by Bottom Line: The new Saucy Nuggs from Wendy’s offer some tasty and spicy selections, especially the Ghost Pepper version.
Pretty much every fast food joint out there has chicken nuggets or tenders on the menu these days, often to appease youngsters, but adults tend to enjoy them as well. And with so many poultry pieces to choose from, a competition has sparked up lately to make these stand out in the drive-thru. Burger King kicks up its nuggets from time to time with Ghost Peppers and other spicy seasonings. McDonald’s brings back its spicy nuggets on a semi-regular basis, often paired with a scrumptious sauce. Now Wendy’s has added quite a selection of sauces to its chicken pieces to tempt people to come in and try its new “Saucy Nuggs.”
When it comes to fast food chicken nuggets, what you are getting is basically ground-up poultry (all parts of the bird, though some places like McDonald’s focus on the breast meat) that is breaded and deep-fried. The Golden Arches got the jump on this fast food delicacy back in the early ’80s, and the other chains followed their lead. I have to admit that I have never been a huge fan of Ronald’s chicken bites, but I have always enjoyed the ones fried up by Wendy’s. They have a crunchier crust and good seasoning, and the chicken inside is tender and flavorful. Even better are their spicy nuggets that have a nice kick to them, and they are a (mostly) permanent item on the menu.
Apparently, that chain has decided to put its nuggets front and center these days and is tempting people to the drive-thru with seven sauces for its new Saucy Nuggs lineup: Honey BBQ, Garlic Parm, Buffalo, Spicy Honey BBQ, Spicy Garlic Parm, Spicy Buffalo, and Spicy Ghost Pepper. I decided to try the two hottest options, and here are the official descriptions of those:
Spicy Buffalo: Wendy’s Spicy Buffalo delivers an intense kick balanced by a subtle tang of vinegar that won’t disappoint.
Spicy Ghost Pepper: Time to kick it up a notch (or two) with Wendy’s unique Spicy Ghost Pepper sauce! An intensely spicy experience with a lingering depth that only the Queen of Spice can create. This sauce is perfect for the adventurous person who wants to dial it up on the spice-o-meter.
The Spicy Buffalo is strong on the tang, almost to the point of being overpowering. The vinegar pucker delivers a punch with not much sweetness to act as a balance, and these actually worked much better when paired with the Bleu Cheese Sauce (which is Ken’s Steak House brand and quite good). Note also that they apparently let the nuggets sit in that sauce for a while, which takes away much of the crunch. As for the heat, these worked their way to about Medium on my scale, and they made my lips tingle.
The Spicy Ghost Pepper Nuggs are the winner, though, especially if you are looking for some heat. These have a nice peppery flavor with a bit of earthiness and just the right amount of salt. Not much tang or sweetness, but the flavor is quite good. This sauce is something they have used on other items, and hopefully they will keep it around. The first bite of these nuggets does not seem too hot, but they build up pretty quickly, getting to Hot on my scale, and that blue cheese is great to have on the side to cool things down a bit. These deliver some notable heat for a drive-thru selection, and the average mortal will struggle with eating six of these.
Nutrition-wise, a six-piece order of the Spicy Buffalo Nuggs comes in at 320 calories, while a six-piece of the Spicy Ghost Pepper pieces tallies up to 490 calories (not certain why there is such a difference between the two). That’s not terrible for the drive-thru, especially for the Buffalo nuggets and if you get only one of the two (or two four-piece orders which come to 220 calories and 400 calories respectively). You can add on a medium order of fries (Wendy’s has really good fries) for only 350 more calories, and you don’t have to plan too much extra time in the gym after indulging in this spicy fast food treat.
The Saucy Nuggs are not being advertised as a limited-time-only selection, so perhaps they will be around for a while. And I certainly hope that they make at least the Ghost Pepper Nuggs a permanent item because those could become a go-to fast food item for me. But I recommend checking them out now because you never know how long things will stick around in the drive-thru. At some point, I will give the other spicy flavors a try (assuming they don’t head back to Limited-Time-Only-Ville), but I will also certainly get a shooter of the Ghost Pepper Nuggs to top things off.
Nutrition Info:
Spicy Buffalo Nuggs
Serving Size: 6 Nuggets
Calories: 320
Fat: 22g (4.5g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 15g
Carbs: 15g
Sodium: 1640mg
Spicy Ghost Pepper Nuggs
Serving Size: 6 Nuggets
Calories: 490
Fat: 40g (8g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 16g
Carbs: 17g
Sodium: 1130mg
