REVIEW: Burger King Fiery Nuggets

Vin 7 Comments

After multiple tries, Burger King is once again throwing its paper crown into the spicy nugget ring. Will it finally strike while the iron is hot, or will it flame out again?

Spicy chicken is nothing new for BK, but I feel it has always lagged behind the other behemoths in that category. Its spicy nuggets came and went with zero fanfare, the sandwiches never made much noise, and while I like hot Chicken Fries just fine, BK definitely has some catching up to do.

Those countless feeble attempts are actually what intrigued me about BK’s new Fiery Nuggets. I just assumed they were a re-branding of the previous spicy nugget, but they turned out to be much more. The innovators of the chicken fry have created something familiar but new here – chunks of chicken that exist between a standard nugget and a boneless buffalo wing.

“MEHHHH, boneless wings ARE just saucy nuggets.” – You. That’s you, right now.

You’re partially right when it comes to Fiery Nuggets, but I still think these are unique.

They may look like a redder version of BK’s traditional chicken nuggets, but they’re coated with “an irresistible spicy glaze” that contains cayenne pepper, bird’s eye chili pepper, and black pepper. Those flavors combine to give these a mildly sweet and spicy flavor unlike anything on the menu.

The nuggets are somehow both dry and super greasy. The coating isn’t quite a dusting, but also not quite a sauce. They feel a little slimy but still hold a slight crispiness. I don’t know how they landed in the middle of everything here, but they did.

The flavor is all over the place, but it’s… excellent? I’m still not sure what’s going on. The sweet into heat reminded me of teriyaki on some bites, but honey BBQ on others. It almost tasted like a Lay’s Flamin’ Hot BBQ. They ride the line between spicy, sweet, and salty really well. That grease though…

They’re so greasy! It’s definitely to their detriment. The bag was dripping. I devoured the eight nuggets and didn’t feel great about it. That being said, they went down pretty easy in the heat department. I saw some rumblings that this might be the hottest chicken in fast food, but I think I had spicier chicken at Wendy’s and Chick-fil-A during recent visits.

Your mileage may vary on BK nuggets. I like ’em, but I can see how someone might say they taste like an old yoga mat. I think Fiery Nuggets are a hit despite the sickening amount of grease. If they had the dry, crispier structure of McNuggets, I might’ve flirted with a perfect score.

I don’t know if I can say they’re better than the old reliable Wendy’s spicy nuggets just yet, but I have them above Spicy Chicken McNuggets.

I like to think BK dropped these in honor of the Heat-Nuggets NBA Finals, but the truth is they put them out for me. These are for me and people like me, and I appreciate it. Try ’em. They’re only three bucks.

Long live The King.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 8 pieces
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 530 calories, 39 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 1220 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 19 grams of protein.

SPOTTED: 6/28/2023

Marvo 4 Comments

Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

Off Limits Fluf n Puf Pancake & Marshmallow Cereal

(Spotted by Sarah R at Sprouts.)

Enlightened Chocolate Greek Frozen Yogurt

(Spotted by Sarah R at Sprouts.)

A’cappella Strawberry Truffle Cones
A’cappella Cookies & Cream Truffle Cones
A’cappella Chocolate Truffle Cones

(Spotted by Sarah R at Sprouts.)

Lifeway Limited Edition Campfire S’mores Kefir

(Spotted by Sarah R at Sprouts.)

Cascadian Farm Gluten Free Brownie Crunch Cereal

(Spotted by Sarah R at Sprouts.)

