Review: New McDonald's Chicken Big Mac Tempura Batter Creates Surprising Texture

Without question, the Big Mac from McDonald's is one of the most iconic burgers in fast food. Introduced in 1968, the Big Mac wasn't on the restaurant's original menu but quickly became a favorite among fans across the globe. The Big Mac features two patties on a sesame seed bun that's topped off with pickles, minced onions, shredded lettuce, a drizzle of the company's famous Big Mac sauce, and a slice of American cheese. The flavors combine to offer a bite that's savory and delightfully tangy from the sliced pickles and Big Mac sauce. But McDonald's is now offering a twist on its classic Big Mac to entice diners with a new concept.

The Chicken Big Mac is similar to the traditional Big Mac, but it axes the minced onions and swaps out the burger patties for two pieces of tempura-battered chicken. The end result is a double-decker crispy chicken burger with sliced pickles, Big Mac sauce, shredded lettuce, and American cheese. Considering the chicken sandwich wars in recent years, McDonald's entering the ring with a Chicken Big Mac is an interesting development that may seriously compete with fried chicken sandwiches at other popular fast food restaurants.

The Chicken Big Mac is available at McDonald's nationwide beginning on October 10th. The sandwich is currently being promoted as only available for a limited time, so there's no telling exactly how long it will be offered on the menu. If you want to give it a try for yourself and see what the buzz is about, you might want to pop in sooner than later. The price of the Chicken Big Mac may vary between locations, and it's expected to cost a little less than a classic Big Mac.

The Chicken Big Mac clocks in at 530 calories. It contains 25 grams of protein, 20 grams of fat, 4.2 grams of saturated fat, 8.5 grams of sugar, and 2.2 grams of salt.

The tempura-battered chicken patties on the sandwich are obviously the biggest change here. The most surprising part is the tempura coating, which stayed nice and crispy despite the Big Mac sauce, lettuce, and pickles. The patties are on the thin side, but the meat is flavorful, juicy, and tender. The sliced pickles and Big Mac sauce add their familiar tang to the sandwich, and the shredded lettuce adds some refreshing texture and crispness.

Overall, the Chicken Big Mac tastes exactly like I expected it to taste, which I think is a testament to its success. The combination of crispy chicken patties with the other classic Big Mac ingredients work very well together. I think fans of the classic Big Mac will definitely enjoy the Chicken Big Mac. This is a nice option for diners who want to switch it up and order chicken instead of beef.