Can You Freeze McDonald's Chicken Nuggets For Later?

McDonald's chicken nuggets are addictive, and like Lay's potato chips, you can't eat just one. Fortunately, the fast food chain has nugget lovers covered, offering large portions of up to 40 pieces. However, while a 40-piece order is meant to be shared, there is another option: freezing them for later.

In 2023, @Seebiedeebie, a mom on TikTok, went viral after posting a video showing her freezing an order of 80 McDonald's chicken nuggets for her son. While the comments were split, it is actually possible to safely freeze McNuggets. All you need to do is get your nuggies home and let them cool down. We'd recommend laying them on a baking sheet and putting them in the fridge for an hour before transferring them to a ziplock freezer bag. Once frozen, the nuggets will technically be okay to eat indefinitely, but expect their quality to decline over time. The sooner you eat them, the better, but try to use them within three months.

When you get a hankering for McNuggets, you can reheat them in the air fryer so they crisp back up, and you don't need to thaw them out first. As for any taste or texture changes, if frozen properly and kept free of freezer burn, you shouldn't notice much of a difference.

McDonald's chicken nuggets are a fan favorite for many reasons, including their crispy batter and tender, flavorful meat. However, there's a copycat out there that tastes nearly identical, and it can save you a few bucks if you can find it.

In terms of value, Pilgrim's Pride Tempura Chicken Nuggets are a great McNugget copycat, and they go for $5.49 at Kroger for a 28-ounce bag of around 40 nuggets. In contrast, a 10-piece McNuggets can around $6.19 depending on location, and a 40-piece can cost around $14.49. So, if you're looking to save a few bucks, it may be worth stocking up on these nuggets instead. You'll barely notice a difference in taste. That said, unfortunately, they can be hard to find. While some folks on Reddit have managed to track them down outside of Kroger at Walmart and Ralphs, even then, they appear to sell out quickly and remain off the shelves for a while.

If luck isn't on your side and you're unable to track down these copycats, you can't go wrong by stocking up directly from McDonald's, especially when they have specials like $1 10-piece McNuggets or buy one get one for $1 deals. Likewise, if you use the McDonald's app, you can rack up points toward free nuggets to fill your freezer with.