McDonald’s on Thursday pulled the cover off its first new menu item since 2021, saying it plans to introduce a line of chicken strips as it works to compete more directly with a rapidly growing segment of chicken chains.
The Chicago-based fast-food giant said that it plans to start selling McCrispy Strips starting on May 5, an extension of the chain’s McCrispy sandwich and the first item the company has added since that sandwich made its debut four years ago.
The company also plans a new sauce, Creamy Chili Dip, which it says has savory, sweet and tangy elements.
The strips are made with white meat, breading and feature a new black pepper flavor. They will be sold in three or four pieces.
The item is McDonald’s latest foray into the chicken market, which has thrived in recent years thanks to the performance of fast-casual chains like Raising Cane’s, Wingstop and Dave’s Hot Chicken—three of the fastest-growing chains in the U.S.
Sales at fast-casual chicken chains on the Technomic Top 1,500 grew 24% in 2024.
McDonald’s has been pushing hard into the chicken market in recent years with the McCrispy line and the Chicken Big Mac last year. But many of those high-growth chains, including Cane’s and Dave’s, sell chicken tenders or strips.
“The demand for chicken strips has been remarkable to see across the industry, so we knew we had to deliver something so craveable it was worth the wait,” Alyssa Buetikofer, chief marketing and customer experience officer for McDonald’s, said in a statement.
She added that the company deliberately took its time to perfect the item and “created a product we knew they would crave.”
“And the best part is, we’re just getting started,” she added.
The product should also pave the way for the return of Snack Wraps, something the company said would return to menus this year. McDonald’s discontinued that item in 2016 as part of an effort to simplify the menu. Customers—and franchisees—have been pushing for a return more recently.
McDonald’s preferred to sell that item with a chicken strip, rather than its Chicken McNuggets.
The company’s press release does not mention Snack Wraps, but the press release at the end does offer something of a hint, saying, “and that’s a wrap … at least for now.”
“When we introduce a new menu item like McCrispy Strips, we know we have a big promise to fulfill to meet our customers’ expectations,” Cesar Pina, SVP and chief supply chain officer for McDonald’s, said in a statement.
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