You’re standing at the counter, or maybe staring at the glowing kiosk screen, and the craving hits. You want that specific crunch. Not a nugget. Not a sandwich. You want the McDonald’s crispy chicken strips because, honestly, when they’re on the menu, they’re arguably the best thing the Golden Arches makes. But then you see it. Or rather, you don't see it. The spot on the menu where they usually live is empty, replaced by a generic "Selects" ad or a new spicy nugget promo.
It’s frustrating.
McDonald’s has a weird, almost rocky relationship with its chicken strips. They come, they go, they get renamed, and they get "retired" only to pop up again three years later during a random Tuesday in April. It’s not just your imagination; the supply chain and menu strategy behind these strips is a logistical headache that involves everything from kitchen fryer capacity to global poultry prices.
The Identity Crisis: Strips vs. Selects vs. Tenders
Let's clear something up right now. Depending on how old you are or where you live, you might call these "Chicken Selects." That was the original branding back in the early 2000s. They were marketed as the premium, "adult" version of the McNugget. Then they vanished around 2013. Then they came back as Buttermilk Crispy Tenders in 2017.
The name McDonald’s crispy chicken strips is the umbrella most of us use, but the recipe has actually shifted over the decades. The 2017 relaunch was a massive deal for the company. They moved away from the more processed feel of the original Selects and leaned into a buttermilk brine. It worked. People went feral for them. In fact, they were so popular that McDonald’s actually had trouble keeping up with the demand, leading to several localized shortages before the pandemic eventually knocked them off the national menu entirely.
Why does the name matter? Because it dictates the breading. The "Selects" era was known for a pepper-heavy, slightly darker breading. The "Buttermilk" era brought a lighter, flakier crunch. If you see them on a menu today, usually in international markets like the UK or as a limited-time test in the US, they tend to lean toward that buttermilk profile.
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What’s Really Under the Breading?
People love to joke about "mystery meat" at fast-food joints, but the reality is more mundane—and actually a bit more interesting. McDonald’s crispy chicken strips are made from whole-muscle white meat. Specifically, the tenderloin. This is the strip of meat located on the underside of the chicken breast. It’s naturally more tender than the rest of the breast, which is why it doesn't need to be ground up like a nugget.
If you look at the ingredient list from the last major national rollout, you’ll find skinless chicken tenderloins, water, and salt as the primary components. The "crispy" part comes from a double-dredge process.
The batter usually contains:
- Wheat flour
- Vegetable oil (canola, corn, soybean)
- Modified food starch
- Leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate)
- Spices and lemon juice solids
The lemon juice is the secret. It’s not there to make it taste like fruit; the acidity helps break down the proteins in the flour, resulting in a breading that shatters when you bite it rather than being chewy or doughy.
The Logistics of the Disappearing Act
You might wonder why McDonald’s would ever remove a popular item. It seems like bad business, right? Well, it’s about "Complexity vs. Throughput."
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McDonald’s is a machine built for speed. Every second a car sits at the drive-thru window costs the franchise money. McDonald’s crispy chicken strips take longer to cook than McNuggets. Nuggets are thin and uniform; they fry fast. Strips are thick, irregular, and require more space in the fryer vats. When a kitchen is slammed at 12:15 PM, those strips create a bottleneck.
During 2020, McDonald’s famously slashed its menu to "simplify operations." The strips were one of the biggest casualties. By removing items that took longer to prep or had shorter shelf lives in the warming bins, they were able to shave nearly 30 seconds off drive-thru times. In the world of fast food, 30 seconds is an eternity.
Comparing the Global Versions
If you’re a superfan, you might have noticed that the UK version of the "Chicken Selects" is legendary. They’ve stayed on the menu there almost consistently. Why? Part of it is consumer preference—the UK and European markets have a much higher demand for "premium" chicken items compared to the US, where the McDouble and standard McNugget still reign supreme.
In the UK, the strips are often served with a "Sour Cream and Chive" dip that has a cult following of its own. In the US, the gold standard was always the Signature Sauce, which was basically a creamy, tangy blend that tasted like a mix of honey mustard and BBQ. When the strips left, the sauce usually left with them, much to the chagrin of everyone who realized it was the best thing in the dipping cup lineup.
The Nutritional Reality Check
Look, nobody goes to McDonald's for a salad anymore (literally, they removed most of those too). But it's worth knowing what you're actually consuming.
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A 3-piece order of these strips typically clocks in around 480 to 500 calories. That sounds manageable until you realize that doesn’t include the dipping sauce or the fries. Each strip is effectively a vehicle for sodium. You're looking at roughly 1,200mg to 1,500mg of sodium for a 4-piece order. That’s more than half of the FDA’s daily recommended limit in about four minutes of eating.
The fat content is also higher than the nuggets because the craggy, flaky breading has more surface area to soak up the frying oil. It’s what makes them taste good, but it’s also what makes them a "sometimes" food.
Why the "Hype" Cycles Exist
McDonald’s has mastered the art of the "Limited Time Offer" (LTO). By bringing the McDonald’s crispy chicken strips back only occasionally, they create a sense of urgency. It's the McRib strategy. If something is always available, it’s just lunch. If it’s only here for six weeks, it’s an event.
There’s also the "halo effect." When people come in for the strips, they usually buy a large fry, a drink, and maybe a pie. Even if the profit margin on the chicken itself is slim because of the cost of whole-muscle breast meat, the "attach rate" of other items makes it a win for the franchisees.
How to Score Them Right Now
If you are currently craving them and your local app says "not available," you have a few options.
- Check the App Regularly: McDonald’s often tests items in specific regions (like parts of the Midwest or the South) before a national rollout.
- The "McCrispy" Hack: While not exactly the same, the McCrispy sandwich uses a similar whole-muscle breast fillet. It’s the closest texture you’ll get to the strips.
- International Travel: If you find yourself in Canada or the UK, they are almost always a permanent fixture. It’s a weird perk of travel, but hey, it works.
The future of McDonald’s crispy chicken strips in the US remains a "wait and see" situation. Internal memos from 2024 and 2025 have hinted at a return of more premium chicken options to compete with brands like Popeyes and Chick-fil-A, who have been eating McDonald's lunch in the "chicken wars."
Actionable Ways to Handle Your Chicken Craving
- Audit your local McDonald’s app: Don't just look at the "Deals" section. Scroll down to "Chicken & Fish." Sometimes items are available for order via the app even if they aren't on the physical drive-thru board yet.
- Ask about "Selects": If you’re at a franchise that seems to have a larger-than-normal menu, ask the cashier if they have the strips. Occasionally, older franchises or those in high-traffic travel hubs carry "extended" menus that aren't advertised nationally.
- The Sauce Substitute: If you miss the "Signature Sauce" that went with the strips, try mixing one packet of Tangy BBQ with one packet of Honey Mustard and a smear of Creamy Ranch. It’s surprisingly close to the original 2017 flavor profile.
- Monitor the "Chicken McCrispy" line: McDonald's is currently pivoting their entire chicken strategy under the "McCrispy" sub-brand. Any future version of the crispy strips will likely be launched under this name, so keep an eye out for "McCrispy Tenders" or "McCrispy Strips" in marketing materials.