McDonald's reformulated grilled chicken ... tastes like chicken

[rworange]

Which is an improvement.

It always had a weird vegetal taste to me. I had a cat that refused to recognize it as meat and would not eat it.

Anyway, according to Restaurant News McDonalds is going for a more neutral taste instead of what was an Italian flavor profile ... so that's what it was supposed to be.

http://www.nrn.com/article/mcd%E2%80%...

They now use "mirepoix, salt and pepper, maybe a little garlic and herb.”

While at I can't say it is great, at least it is finally edible. Mmmm ... neutral.

There were times when I was in a rush, and would have preferred to order a chicken salad, but I just couldn't take the taste. Now it taste like chicken, but has an odd texture .. like a poached chicken breast, but there is almost a crust on it ... like a grilled piece of chicken that has been thrown into broth to heat it up ... and yet ... that is an improvment.

A salad is almost $6 bucks. So, unless I'm in a hurry, I can do as well as that a lot of places with better poultry. Heck, for a buck or two more I can get an fresh roasted chicken salad on organic greens.

[Servorg]

I tried their new chicken last night (headed home after delivery and set up for my wife's store) as we were both too beat to do anything but hit the closest drive-thru afterward. I actually got two chicken sandwiches. On fried and one grilled, both done in "club sandwich" style. I thought the taste of the chicken was pretty good for the arches. Their buns can still use some work, they seem overly sweet to me and too bready. One other issue was on the breaded/fried sandwich had way too much mayo concoction slathered on. The grilled one didn't suffer from that problem. I would have a grilled one again if I was in the same situation and even have the breaded/fried one again if they would go lighter on the mayo stuff.

[libgirl2]

I always ask for no mayo. They load way too much on and all I taste is the mayo. If I'm bringing it home, I add my own dab of light mayo or honey mustard.

[occula]

FYI I made a late-night beer-inspired McDonald's run recently and tried their "Southern-style" breaded chicken sandwich, which I learned when I got home meant "plain" - no mayo, tomato, lettuce - just a dry breaded chicken sandwich on a bun. I love mayo, but I hate the way McD's slathers it on, so I was delighted.

I'm pretty sure I ate it totally dry. As I said - beer. heh. Still, would eat again, definitely.

[Jenny Ondioline]

McDonalds' southern-style chicken sandwich is a clone of the Chick-Fil-A sandwich, which is also served with nothing on it but a couple pickle slices.

It's not as good as a Chick-Fil-A, but since I have a decent McDonald's about three blocks from my house and the nearest Chick-Fil-A is about 26 miles away, it makes scratching that itch a lot easier.

[rockycat]

Yup, I gave up on their salads long ago. I always thought their salads had a nice choice of fresh, interesting vegetables marred only by the sodium-soaked Newman's dressings and the chicken that tasted like a brined kitchen sponge.
So now if they'd only get rid of the Newman's dressings, maybe they'd have something worth ordering.

[rworange]

according to the Restaurant Week article, McDonalds is looking at salt in their food, so maybe there's hope for the salad dressing someday

"Coudreaut said McDonald’s was looking at salt content, too, “but it’s an important tool for chefs to use.” He said the company might look at lowering salt content in the future by using other techniques to enhance flavor, such as using citrus or other acid."

The oatmeal at breakfast is ok ... and although they have less additives in it than most of their most of their other menu items, why do hhey feel compelled to add "food starch-modified, maltodextrin, natural flavor (plant source), barley malt extract, caramel colof"

http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/f...

That's the versiou without brown sugar. Seriously, oats alone are pretty foolproof. Add hot water.

Still, at only 260 calories with dried ccranberries, raisins and diced fresh apple, if breakfast on the go is the only option, it is one of thte better. At 5 or 6 am the choice on the road is usually only fast food or donutsl.

[Servorg]

Good to know. Probably one of the primary reasons I would order a breaded chicken sandwich at the Arches...to cover up the non chicken taste. Perhaps now when I do this I'll be able to make the healthier choice and actually not find the taste offensive.