Review: McDonald’s Mighty Wings & A Look Ahead This Week (And Next)
Junk Food Nation, it’s Monday. Ugh. Some Monday’s I feel energetic and ready to tackle the week…this is not one. Just tired this morning, people. The Yankees got swept by the Sox, and my Fantasy Football team is on the brink of a loss thanks to Colin Kaepernick’s stinker of a performance last night. BUT, at least the Bills won! #EJManuelIsLegit
(PS: Fantasy Football nugget – fantasy football league’s that use a waiver system are for little babies that want everyone to have an equal shot at winning. In a high stakes league I play in, it’s a shark tank and survival of the fittest all the way. I grabbed James Starks off the wire as soon as he scored his TD. BOOM.)
A quick update for this week and the next. I’ll be going into hermit blogging mode, only putting posts up on Monday, Wednesday, Friday of this week and the next. Real life, aka my job, sort of looks like the finals course from American Ninja warrior for the next two weeks – if I happen to make it to the 28th of September alive, it’ll be a miracle. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
I discussed the new McDonald’s Mighty Wings on the previous episode of The Nosh Show with my friends at The Impulsive Buy, GrubGrade, and On Second Scoop. Even though I have reviewed fast food on this blog before, you guys know that I don’t do a ton of it. Still, these Mighty Wings intrigued me.
McDonald’s Mighty Wings: The Money Shot
I’m from Upstate New York, which means that I, ignorantly or not, have proclaimed myself as a chicken wing expert. This may be a very stupid claim, but whatever. I know what I grew up having, and I know what I like. Now, McDonald’s Mighty Wings are NOT buffalo wings, so that takes out any need for me to complain about the fast food giant getting the sauce wrong, getting the spice wrong, etc. Nope, these Mighty Wings are merely fried chicken wings, able to be dipped into a variety of sauces.
McDonald’s Mighty Wings: WAAAY breaded
As a personal point, my belief is that chicken wings are not to be breaded. Now, this is not to say I haven’t eaten breaded chicken wings, because I have. And I must say, some have been very good – lots of bars around DC do very good breaded chicken wings. But for me, the quintessential chicken wing is just fried to a crisp in its own skin and it’s own fat – I mean, who DOESN’T love fried chicken skin? EVERYONE LOVES FRIED CHICKEN SKIN.
McDonald’s Mighty Wings: GREASE MONKEY!
When I opened this box of Mighty Wings, the first thing I noticed was the grease. THE GREASE. Wait, let me go back – the positives. Decently sized wings. Smelled pretty good. Nice and hot. Ok, back to the grease – SO VISIBLE. But musn’t pass judgment (yet). Let’s take a bite.
McDonald’s Mighty Wings: CHOMP CHOMP
I took a bite of these McDonald’s Mighty Wings and chewed. Texture wasn’t bad – the meat was cooked well and chewy. I prefer my wings to be more well done, but that’s a personal preference. The skin was crunchy, but was plenty greasy, as you could see from the earlier picture. I have to say, though, the skin here didn’t taste any more or less greasy than fried chicken from Popeye’s or KFC. Still I was pretty turned off by the pool of oil that remained on my finger tips.
Skin flavor was good though – not too bready, and had a decent spicy flavor. Not a SPICY hot sauce flavor, but more like a peppery kick to the skin that lingered during and after chewing. The skin and meat had the right amount of salt and savory taste.
McDonald’s Mighty Wings: The aftermath
Overall, I’d give my Mighty Wings experience an average grade. If I’m being subjectively truthful, these weren’t BAD per se – they’re sort of on par with many wings I’ve had at bars, etc. Didn’t love all the grease. They need to let these wings drain more before serving.
However, I was really turned off by the price – $2.99 for three wings? A dollar a wing?? For $3.00, I could get two McDonald’s sandwiches off the Value Menu. In DC, one bar has Quarter-wing night, where you can get a dozen wings for $3.00. Another bar in my hometown I grew up in had an even CHEAPER deal (I seem to remember sitting in a bar in a cigarette haze during my senior year of high school eating wings on dime-wing night. You think THAT wasn’t a deal???)
Anyways, because these wings didn’t blow me away, and because they are waaaay to expensive to be worth it, I will not be buying these again. Still I give McDonald’s credit for trying to get in on the mega-industry that is chicken wings.
PURCHASED AT: Target. Just kidding —- McDonald’s.
COST: $2.99 for three wings
Thoughts? Please comment below or hit me up on Twitter @junkfoodguy or LIKE my Facebook Page and message me there. Let’s hang.
Sincerely,
Junk Food Guy
Discuss - 32 Comments
As a Panthers fan, watching that Bills game just killed me. I was afraid Carolina would wind up throwing the game away, and of course it happened in the worst way possible. Ugh.
@Linny: Awh, sorry – Yeah on that last run, the Carolina corner just sort of ran the other way leaving Stevie Johnson wide open. I’m just glad Stevie didn’t drop the ball – he’s known to do that
I’ve been intrigued by these ever since they were announced as a limited run (in Atlanta?). I’m not sure I’ve seen them in Boston, but to be honest I don’t go to McD’s that often. I actually like breaded wings, so long as I’m not in the mood for proper Buffalo wings. Do you actually prefer non-breaded wings even if they are unsauced? Like the kind you get from sketchy Chinese take-out dives where they drop a whole raw wing directly into hot oil, which you presumably are to dip into the little container of duck sauce? Nasty.
