10 International McDonald's Chicken Items We Wish Were Available In The US

Food is inherently cultural, and what you might eat in one country (or even one town) can differ completely from what you'll get in another. That principle applies even to fast-food restaurants. So, why does the McDonald's menu change in each country? Well, the company has over 38,000 locations across 100 countries, which means it has to get pretty creative to appeal to the tastes of all the people eating there every day. And, like many restaurants, McDonald's also has to keep its menu fresh and moving with the times. Take the Snack Wrap, for example. The crunchy chicken wrap used to be a fan favorite in the United States before it was discontinued (although it'll be back in the U.S. in July 2025), but is still offered in variations across Europe and Australia.

So, while brand titans like the Big Mac and Chicken McNuggets might be pretty popular no matter which country you're in, there are plenty of other McDonald's items that are local only. Prepare to get hungry as we explore 10 delicious chicken dishes from international McDonald's that deserve to come stateside.

Did we ever really grow out of our penchant for playing with our food? McDonald's Japan doesn't seem to think so, especially since its Shaka Shaka Chicken (or Shaka-Chicki, as the McDonald's Japan website calls it) requires a little audience participation. The chicken filet is placed in a paper bag, and customers are given a choice between at least two flavored powders: cheese or red chile pepper. After pouring the seasoning into the bag, you seal it, shake it, and the result is a flavor-coated piece of crispy fried chicken.

While the idea of making your food yourself at a restaurant isn't new — hot pot, fondue, and Korean BBQ all come to mind — it is quite rare on fast-food menus. We imagine that the Shaka Shaka Chicken, combined with an international McDonald's sauce (teriyaki would be incredible), would hit the spot and be a nice change from a typical chicken sandwich.

While we'll likely never get to see most McDonald's international menu items in the United States, there are plenty of global McDonald's favorites to order when traveling — and the McArabia is one of them. It takes a pita bread (or Arabic bread) base and fills it with Halal grilled chicken patties, fragrant garlic mayonnaise, lettuce, onion, and tomato for a surprisingly refreshing dish. The McArabia is sold in countries like the United Arab Emirates, though the dish was originally conceived in Greece under the name Greek Mac.

Don't get us wrong, we love a McDonald's hamburger (even those we can only get abroad), but lighter fast food options that don't sit too heavy on the stomach are always welcome, especially when you're traveling. That's why the McArabia, which focuses on freshness and flavor without getting too greasy, is an option we'd love to see in the United States, considering there aren't many health-forward options to choose from.

The original McChicken sandwich has been around since 1980, but it wasn't always the hit it is today. In fact, McDonald's executives chose to sunset the sandwich in favor of Chicken McNuggets. While the McChicken was back not even a decade later, it's continued to be added to and removed from menus around the world ever since. One recent international iteration of the sandwich is the McChicken Mozzarella.

The typical McChicken chicken patty is still used to make this sandwich, but with a few additions. Two fried mozzarella cheese sticks are stacked on top of the chicken and topped with lettuce, mayo, and spicy Arabian dressing. This particular sandwich is available in Korea, though there are other cheesy McChicken's around the globe. One was available in Australia in 2023, where the mozzarella sticks were replaced by a fried cheese patty, and a sweet tomato relish was added. No matter the recipe, the addition of fried cheese to a chicken sandwich is one we don't regularly see in the United States and could be a game-changer in the fried chicken sandwich ranking debate.

Think the McPollo Italiano is an Italian McDonald's menu item? Think again. Despite the name, the McPollo Italiano is actually a South American menu item specific to Chile. And while there aren't any huge differences between the McChicken we're used to and the Italiano, there are a few subtle changes that we're all about. Alongside the chicken patty, sesame seed bun, and mayonnaise that we're used to stateside, the McPollo Italiano also has avocado, lettuce, and tomato.

Most fast-food restaurants shy away from using avocados for various reasons, the primary likely being that avocados are generally considered expensive. Fast casual restaurant Chipotle can charge up to $3 for a serving of guacamole, and the Wendy's Avocado Chicken Club served in Great Britain can cost over £1 more than the Classic Chicken Sandwich options due to the avocado add-on. For us, though, we're willing to shell out a little extra money to have an elevated chicken sandwich.

How did poutine become Canada's most famous dish? It comes down to the French-speaking Canadian province of Québec. The dish first appeared on dining tables in the province back in the 1950s and has since taken the world by storm. For those unaware, poutine takes a few beloved ingredients and combines them for a dish above the rest. French fries, cheese curds, and gravy are all it takes for an easy-to-enjoy meal, but McDonald's elevates it a step further with its specific Québec offerings.

