First came the Chicken Big Mac. Now, McDonald's is planning for even more chicken offerings in the years to come, officials revealed during the Chicago-based burger chain's Q4 earnings call this week.
The news about doubling down on chicken comes as McDonald's says the chain's "performance did not meet expectations in 2024," with its global sales decreasing 0.1% for the full year. In the U.S., sales were down 1.4% in Q4 following the impact of a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to slivered onions on Quarter Pounder burgers that sickened nearly 50 people across the U.S., McDonald's officials said.
According to the Chicago-based burger chain, the company sees significant opportunity within its "chicken portfolio" by 2026. The chain's McCrispy sandwich, which rolled out last year and features crinkle-cut pickles, will be available in all markets by the year's end, McDonald's President and CEO Chris Kempczinski said.
Kempczinski reiterated McDonald's plan to add fan-favorite Snack Wraps onto menus in 2025, and revealed the chain has plans to launch a "new chicken strip offering." No further details about either were provided.
"My U.S. team would kill me if I gave any more details about the when and the exact specifics of how we're going to plan on doing that, but certainly expect that to come online later in the year," Kempczinski said in response to a question.
In December of 2024, McDonald's teased at Snack Wraps returning in 2025 in an Instagram post.
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The snack wrap was pulled from menus in 2016, though some versions remained on select international menus. TODAY.com reported McDonald’s had chicken strips on the menu in the form of "Chicken Selects," but the item was discontinued in 2015. In 2017, McDonald's introduced Buttermilk Crispy Tenders in 2017, but they were removed from menus in 2020.
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