of ingredients. The strips are part of the restaurant’s chicken strip basket.

Dairy Queen Chicken Strips Ingredients

Chicken

Uncooked Chicken Tenderloin Fritters containing a solution of Water, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Salt, Sodium Phosphates

Breading

Unbleached and Enriched Wheat Flour, Water, Bleached Enriched Wheat Flour, Modified Corn Starch, Yellow Corn flour, Salt, Spices, Leavening, Bread Crumbs, Onion Powder, Soybean Oil, Paprika

  • The Unbleached and Enriched Wheat Flour and the Bleached Enriched Wheat Flours include niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid.
  • Sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate, and monocalcium phosphate are used for Leavening.
  • Bread Crumbs are made with Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour, corn syrup solids, dried yeast, soybean oil, salt, mono and diglycerides, malted barley flour, ammonium sulfate, calcium propionate, and sorbitan monostearate.

Wheat flour, sodium bicarbonate, and corn starch are used by multiple restaurants.

KFC

  • Breading used for KFC Tenders contains MSG

Here is the list of ingredients in the KFC Extra Crispy Tenders.

KFC Extra Crispy Chicken Ingredients

Food

Chicken Tenderloins (or Chicken Breast Strips) containing up to 25% of a solution of Water, Seasoning, Potassium Phosphates, Sodium Phosphates

  • Seasoning includes modified potato starch, salt, onion powder, chicken flavor, and spice extractive.
  • The Chicken Flavor is made with maltodextrin, autolyzed yeast extract, chicken fat, and dehydrated cooked chicken.

Breading

Wheat Flour, Salt, Tricalcium Phosphate, Spices, Monosodium Glutamate, Corn Starch, Sodium Bicarbonate, Garlic Powder, Canola Oil, Citric Acid, Natural Flavorings, Sugar, Corn Syrup Solids, Calcium Silicate (added as an Anti Caking Agent) and may also include Modified Corn Starch and Spice Extractives.

McDonald’s

  • Vegetable starch used in McNuggets includes pea starch.

Here is the list of ingredients in McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets.

Ingredients in McNuggets

White Boneless Chicken, Water, Vegetable Oil, Enriched Flour, Bleached Wheat Flour, Yellow Corn Flour, Vegetable Starch, Salt, Leavening, Spices, Yeast Extract, Lemon Juice Solids, Dextrose, Natural Flavors

  • Vegetable Oil includes one or more of the following: canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, and hydrogenated soybean oil.
  • Enriched Flour includes bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid.
  • Vegetable Starch is made with modified corn, wheat, rice, pea, and corn.
  • Baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and monocalcium phosphate are used for Leavening.

If you have a food allergy, check the list of allergens in McDonald’s foods and consult with your physician before deciding which menu item is right for you.

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

  • Contains BHT, MSG, Dimethylpolysiloxane, and artificial colors
  • Popeyes’ nuggets are not dairy-free. The batter contains nonfat dry milk.

The breading is set in vegetable oil and the nuggets are cooked in beef tallow.

Here are the ingredients in the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen’s Chicken Nuggets.

Popeyes Chicken Nuggets Ingredients

Chicken Tenders

Boneless Chicken Breast Strips contains solution of Water, Seasoning, Modified Food Starch, Sodium Phosphate, Carrageenan, Chicken Broth, Mild Seasoning

  • Seasoning includes modified corn starch, salt, natural flavor, monosodium glutamate, onion powder, garlic powder, maltodextrin.
  • Mild Seasoning includes modified corn starch, monosodium glutamate, salt, dried onion, dried garlic, dried celery and spices including paprika, natural flavor (oleoresin capsicum, polysorbate 80 added for emulsion and stability)

Batter

Water, Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Salt, Sugar, Yellow #5, Yellow #6, Red #40, Soybean Oil, Mustard, Dried Whole Eggs, Nonfat Dried Milk, Powdered Cellulose, Corn Syrup Solids, Sodium Bicarbonate, Natural Flavor

  • Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour includes niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid.

Shortening

Beef Fat, BHT, Citric Acid, Dimethylpolysiloxane

Box of Popeyes chicken tenders and text list of ingredients.

Wendy’s

Here is the list of ingredients in Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Nuggets.

Wendy’s Spicy Nuggets Ingredients

Chicken

Chicken Breast with Rib Meat, Water, Seasoning, Sodium Phosphates

  • Seasoning includes salt, natural flavors (including extractives of celery seed), and spices.

Breading

Wheat Flour, Water, Modified Corn Starch, Salt, Wheat Gluten, Spice, Gum Arabic, Extractives of Paprika, Yellow Corn Flour, Leavening, Yeast, Natural Flavors, Sugar, Breading Set in Vegetable Oil

  • Sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate are used for Leavening in the Breading.

Cooking Oil

Soybean, Canola, Corn and/or Cottonseed, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Dimethylpolysiloxane

Wendy's spicy chicken nuggets and list of ingredients.

Nutrition facts, prices, and ingredients are based on available information as of the date of publication. Restaurants and food manufacturers may change recipes or formulations without notice. Check package labels and ask the product manufacturer or restaurant for the most up-to-date information. Unless otherwise stated, %DV is based on a 2,000 calorie diet. All reports and reviews published on this site are for informational purposes only. NutritionandIngredients.com does not provide healthcare advice or dietary recommendations. Always consult your licensed physician for any healthcare or dietary advice.

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