The Spicy Buffalo Chicken Poutine uses McDonald's famous French fries as the base and loads them up with cheese curds, gravy, crispy chicken, and slathers them in spicy buffalo sauce. With a green onion garnish, this poutine is a taste bud's dream. For those looking to opt out of the fried chicken experience, there's also a grilled chicken version. Either option would be an incredible choice for American audiences.

Buns are great for a sandwich, but flatbreads are just as handy and add variety to the regular humdrum of fast food options. With the Chicken Foldover, customers get the delicious taste of toasted flatbread alongside grilled chicken patties and fresh, juicy vegetables. It's a lighter option that further packs in flavor with the garlic mayonnaise spread. And, as with the other chicken dishes on our list, it can only be found in a select few international markets, namely Malaysia and South Africa.

The Chicken Foldover also has a cousin in the Beef Foldover, which is very much like a deconstructed Big Mac with special sauce and all the other burger fixings. What makes the Chicken Foldover special, and why we want it for American McDonald's, is that it takes basic ingredients and lets them shine without any additional or unnecessary fanfare. Plus, it fills a gap in the market of fast food options that at least feel healthy, regardless of the calorie count.

One major thing we love about international McDonald's options is that they're often inspired by flavors that are close to home. The McDonald's Chicken Salsa sandwich is a great example of this. It's a Norwegian offering but is topped with salsa, sour cream, and "nacho chips," aka tortilla chips. Those flavors aren't native to Norway. In fact, they are often eaten at Mexican and Mexican-adjacent restaurants across the United States and, of course, in Mexico itself.

The classic chicken sandwich at McDonald's is clearly an important base for most of its international variations, but we love the idea of the Chicken Salsa as a Norwegian homage to ingredients and flavor mixes from the U.S. And, while some people may not agree that we need another entrant in the ongoing chicken sandwich debate, we think it warranted. After all, Taco Bell — arguably the largest Mexican-inspired fast food chain in the country — doesn't even have a chicken sandwich that can rival this option.

It may not be one of the five mother sauces, but teriyaki is a sauce we simply can't live without. The mix of sweet and savory, as well as tangy and salty, flavors adds immeasurable depth to dishes when used as a marinade, glaze, or dipping sauce. And, while today's modern teriyaki sauce is not the same, it got its roots in ancient Japan as a fish marinade made of sake, sugar, and soy sauce.

It's no surprise then that McDonald's in Japan capitalized on this cultural touchpoint with the Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich. A breaded and fried chicken patty is slathered with teriyaki sauce, topped with lettuce and mayonnaise, and slapped between two sesame seed buns. This sandwich did at one point make its way to North America — but only for a limited time, and only in Canada. During the McDonald's International Menu Heist, several international favorites were brought to Canada, including the Teriyaki Chicken. Hopefully, it'll make its way to the U.S. soon.

Americans love themselves a chicken wing. If you don't believe us, chew on this fact: Americans ate around 1.45 billion chicken wings during the 2024 Super Bowl alone. That's right. In one day, Americans ate over a billion wings. So, it's a little shocking to us that so few major fast food restaurants offer them. And, while they were sold in the U.S. previously (in the 1990s and mid-2010s), McDonald's wings haven't stood the test of time in the American market.

They are, however, complete hits in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates (among other locations) and are still available there. While reviews are sometimes varied, most have positive things to say about the flavor and the distinct crunch of the fried exterior. Wings can be hard to make from scratch, but if you do want to whip up your own at home while we wait for McWings to come to the U.S., there are plenty of tips out there to get perfect fried chicken every time.

Variety is the spice of life, and nothing is more exciting than unexpected options when going out to eat. That's where the McDonald's Chicken Cheese Box comes in. Hailing from Austria, the snack box is full of the ever-classic McNuggets and homestyle strips, as well as crispy mozzarella sticks. It's a veritable smorgasbord of fried food classics and the perfect choice for indecisive eaters. Not only that, but the Chicken Cheese Box is great to share or keep all to yourself — we're leaning toward the latter.

In the past, the box also contained Cordon Bleu chicken strips instead of homestyle strips. A traditional serving of Cordon Bleu is a sliced chicken breast stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese, breaded, then baked until golden brown. At McDonald's, the interior of the strips had been turkey ham, cheese, and chicken mashed together so each bite is nearly identical.  No matter the type of chicken included, though, the snack box is a bit of an adventure and could be an exciting addition to U.S. menus.