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McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets (4 Pieces)

Stack of four chicken nuggets from McDonald's.

McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets are made with all white chicken meat. The fast food restaurant states that there are no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

Choose from various dipping sauces, including Creamy Ranch, Honey Mustard, or Tangy Barbecue, among others.

A 4 Piece order of nuggets has 170 calories, 10 grams fat, 10 grams carbohydrates, and 9 grams protein (excluding dipping sauce).

Read this guide for an in-depth overview of the nutritional information, ingredients, and allergens in a four-piece order of McDonald’s McNuggets.

McNuggets Nutritional Information

Nutritional information in this guide is based on a serving of four chicken McNuggets.

Nutrition Info

170 Calories

Serving 4 Nuggets

% Daily Value

Saturated Fat

8%

med

Sodium

15%

med

Added Sugars

0%

LOW

%DV based on 2,000 calories

Percentage daily value (% DV) illustrates how a nutrient per serving contributes to a daily diet of 2,000 calories.

Calories

One serving of four nuggets has 170 total calories.

Here is a summary of the number of calories per serving per macronutrient:

  • 90 calories from fat
  • 40 calories from total carbs
  • 40 calories from protein

Over half of the total calories are derived from dietary fat. Carbohydrates make up nearly one quarter of the total calories and the remaining 22% is from protein.

% Calories from Fat, Carbs and Protein

Calories
fat
54%
carbohydrates
24%
Protein
22%
Calories per Nugget

Based on the total calories for four McNuggets, each piece contains approximately 42 calories.

Total calories consumed will vary depending on choice of dipping sauce, if any.

ESTIMATED FITNESS TIME TO BURN 170 CALORIES

  • Play Racquetball 20 minutes
  • Play Golf (with cart) 40 minutes
  • Swim 25 minutes

Calories by Order Size

Chicken nuggets from McDonald’s can be ordered with various sizes, from four pieces to 40 pieces.

Here is a summary of the total calories in McDonald’s McNuggets by order size:

  • 4 piece order of McNuggets contains 170 total calories
  • 6 piece order of McNuggets contains 250 total calories
  • 10 piece order of McNuggets contains 410 total calories
  • 20 piece order of McNuggets contains 830 total calories
  • 40 piece order of McNuggets contains 1650 total calories
McDonald's fried chicken nuggets with data table of nutrition facts.
  • YOU SHOULD KNOW

A single chicken nugget contains approximately 42 calories.

Total Fat

One order of 4 McDonald’s chicken nuggets has 10 grams total fat, including 1.5 grams saturated fat.

SUMMARY OF DIETARY FAT PER SERVING

  • 90 calories from dietary fats (54% of total calories)
  • 15 calories from saturated fat
  • Zero trans fat

Sodium

Each serving of four Chicken McNuggets contains 340 milligrams of sodium.

Based on the nutrition facts per serving, each nugget contains approximately 80 to 85 milligrams of sodium.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 4 Pieces

Amount per serving

Calories

170

% Daily Value

Red indicates a high %DV.

Total Fat

10g

13%

Saturated Fat

1.5g

8%

Trans Fat

0g

Cholesterol

25mg

8%

Sodium

340mg

15%

Carbohydrates

10g

4%

Dietary Fiber

0g

1%

Total Sugars

0g

Added Sugars

0g

0%

Protein

9g

%DV based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calorie needs vary and your %DV may be higher or lower. Provided for informational purposes only. Consult with your physician for dietary or healthcare advice.

  • 340mg sodium per serving
Open box of McDonald's Chicken McNuggets with text list of ingredients.
There are 170 calories per serving of four McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets.

Chicken McNuggets Ingredients and Allergens

Ingredients

Here is the list of ingredients used to make McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets.

Ingredients: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 Oils used in preparation and cooking of McNuggets includes 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 from modified corn, wheat, rice, pea, and corn.
  • Baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and monocalcium phosphate are used for Leavening.

What is Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate?

Sodium Acid Pryophosphate (sometimes referred to as SAPP) is an inorganic water-soluble compound comprised of sodium cations and pyrophosphate anion.

The raw material in phosphates is phosphoric acid. SAPP is created through a manufactured process of neutralizing phosphoric acid with sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate.

The result is monosodium phosphate.  Dehydrated monosodium phosphate is SAPP.

It is commonly used in the food industry as a leavening acid in breads and other baked goods.

The additive produces gas and increases the volume of dough, which is the primary reason it’s an important additive in self-rising flour and baking powder.

In short, sodium acid pryophosphate is an inorganic compound used as leavening agent and/or to enhance flavor and color.

Other fast food menu items that contain sodium acid pyrophosphate include:

Brief Definitions of Certain Ingredients

  • Monocalcium Phosphate, an inorganic compound, is used as a leavening acid to react with baking soda and provide aeration and volume.
  • Niacin is a form of vitamin B3.
  • Thiamin Mononitrate is a nitrate salt form of Vitamin B1.
  • Dextrose, a type of sugar nearly identical to glucose usually derived from corn or wheat, is often used as an artificial sweetener or preservative.

Allergens

McDonald’s McNuggets are made with wheat.

Note that the product may also be cooked in a common fryer that is used to prepare other menu items that contain allergens.

Fast Food Chicken Nuggets Nutrition

The following data table summarizing the nutrition facts of chicken nuggets available at select fast food restaurants.

Use the small arrows in the top row to sort by restaurant, calories, fat, carbohydrates, or protein. If you’re viewing the table on a smaller screen, click the plus icon to expand the row and display additional data.

RestaurantMenu ItemCaloriesFatCarbsProteinSodium
Burger KingChicken Nuggets (4pc)19012g11g9g490mg
Burger KingChicken Nuggets (8pc)39025g23g18g990mg
Chick-fil-AChicken Nuggets (8pc)25011g11g27g1210mg
McDonald'sChicken McNuggets (6pc)25015g15g14g500mg
Wendy'sSpicy Chicken Nuggets (4pc)19012g9g10g480mg
Wendy'sSpicy Chicken Nuggets (6pc)28018g13g15g720mg
Wendy'sSpicy Chicken Nuggets (10pc)47031g22g26g1190mg
Wendy'sCrispy Nuggets (10pc)45029g23g25g950mg
Shake ShackChicken Bites (6pc)30019g15g17g780mg
Shake ShackChicken Bites (10pc)51032g26g29g1,300mg

Ingredients, allergens, and nutrition facts are based on available information as of the date this article was published and/or updated. Restaurants and food manufacturers may change their recipes without notice. Check directly with the food provider for the most accurate and up-to-date information. NutritionandIngredients.com does not provide health or wellness advice or dietary recommendations. Our aim is to research commercially processed food and publish articles for informational purposes only. Unless otherwise stated, % Daily Value is based on 2,000 calories per day, but calorie needs vary by individual. Always consult your physician for any healthcare or dietary advice.

Nutrition facts and ingredients source: McDonald’s

  • Image by Fritz Saalfeld, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • Nuggets image: McDonald’s
  • Original designs by Nutrition & Ingredients.

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