McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets

Stacks of Chicken McNuggets from McDonald's.

The famed Chicken McNuggets from McDonald’s are made with all white chicken meat that is breaded and fried. Choose from a variety of dipping sauces, such as Tangy Barbecue, Creamy Ranch, or Honey Mustard.

One serving of 6 Chicken McNuggets (excluding any sauce) has 250 calories, 15 grams fat, 15 grams carbohydrates, and 14 grams protein.

Read this guide for an in-depth overview of the nutrition facts, ingredients, and allergens in McDonald’s McNuggets.

McDonald’s McNuggets Nutritional Information

Nutrition facts are based on order size: four, six, or ten pieces.

Daily Value

Daily value (%DV) indicates how much of a nutrient is in the fast food nuggets, relative to the recommended limit for an individual who follows a 2,000 calorie daily diet.

Use the %DV to compare menu items and balance food choices throughout the day.

As shown in the chart below, six or more McDonald’s McNuggets delivers a high amount of sodium. The 10-piece order is also high in saturated fat.

% Daily Value

Use the %DV to determine if the food contains a low (5% or less) or high (20% or more) level of specific nutrients.
Red indicates %DV is high.

4 Nuggets

6 Nuggets

10 Nuggets

Saturated Fat

8%

12%

Sodium

15%

Added Sugars

0%

0%

0%

%DV based on 2,000 calories

  • 6 McNuggets contain 500mg sodium, 22% of the recommended 2,300mg limit
  • 10 McNuggets have 4 grams saturated fat, 20% of the 20 gram limit
Stack of four chicken nuggets from McDonald's.

Calories

Here is a summary of total calories by order size.

  • An order of 4 chicken McNuggets has 170 total calories
  • An order of 6 chicken McNuggets has 250 total calories
  • An order of 10 chicken McNuggets has 410 total calories
  • An order of 20 chicken McNuggets has 830 total calories
  • An order of 40 chicken McNuggets has 1,650 total calories
  • YOU SHOULD KNOW

There are about 40 calories per chicken nugget.

Review the table below for a summary of the calories by macronutrient in a 4-piece, 6-piece, and 10-piece order of McNuggets.

Calories by Macronutrient

4 Nuggets

6 Nuggets

10 Nuggets

Calories from Fat

90

135

215

Calories from Total Carbs

40

60

105

Calories from Protein

40

55

90

Total Calories

170

250

410

Stacks of chicken nuggets from McDonald's.

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

McDonald’s McNuggets

% calories from fat, carbs and protein
calories from fat
54%
calories from carbS
24%
calories from Protein
22%

The summary of calories by nutrient is a rounded estimate based on the nutrition facts provided by McDonald’s fast food restaurant. Actual calories may vary by location and with the addition of any dipping sauce.

ESTIMATED FITNESS TIME TO BURN 250 CALORIES (6 pieces)

  • Run 20 minutes
  • Walk 1 hours 20 minutes
  • Cycle 20 minutes

Dietary Fats

Review the following table for a summary of (i) total fat and saturated fat, (ii) the recommended daily limit, and (iii) the %DV in each serving size of chicken McNuggets.

Amount of Fat and Daily Value

Total Fat

10g

15g

24g

Daily Limit

78g

78g

78g

Daily Value

13%

19%

Saturated Fat

1.5g

2.5g

4g

Daily Limit

20g

20g

20g

Daily Value

8%

12%

Daily Limit and Daily Value per U.S. FDA general adult nutrition guidance based on 2,000 calories.

  • The amount of total fat and saturated fat in a 10-piece order is high.
McDonald's fried chicken nuggets with data table of nutrition facts.

Here are the nutrition facts for McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets, based on each order size: 4-pieces, 6-pieces, and 10-pieces.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Order of McNuggets (%DV)

Red indicates %DV is high.

4 Nuggets

6 Nuggets

10 Nuggets

Calories

170

250

410

Total Fat

10g (13%)

15g (19%)

24g (31%)

Saturated Fat

1.5g (8%)

2.5g (12%)

4g (20%)

Trans Fat

0g

0g

0g

Cholesterol

25mg (8%)

40mg (13%)

65mg (21%)

Sodium

340mg (15%)

500mg (22%)

850mg (37%)

Carbohydrates

10g (4%)

15g (6%)

26g (9%)

Total Sugars

0g

0g

0g

Added Sugars

0g (0%)

0g (0%)

0g (0%)

Protein

9g

14g

23g

%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.

  • YOU SHOULD KNOW

A single chicken nugget contains approximately 85 milligrams of sodium.

McDonald's chicken McNuggets with list of ingredients

McDonald’s Nuggets Ingredients and Allergens

Ingredients

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

Chicken Nuggets

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/or 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.

Sodium Acid Pryophosphate (SAPP) is an inorganic water-soluble compound comprised of sodium cations and pyrophosphate anion. It’s created by neutralizing phosphoric acid with sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate to create monosodium phosphate. Dehydrated monosodium phosphate is SAPP.

SAPP is commonly used as a leavening agent in breads or to enhance flavor in foods.

McDonald’s chicken McNuggets contain sodium acid pyrophosphate.

Stacks of Chicken McNuggets from McDonald's.

Brief Descriptions of Select 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.

If you have a food allergy, check the full allergen guide for McDonald’s menu. Consult with your physician before deciding which food is right for you.

Fast Food Chicken Nuggets

Nutrition Facts for Fast Food Nuggets

Here is a table summarizing the nutrition facts of chicken nuggets available at select fast food restaurants.

If viewing the chart below on a smaller device, click the plus icon to display additional information.

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

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

Nutrition facts and ingredients source: McDonald’s

  • Nuggets image courtesy of McDonald’s.
  • Original designs by Nutrition & Ingredients for purposes of research and commentary related to fast food nutrition.

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