H-E-B Blueberry Muffin Creamy Almond Butter

(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

One Coffee Shop Caramel Macchiato Protein Bar
One Coffee Shop Vanilla Latte Protein Bar

(Spotted by Sarah R at Sprouts.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

SPOTTED: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem Cowabunga Pizzas

Marvo 7 Comments
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem Mac Attack Cowabunga Pizza
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem Pepperoni Cowabunga Pizza
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem Cheese Cowabunga Pizza

I wondered if there would be pizzas released for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Now how about a pizza thrower. (Spotted by Shawn S at Walmart.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

REVIEW: Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Smoky Ghost Pepper Puffs

Brandon

I’ve never been much of one for eating something hot just for the sake of saying I did it. I don’t need a Guatemalan Insanity Pepper to make me feel macho. But I like spicy things. I usually get my Thai food “Thai hot.” I over-wasabi when I eat sushi. A little burn – when correctly applied – makes me feel alive.

While I’ve never had an ACTUAL ghost pepper, the flavor seems to have popped up everywhere over the past year plus. Burger King did an orange-bunned ghost pepper Whopper last October. Arby’s had the Diablo Dare last year, too. And within the past few months, Wendy’s has gotten in on the act with a ghost pepper sandwich and fries.

I’ve had none of these. It’s not because I’m not interested, don’t get me wrong. It’s more like if I’m not eating fast food to review for this site, I’m usually only interested in getting something tried and true. Something I know I’ll enjoy. Like everything else, fast food has gotten too expensive; my metabolism ain’t what it used to be.

The nice thing about the new Flamin’ Hot Smoky Ghost Pepper Cheetos Puffs, however, is that it’s pretty low risk — even if they’re terrible, I’m only out a single Abe Lincoln. And I don’t mind tossing a bag of chips.

(Okay, that’s a lie. I’ll hang on to it for years, slowly nibbling away and also offering them up to unsuspecting guests with a friendly, “Hey, you like to consume food. Would you like a handful of these? How about the whole bag?” Eventually, they’ll grow stale and inedible, at which point I will still have a few pieces at a time for the next three months before I finally pull the trigger on a full expulsion.)

From an appearance standpoint, you know exactly what you’re getting into with these. In addition to being shaped like peppers, they are an aggressively violent shade of red. A slight smoky vinegar aroma wafts up when you open the bag. That artificial smoke flavor is prevalent in the first second of the bite – I was surprised by that and appreciated the layered flavoring – and then the heat immediately sets your tongue on fire. There was no “slow build” here, just immediate and unapologetic mouth-arson.

If you don’t like hot, well… come on. Did you really think you might enjoy these? If you’re someone who doesn’t like chili unless it makes you weep and you end each night with half a pack of Tums, you may be unimpressed. These didn’t make me cry. They were tolerable, but even still, the hottest Cheeto (or chip or cracker) I’ve ever eaten.

Additionally, I enjoyed the fact that these weren’t just novelty-hot. There were nuanced layers of flavor and an appreciable complexity you don’t find in many other “hot” snacks. But still, a little goes a long way, so let’s not be surprised if this bag sees the next presidential election. As long as the other people in my house keep remembering to close the bag up tight, anyway.

Purchased Price: $4.30
Size: 7 oz bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (28 grams) 160 calories, 12 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

SPOTTED: 6/27/2023

Marvo 2 Comments

Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

Red Baron Fully Loaded Hand Tossed Crust BBQ Recipe Chicken Pizza
Red Baron Fully Loaded Hand Tossed Crust Ultimate Pepperoni Pizza

(Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

Daiya Chick’n, Smoked Bac’n & Ranch Style Flatbread

(Spotted by Jarred B at Walmart.)

La Pasta Pizza Sauce

(Spotted by Sarah R at Sprouts.)

Sprouts Fire Roasted Vegetable Pizza
Sprouts Margherita PIzza

(Spotted by Sarah R at Sprouts.)

Heroica Pepita Lime Superfood Dip & Spread
Heroica Black Bean Superfood Dip & Spread

(Spotted by Sarah R at Sprouts.)

Frankies 457 Mezze Maniche and Linguine
Frankies 457 Rigatoni and Pappardelle
Frankies 457 Busiate
Frankies 457 Cavatelli

(Spotted by Sarah R at Whole Foods.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.