McDonald’s Keeps Refreshing Its Menu and Bringing Back Iconic Dishes
McDonald’s is well-known for constantly updating its menu, launching new items while reviving old fan-favourites. Recently, the fast-food giant introduced the Minecraft Movie Meal – an “adult version” of the Happy Meal, complete with a collectible toy.
However, there’s one nostalgic item that many fans have been longing to taste again — despite it having disappeared from the UK menu over 40 years ago. That item is none other than the Onion Nuggets, first introduced in 1976 in the US and UK — even before the famous Chicken McNuggets appeared in 1984.
Onion Nuggets – McDonald’s Controversial Yet Unique Menu Item
Before Chicken McNuggets became a household name, McDonald’s offered Onion Nuggets – deep-fried battered chunks of onion. This dish was intended to be a vegetarian-friendly option for customers who didn’t want to order a burger.
Despite its innovative idea, Onion Nuggets failed to win over many customers, as people seemed to prefer classic onion rings. After a few years on the menu, McDonald’s decided to remove them.
Interestingly, the iconic Chicken McNuggets were actually inspired by this very product. René Arend, McDonald’s former product development chef, began working on Chicken McNuggets in 1979 after Chairman Fred Turner proposed the idea. The chicken version eventually launched in the 1980s.
Onion Nuggets Go Viral Again Despite Being a “Failed” Item
Although Onion Nuggets were once considered a failed product, they’ve recently made a surprising comeback online, with many Reddit users calling for McDonald’s to bring them back.
Some of the amusing comments include:
“I would absolutely demolish a 20-piece of these – they should definitely return.”
“They sound pretty tasty, although they seem like the laziest onion rings ever. Just hack them into chunks and fry them!”
However, not everyone is convinced. Some users described Onion Nuggets as “cursed”, “disgusting”, and “something that makes me gag.”
This nostalgic discussion comes as McDonald’s celebrated its 50th anniversary in the UK in 2024. The brand also reminded customers of another long-forgotten menu item from the 1990s — McPizza, an 8-inch personal pizza that came in three flavours: Cheese, Cheese & Pepperoni, and Deluxe.