If you thought the internet-breaking return of the Snack Wrap was the peak of McDonald’s poultry ambitions, you’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. Behind the scenes, the fast-food giant is orchestrating a massive, under-the-radar menu overhaul that signals a permanent shift in what you’ll be ordering at the drive-thru. Driven by shifting consumer tastes and soaring beef prices, the Golden Arches has quietly launched a sweeping 10-item test kitchen lineup featuring everything from gourmet grilled sandwiches to a surprising foray into bone-in wings — but unless you live in one specific test market, you won’t find them on your local menu board just yet. Read on to discover exactly what Mickey D’s is cooking up, which cult-favorite flavors are getting a remix, and whether these exclusive new items are headed to a location near you.
The new items have reportedly been appearing since December 2025 in a small number of Chicago-area restaurants, according to food reporter Snackolator. McDonald’s has kept the scope of this experiment incredibly close to its chest, offering no official word on when or if these creations will roll out across the rest of the country.
Industry analysts note that expansive, limited-market tests like this act as a corporate sandbox. They allow restaurant chains to measure real-world demand, iron out kitchen operations, and gather crucial feedback before committing hundreds of millions of dollars to a nationwide launch. Looking closely at the breadth of this specific test, it is clear McDonald’s is not just playing with new flavors — it is exploring customizable dining experiences.
Here is a full breakdown of the 10 items currently undergoing trial:
Chicken Sandwiches
- BBQ Bacon Grilled Sandwich
- McSpicy Chicken Sandwich
- Deluxe Grilled Chicken Sandwich
McCrispy Strips flavors
- Sweet Chili Glazed McCrispy Strips
- Teriyaki Glaze McCrispy Strips
- Kickin’ BBQ McCrispy Strips
McCrispy Strips seasonings
- Spicy Garlic Seasoned McCrispy Strips
- Sweet Asian Seasoned McCrispy Strips
- Garlic Parm Seasoned McCrispy Strips
Wings
- McSpicy Bone-In Wings
Sauce
Taking a page from its own legendary dipping vault, the company is also introducing individual Big Mac Sauce Dipping Cups, specifically paired for chicken dunking.
The economics behind the poultry pivot
While a 10-item menu drop looks like a play for foodie attention, the underlying driver is pure corporate strategy. Globally, the chicken segment at McDonald’s has quietly swollen to nearly twice the size of its historic beef business. This aggressive pivot is part of a strict corporate mandate to increase poultry sales by at least 1% by the end of 2026, relative to the 2023 baseline.
During the company’s first-quarter 2026 earnings call, executives revealed that chicken is pacing at double the growth rate of beef worldwide.
“For us, it’s gonna continue to be a point of focus and a point of priority,” explained McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski during the call. “When beef prices are as elevated as they are, chicken becomes a much more attractive value opportunity relative to beef.”
Beyond shielding margins from soaring cattle costs, a robust chicken menu allows the company to pick a fight in the industry’s most fiercely contested arena. Competitors like Chick-fil-A have long dominated consumer hearts, capturing the top spot in the American Customer Satisfaction Index for 11 straight years with a formidable score of 83 out of 100 in the 2025 study. McDonald’s intends to close that loyalty gap.
Reengineering the corporate machine
To pull off this level of rapid menu innovation, McDonald’s underwent a massive internal restructuring. In March 2025, the company debuted its unified Restaurant Experience Team — a massive consolidation that brought supply chains, franchising, design, and its “Speedee Labs” innovation hub under a single roof to cut through corporate red tape. Alongside it, three specialized global Category Management teams were built to solely obsess over trending consumer behaviors in beef, beverages, desserts, and, most crucially, chicken.
The corporate realignment is already paying off handsomely on the balance sheet. First-quarter financial reports for 2026 show clear momentum:
- Total Revenue: Up 9%
- Operating Income: Up 12%
- U.S. Comparable Sales: Up 3.9%
- Global Comparable Sales: Up 3.8%
Corporate leaders tied these surging numbers directly to full-margin limited-time offerings and targeted U.S. chicken launches that helped them claw away market share from industry rivals.
What this test could signal next
While McDonald’s has not confirmed any broader rollout plans, the scale and variety of the test menu point to something larger in motion. With chicken demand continuing to rise globally and internal systems being redesigned to speed up product development, these 10 items may be less of an experiment — and more of a preview of what’s coming next.
Sources:
Snackolator
TheStreet