I ’m just gon na say it : Wingstop walked so these spicy nugget could go …
Hello, BuzzFeeders, sauce lovers, and chicken nugget connoisseurs alike! I’m Dannica, and if there’s one thing I love more than a chicken nugget, it’s the sauce I’m 100% dunking the chicken nugget in. So when I found out that Wendy’s AND KFC came out with their own versions of “saucy nuggets,” I dropped everything and, with my sisters' help, tried every single flavor. (Spoiler alert: I ended up with a total of 70 nuggets.)
Oh yes, it’s true! At Wendy’s, they’re churning out “Saucy Nuggs” by taking their ever-popular chicken nuggets and tossing them in one of seven (!) sauces: honey BBQ, spicy honey BBQ, garlic parm, spicy garlic parm, buffalo, spicy buffalo, and spicy ghost pepper. Starting at $2.79 for a 4-piece, these nuggets officially launched nationwide on 22 April 2025.
After the release of Wendy’s saucy nuggets, they quickly became popular on TikTok, with some videos and taste tests garnering over a million views. Considering Wendy’s original and spicy nuggets are so widely enjoyed (especially the spicy ones), I wasn’t surprised by the hype.
But wait! The plot thickens! In response to Wendy’s new release, KFC came to the chicken nugget boxing ring and dropped their OWN saucy nuggets in three new(ish) flavors: honey BBQ, honey sriracha, and Korean BBQ. KFC first introduced their saucy nuggets in March 2024 with five flavors but decided to kick off summer with three, with the addition of the new honey BBQ flavor. KFC’s saucy nuggets start at $7.49 for an 8-piece, and they were released on June 10 as well (dramaaa).
Now that I’ve covered the ~lore~, let’s get into the taste test! Considering KFC has only three flavors compared to Wendy’s seven, I’m going to rank each nugget by flavor first and then compare which nuggets are better overall. The ranking will range from 1 to 10, with 10 being “meh” and 1 being the pinnacle of saucy girl summer. Here’s the rubric I’m going to be judging the nuggets by:
Here’s what Wendy’s saucy nuggets look like:
And here are KFC’s:
Let’s start!
10.Wendy’s spicy ghost pepper nuggets:
OVERALL SCORE: 1.5/5 🍗
TBH , these nugget were only really sauced on the bottom . That said , they were n’t really saucy — but as a result , they were still circumstantially crispy ! The sauce itself was OK , but like I enunciate , I could n’t really enjoy it because it was too savory for my tasting . With that , I would n’t rank the specter white pepper nuggies again .
9.Wendy’s spicy garlic parm nuggets:
OVERALL SCORE: 2/5 🍗
These nuggets were a spate more sauced than the trace common pepper one , but considering they were so buttery , it was n’t the most pleasurable experience . They leave my lips feel tricky and oily , and the nugget lost their bite because of it . I wish I loved these nuggets more , but unfortunately , these will not be part of my saucy girl summertime .
8.KFC’s honey BBQ nuggets:
OVERALL SCORE: 2.8/5 🍗
deliberate the sizing and meatiness of the nugget , they kept a pretty exceptional crush on them . Because of the want of sauce , the classic ( and sapid ) KFC seasoning of the chicken peeked through , which gave the nuggets some brownie point in time . However , the lack of pertness plus the underwhelming honey BBQ look warranted a lower score from me . I would order again , but only if there were no other option .
7.Wendy’s garlic parm nuggets:
OVERALL SCORE: 3/5 🍗
The nugget were good , but due to their oleaginousness , I credibly could n’t have more than two . There was still a nice raciness to the nugget , and I appreciated the spicy garlic parm sauce more , consider it did n’t have to " fight " with the punchiness of the hot nuggets . I would place these nuggets again if I were take care for something quick , savory , and cheap to eat — especially after a drunken night out .
6.Wendy’s spicy honey BBQ nuggets:
OVERALL SCORE: 3.3/5 🍗
The spicy beloved BBQ nugget were n’t the best , but they were n’t the worst ! I loved the sauce flavor and remember that the nuggets retained their crunch just hunky-dory . I would grade these nuggets again , but there were other flavors that I just preferred much more .
5.Wendy’s buffalo nuggets:
OVERALL SCORE: 3.8/5 🍗
Buffalo is a adorable sauce , but compared to the other sauces ahead of this ranking , it ’s nothing but average . The nugget could ’ve been saucier , but they did keep their bite . All in all , though , these nugget would DEFINITELY be re - logical — and not as a last resort .
4.KFC’s Korean BBQ nuggets:
OVERALL SCORE: 4/5 🍗
These nuggets were so saucy that they deserve the title of Sauce King . Not only that , but the Korean BBQ sauce was so delish and saporous that there ’s no reason why I WOULDN’T order them again . These nugget were n’t top-notch crispy , but again , with how saucy and meaty they were , how could I blame them ? These nugget are definitely invite to the saucy summertime party .
3.Wendy’s spicy buffalo nuggets:
OVERALL SCORE: 4.3/5 🍗
These nuggets were fairly sauced up and tasted dandy with the buffalo sauce ! The two complimented each other well , and I ended up going in for seconds . The nuggets did n’t really keep their crisp , but either path , the buffalo saucy nuggets were a smash .
2.Wendy’s honey BBQ nuggets:
OVERALL SCORE: 4.5/5 🍗
I have intercourse everything about these nuggets . Though they were n’t top-notch saucy , as I allege before , the BBQ sauce is so wooden-headed and flavorous that I did n’t palpate like the nuggets require to be drenched in it . The nuggets were still crispy , too , and it made for a great bite . Would 100 % recommend hear !
Last but certainly not least, the overall best saucy nugget flavor among all 10 (!) was…
1.KFC’s honey sriracha nuggets:
OVERALL SCORE: 5/5 🍗
It ’s not saucy missy summertime without these nuggets , I venerate ! 10s across the board .
Before I declare an official winner, let’s take a deeper look at the material. Here are Wendy’s and KFC’s unsauced nuggets side-by-side:
Here’s another side-by-side:
Listen, I LOVE Wendy’s chicken nuggets, so I was kind of biased coming into this chicken nugget taste test. I rarely go to KFC, so I wasn’t familiar with their chicken nugget game until now, but I was pleasantly surprised! I know I shouldn’t have been because chicken is quite literally KFC’s specialty, but maybe deep down, I was low-key hoping Wendy’s would come out on top (especially after KFC’s disappointing honey BBQ).
All that said, the winner of the Saucy Nugget Showdown is… 👑 KFC! 👑
Wendy’s played a good game, but KFC ultimately stole the show with their meaty nuggets, flavorful and crisp breading, and overall sauciness. To me, KFC’s sauces had a lot more depth in terms of flavor, and the sauces had more cohesion taste-wise with the nuggets themselves. HOWEVER! I definitely don’t think that Wendy’s “Saucy Nuggs” were a flop.
However, Wendy’s inconsistent saucing of the nuggets, in addition to some of the sauces not tasting “right” with the chicken, is essentially what made Colonel Sanders the winner (Sorry, Wendy).
