Wendy's Spicy Chicken Nuggets - More Spice or Just More Salt?

Although sweet treats tend to be my indulgence of choice, I will not refuse treats of the saltier persuasion. Potato chips, pop corn, French fries, onion rings, and, yes, battered, fried chicken. McDonald's and Wendy's are well-known purveyors of such salty snacks, including their own interpretations of the "chicken nugget." There is a distinct difference between the two interpretations, in my opinion. Wendy's liberally seasons its nuggets, whereas Ronald & Friends offers a simpler product, letting the essence of the ingredients, whatever they may actually be, speak for itself. I always thought that the nuggets would be among the handful of items both burger joints would not mess with in their back kitchens, but Wendy's recently introduced a spicy version of its nugget. At less than a dollar fifty, I felt compelled to try it.

Most people have probably popped at least one fried chicken nugget in their lives - "nugget" meaning exactly what the term implies: hunk. Nugget of gold. Or in this case, nugget of chicken meat encased in golden batter. You're very conscious of the fact that the six bites in that yellow paper container have gone through a grueling regime to become "nuggets." Even so, when you're in a long, snaking line at Wendy's or McD's and time is of the essence, nuggets are a convenient, satisfying lunch or snack choice.

I was excited when I saw the six fiery brown nuggets, covered in a dense, ridged breading and speckled with peppery black flakes, set on my tray at Wendy's. They had the same hue as the wonderful spicy chicken sandwich, one of Wendy's true gems, so I figured that the taste might also equal that of the sandwich. I learned otherwise. The nuggets pack a respectful amount of heat for something produced in bulk, but the only distinct flavor was salt. They reminded me of college cafeteria nuggets that had been sitting in the metal tray long past the lunch rush. The "meat," though advertised as fresh white meat chicken, does not compare with the much moister and more flavorful breast meat used in the spicy chicken sandwich. I was disappointed and would opt for the traditional nuggets next time, or just splurge and go for the more complete experience: the spicy chicken sandwich with a schmear of mayo, lettuce, tomato, and soft bun straight out of the bag. It's the only way to do spicy chicken at Wendy's.