@SFCHin – Hmmmmm do I like Breaded wings if they aren’t Buffalo Wings….Maybe. I mean, I REALLY like Korean double fried chicken wings….and THOSE are semi breaded. But I actually DON’T like Hooters wings which ARE breaded. I dunno – if the breading is good, like someone’s home fried chicken that has good seasoning on it, of course I can be won over. I guess I’m in a box when it comes to wings because of the whole Buffalo thing.
had marshawn lynch in fantasy! He won me my matchup single handedly
@Nathaniel: AWESOME. I had Colin Kaep, and he BARELY won me my week….or rather, he didnt make ENOUGH mistakes to cost me. I won by 3 pts. YIKES
I got past the grease, but the overly peppery taste didn’t tickle my pickle. I ate the first 2 sans sause, tried the 3rd wirh fhe nuggets Spicy Buffalo sauce and decided that sidnt improve them any and ate the last 2 plain. even my 12 year old son, who would eat a dirty gym sock with buffalo sauce on it if hungry enough, was’nt feeling these Mighty Wings.
At $5.19 for 5 here in New Jersey, they’d better put our some coupons or the masses will stick with KFC or Popeyes wings.
@Wingnut: Yeah, it seems everyone is either just slightly positive on the taste or slightly negative….but EVERYONE hates the price.
Nothing new here. These were introduced in 1990 and discontinued in 2003.
@Steve: Ten year hiatus? I wonder why they stopped.
I tried the the mighty wings today. Wow was I disappointed. Too greasy, too expensive and the taste was just “meh”. I prefer Buffalo Wild wings Or KFC hot wings a heck of a lot better.
@Watcher06: CONCUR! Yeah – meh is a great way todescribe it. I didn’t think they were BAD per se, but certainly not worth the cost.
I really like the wings, nice and crispy. I do agree with you however that they are overpriced. I will buy them again but only with a coupon or other discount. I can get 8 FULL wings at a local restaurant that are meatier for the same price as 5 (i.e. 10) of McD’s.
@Jane: You kind of want to walk into a McD’s and ask “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT CHICKEN WINGS COST EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD??”
Yep, just had the same experience. Saw the ads around Tulsa, on TV, etc. Finally pulled the trigger today at lunch. Overall, not bad, not great but not bad…
The price is way too high to compete. I can run down the street and have the better, Buffalo Wild Wings, for the same lunch price.
I’ve tried it once…. once was enough. Moderate product at a Mercedes price.
@Jeramie: “Moderate product at a Mercedes price” – great description
Just wondering where in upstate my your from. Because I used to crush wing nights in upstate
@Wingzzzz – Steuben County!
Mighty Wings = Mighty price for crispy grease breading, to peppery without the buffalo flavor; 1st and last purchase.
@David: LOL, yeah McD’s needs to lower that damn price.
For me it was too much breading, but this coming from a guy who orders hooters hot wings au natural ‘naked’. Best wings I’ve ever had is at Elmo’s. The double dip Cajuns rock. Looking for to a trip upstate next week to get some.
@NHBlackLabs – Concur! I don’t love Hooters AT ALL. The girls are fine and it’s usually awkward, but I avoid Hooters mainly for the reason you suggest – their wings are breaded and gross.
i’ve always been a giants fan growing up and after their not completely awful season last year i decided, heck i’ll put eli on my fantasy. Luckily i got kaepernick too, well so i thought after the giants first 2 games. Don’t get me wrong after what’s been happening to the giants i’m so thankful i grabbed kaepernick but, he keeps surprising me with dissapointments on my scores. Anyway, thanks for the review i was about to go grab these wings, good thing i read this first.
@Steve: No problem re wings. If you stuck with Kaep, he paid HUGE dividends last night!
The mediun to small wings gad a HUGE amount of breading hence the Mighty Wings. The wings were actually tasty if you could get all that breading crap off.
Too much money, too late. too flat. too bad.
Take them off the menu in the United States. Some third world toilet country will even have a hard time just trying to figure out what they are. NFG!.
@Al Young – glad you concur 🙂
To expensive-incorrect
Too expensive-correct spelling
I agree with your review. The Mc Wings in my area are even higher. Add in sales tax and it’s right at the four dollar mark for three wings.
@Nancy: This is a great article re what went wrong with the mighty wings
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/12/20/mcdonalds-mighty-wings-were-a-mighty-flop.aspx#.Urekk2RDtjg
I had these wings once. They were horrible. I myself love buffalo wings, but these are not even buffalo wings, as you stated above. When I took my first bite, the entire inside was black and a little blue. I really want to know what THAT was about. Also, v they were not very spicy at all. I threw mine out after the first bite!
@Wingurufanguy: BLACK AND BLUE?? GROSS.
One time I bought buffalo wings from Burger King and they were RAW.Thank God I cut them open before I ate them.Like,the breading was on it,but the inside was raw.Just like a store chicken. =P
@Origami Kat: OH NO! Gross