McDonald's, Wendy's and other burger joints are leaning into chicken

Fast-food chains long built on beef are racing to feed diners’ appetites for white meat and turn around slowing sales.

Chicken: It’s what’s for dinner — even at major restaurant chains long known as temples to beef.

The first permanent menu item McDonald’s has rolled out in four years consists entirely of white meat. In introducing McCrispy Strips last month, the fast-food giant acknowledged that diners “have made one thing clear: they want more chicken.”

Wendy’s launched a new Cajun-spiced chicken sandwich in April, the same month Taco Bell brought back chicken nuggets, declaring it wants to become the “go-to destination for crispy chicken.”

Fast-food brands long known for beef have been pushing chicken menu items recently.Lucia Buricelli / Bloomberg via Getty Images fileThe poultry push comes amid fast-food operators’ broader battle for customers who’ve been tightening their dining-out budgets.

McDonald’s last week reported its worst quarterly U.S. sales decline since the depths of the pandemic in 2020, with a 3.6% drop. Wendy’s saw first-quarter global sales shrink by 1.1% and reduced its outlook for the year. Chipotle, which also flagged a slowdown, said its limited-time honey chicken offering helped prop up sales, which slid 0.4% for the quarter.