McDonald’s is constantly changing its menu. We’ve seen countless new items, from pizza in the 80s to the chicken tenders years later. Therefore, there are many items McDonald’s no longer sells.
The McBites are one of these foods. While these small popcorn chicken pieces were once available at all US McDonald’s locations, they are no longer. If you want to learn more about this discontinued item, keep reading!
What Are McDonald’s McBites?
McBites were available at McDonald’s starting in 2012 and discontinued at most American locations in March 2013; still, they’re available in other countries, like Australia in [currentyear]. Often, a fish variant called fish McBites are sold alongside McBites. Occasionally, a spicy variant is sold. Sometimes, this variant is available for a limited time in the US.
For pricing information and suggestions on why McBites were discontinued, look at the rest of this article!
Why Did McDonald’s Stop Selling McBites?
Originally, McBites were only supposed to stay around as a Lent item. However, McDonald’s decided to keep them around for longer thanks to their popularity.
After a time, they were pulled from the US market.
However, you can still get these McBites in other areas. For instance, they are available in Australia and New Zealand.
Also, while the company never explained why it decided to pull them from its menu, there are a few theories.
For one, the McBites were more expensive than most things on the McDonald’s menu, which may have led to lower sales.
That said, many people were unwilling to purchase more expensive McBites when you could buy nuggets for cheaper.
On the other hand, it could be because McBites were too similar to nuggets. Overall, McDonald’s tries hard to keep its menu simple.
Therefore, McDonald’s avoids redundancy as much as possible. It could be that McBites simply didn’t bring enough to the table.
Does McDonald’s Still Have Fish McBites?
No, McDonald’s does not have fish McBites in the US. While fish McBites are available in many other countries, the product is no longer sold in America.
In fact, the McBites have not been sold in America since March 2013, when both variants of McBites were discontinued.
So, while the chicken McBites live on in many other countries, the fish McBites are a much smaller offering.
For example, they are primarily available in communities that celebrate Lent, when fish is one of the few types of meat observers can eat.
Can You Still Get Chicken McBites?
Yes, you can get chicken McBites in some countries. However, the United States is not one of them. Instead, you’ll need to head to Australia, New Zealand, or another country with McBites.
That said, it is unknown why American McDonald’s stores no longer carry this popcorn chicken.
However, it could be that McBites did not catch on in America the same way they caught on in other areas.
Furthermore, McDonald’s tries hard to keep its menu simple, which helps it serve customers faster; McBites may not be different enough from McNuggets.
Did McDonald’s Ever Sell Popcorn Chicken?
Yes. McDonald’s once sold popcorn chicken called McBites. When released, both chicken and fish versions were available.
Further, the fish option was largely to appeal to religious customers celebrating Lent, when fish is one of the few types of meat they can eat.
At one point, there was also a spicy McBites option made with chicken. That said, this product has come back a few times since the McBites were discontinued.
Of course, the McBites aren’t the only thing McDonald’s discontinued, as many items are no longer available at McDonald’s.
With that, some are dearly missed, while others are barely remembered.
How Much Did McBites Cost?
When released, McBites cost $2 for the smaller size. Of course, many customers purchased the bigger size. Also, spicy and fish McDonald’s McBites cost the same price.
While they are cheaper than most other options, there is significantly less chicken. Therefore, they may not be as popular as other items from McDonald’s.
Furthermore, the chicken nuggets are by far the most popular item from Mcdonald’s, likely drowning out the McBites.
Are McBites Good?
McDonald’s’ McBites are made very similarly to its nuggets, so the taste is similar. However, there is significantly more breading to meat in the McBites.
Therefore, if you like the flavor of McDonald’s breading, you’ll probably like the McBites.
With that said, there is not much in the McBites, as they are extra-small. So, for those looking to get full, you might want to look elsewhere.
Actually, their small size is likely why they didn’t do well in the states, where most people are used to large portion sizes.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on McDonald’s McNasty, McDonald’s McFeast, and McDonald’s McPizza.
Conclusion
McBites were available in two different variants: fish and chicken. Both of these McBites were originally offered on April 20, 2012.
However, they were quickly axed from the US market less than a year later.
Still, there are a few other countries with these McBites. Therefore, they are not completely extinct.
