Buzz
Two years after unveiling the McPlant Burger, McDonald’s is now offering a meat-free version of another iconic fast food item. According to the Associated Press, the company is adding vegetarian McPlant Nuggets to their German menu.
In partnership with Beyond Meat, the California-based plant-based meat company, McDonald’s has developed an alternative to its chicken McNuggets. The new nuggets are made from ingredients like peas, corn, and wheat, then coated in tempura batter and deep-fried, offering a taste and texture nearly identical to the classic nuggets.
Customers outside Germany will have to wait before trying the new item. McDonald’s plans to roll it out in over 1400 restaurants in Germany on February 22, following a limited test in the Stuttgart region last August. The company will monitor the response before deciding whether to introduce the nuggets to other markets. Other plant-based options have struggled to stay on McDonald’s U.S. menu: the McPlant Burger test ended in 2022, and U.S. customers are still awaiting news of its national launch.
While the new item might appear to be a bold addition to McDonald’s menu, the company has a history of testing similar offerings. In the late 1970s, select U.S. locations sold Onion Nuggets, which, like the current version, were deep-fried and meat-free. These were eventually phased out in favor of the chicken McNuggets we know today, but the vegetarian nuggets came first. To discover more, check out additional facts about the fast food giant here.
