McDonald's McCrispy Strips have finally arrived at some restaurant locations—and the new chicken menu item has already firmly divided fans. On April 22, food blogger Snackolator took to Instagram to share with followers that McCrispy Strips have already started arriving at the Golden Arches—with a wider release rolling out on April 29. "The wait is almost over - Chicken Strips are BACK at McDonald's with a new dip!" they declared in the caption. Snackolator added, "Super excited for the McCrispy Strips at McDonald's because that means Snack Wraps are headed our way soon! Are you grabbing chicken strips from McDonald's?!"
In the comments, some fans were thrilled by the news. "Omgg yess," one Instagram user exclaimed. Another shared, "YOU KNOW IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS." Someone else echoed, "Yummy I can’t wait to try them out 😍😍😍." However, other McDonald's enthusiasts were completely underwhelmed by the McCrispy Strips. Many compared them to the Chicken Selects, which were discontinued in the U.S. in 2013. "This is not giving Chicken Select … they can keep it," one disappointed fan shared. "This is not the chicken selects!" another aptly pointed out. "These look like elementary school floppy chicken tenders," someone else commented as another agreed, writing, "So just like the McCrispy sandwich, these too won’t be crispy??"
Meanwhile, one McDonald's customer who already tried the new McCrispy Strips gave a lackluster review, sharing, "I have tried it the tenders themselves aren't anything special kinda reminds me of Zaxby's. And the sauce is ok I think its a bit too sweet. A regular buffalo would probably be better with them." At least fans still have the McDonald's Snack Wrap to look forward to; the Golden Arches teased the big return via X with a message that read, "snack wraps 0x.14.2025." Hopefully, the reviews on the remake are a bit more positive.
Not only is the popular fast-food joint finally bringing its long-awaited McCrispy Chicken Strips to participating restaurant locations in the U.S., it's debuting a creamy dipping sauce that packs a kick, according to those who've tried it. McDonald's new Creamy Chili McCrispy Strip Dip sauce is "savory, slightly tangy, sweet with a hint of chili pepper heat and a nutty toasted sesame finish," according to an official description. And like most other sauces offered by the chain, customers can add it to any order to use as a dip for fries or slather over their burger.
Those near Golden Arches locations that have been able to roll out the new menu item and its accompanying sauce ahead of schedule are rushing there to try it, as reviews have touted it as a "solid nine out of 10." One food blogger boldly declared the McCrispy Strips and dip combo to be better than its competitor Raising Cane's, which fans did not take lightly, as one teased, "Something from McDonald’s tasting better than Raising Canes is a serious allegation I need to investigate 😂😂😂." "Nooooo not better than Cane's!!😮😂😂," a second quipped. "That’s my favorite."
McDonald's Creamy Chili McCrispy Strip Dip is expected to be available at locations nationwide by the end of the month, as are the McCrispy Chicken Strips, if not already. The new item has also sparked a resurgence of interest in the Snack Wrap, with one social media user joking that this was the natural "next step to our glorious snack wraps"–and from the latest developments, they may not be wrong as it looks like they could officially announce the return any day now.
As excitement builds, McDonald's continues to drop hints about the return of its cult favorite Snack Wraps. While the Snack Wrap won't be available until later in the year, another chicken item is returning to the fast-food giant much sooner. McCrispy strips will be available nationwide on April 29, and some locations have already started serving them, according to fast-food influencer Snackolator. The McCrispy strips come as a three- or four-piece combo with the choice of two dipping sauces.
According to a food review of the strips posted at Burger Beast, the available dipping sauces include Creamy Chili, Spicy Buffalo, Hot Mustard, and Nether Flame. The three-piece combo costs $4.99 and the four-piece for $5.99, though prices may vary by market. McDonald's has been coy about revealing when its fan-favorite Snack Wraps will return. The chain's latest clue dropped on social media was "0x.14.2025," hinting that the wraps would return before October at the latest.
The Snack Wrap debuted in 2006, before being discontinued in 2016. Some restaurants continued to serve it until 2020, when it was removed from the menu to simplify McDonald's offerings during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Food Network. The basic Snack Wrap is a chicken breast with lettuce, cheese, and sauce wrapped in a flour tortilla.
McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said that the company is setting its sights on expanding chicken offerings in its stores and wants to "increase its market share in the chicken category by the end of 2026," according to Quartz. "We’ll continue to roll out the McCrispy, and there’s incredible energy around the return of Snack Wraps in the U.S., alongside new offerings like chicken strips and the limited-time Chicken Big Mac," Kempczinski said in the call. He hinted that customers could expect the new items to "come online later in the year."
Other items like the Chicken Big Mac have proven successful enough to help McDonald's chicken market share in the U.S. and France, and Kempczinski noted that McDonald's plans to continue rolling out the Chicken Big Mac as a limited-time offering. With 613 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio alone, only California, Texas, Florida, and Illinois have more locations than the Buckeye State, making it a key area for the fast-food chain.
As the countdown to the McCrispy Strips' nationwide launch continues, fans are eagerly anticipating their chance to try this new offering and hoping for the return of the beloved Snack Wrap soon after. The excitement is palpable, and it seems that McDonald's is ready to make a significant impact on the chicken market with these new additions.
