Every published Chicken McNuggets count, from the 4-piece to the 40. There is also a good answer to the question of why they come in exactly four shapes.
Calories in 8, 12, 14, 16 and other counts
McDonald's sells Chicken McNuggets in boxes of 4, 6, 10, 20 and 40. Any other count means
ordering more than one box, so the total depends on which boxes you pick. Each row
names the exact order, and every figure is McDonald's own published number for
those boxes, added together — nothing here is estimated.
Where a count has two rows, both are real orders and both totals are correct —
McDonald's box figures don't scale exactly per piece, so different ways of
reaching the same count land a few calories apart. Some counts can't be ordered at
all: nothing adds up to 2, or to any odd number. The smallest box is the
4-piece, at 170 calories.
Where the Chicken McNuggets came from
Introduced 1981
McDonald's first executive chef René Arend created the recipe in 1979, Keystone Foods developed the product, and it reached selected markets in 1981. Supply could not keep up at first; once that was solved in 1983 it went nationwide in the US.
- There are four shapes — McDonald's calls them the bell, the bone (or bow-tie), the ball and the boot. They exist so every nugget cooks in the same time, which is a food-safety requirement rather than a design flourish.
- In August 2016 McDonald's announced the nuggets no longer contained artificial preservatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories are in 10 Chicken McNuggets?
410 calories for a 10-piece, with 23g of protein.
How many calories are in a 4-piece McNugget?
170 calories.
How many calories are in 20 Chicken McNuggets?
830 calories.
Are sauces included in the McNuggets figures?
No. Every figure here is the nuggets alone. McDonald's lists its dipping sauces separately, from 25 calories (Mighty Hot Sauce) to 110 (Creamy Ranch or Creamy Chili).
Why are McNuggets four different shapes?
So they all cook through in the same amount of time. The four shapes are called the bell, the bone, the ball and the boot.
How many calories are in 8 Chicken McNuggets?
McDonald's doesn't sell an 8-piece. The way to get 8 is two 4-pieces is 340 calories, using McDonald's own published figures for those boxes, added together.
How many calories are in 12 Chicken McNuggets?
McDonald's doesn't sell a 12-piece. It depends how you order it: two 6-pieces is 500 calories, and three 4-pieces is 510 calories. Each total is McDonald's own published figures for those boxes, added together.
How many calories are in 14 Chicken McNuggets?
McDonald's doesn't sell a 14-piece. It depends how you order it: a 10-piece plus a 4-piece is 580 calories, and a 6-piece plus two 4-pieces is 590 calories. Each total is McDonald's own published figures for those boxes, added together.
How many calories are in 16 Chicken McNuggets?
McDonald's doesn't sell a 16-piece. It depends how you order it: a 10-piece plus a 6-piece is 660 calories, two 6-pieces plus a 4-piece is 670 calories, and four 4-pieces is 680 calories. Each total is McDonald's own published figures for those boxes, added together.
How many calories are in 18 Chicken McNuggets?
McDonald's doesn't sell an 18-piece. It depends how you order it: a 10-piece plus two 4-pieces is 750 calories, and a 6-piece plus three 4-pieces is 760 calories. Each total is McDonald's own published figures for those boxes, added together.
How many calories are in 24 Chicken McNuggets?
McDonald's doesn't sell a 24-piece. It depends how you order it: a 20-piece plus a 4-piece is 1,000 calories, and two 10-pieces plus a 4-piece is 990 calories. Each total is McDonald's own published figures for those boxes, added together.
How many calories are in 30 Chicken McNuggets?
McDonald's doesn't sell a 30-piece. It depends how you order it: a 20-piece plus a 10-piece is 1,240 calories, three 10-pieces is 1,230 calories, and a 20-piece, a 6-piece plus a 4-piece is 1,250 calories. Each total is McDonald's own published figures for those boxes, added together.
How many calories are in 50 Chicken McNuggets?
McDonald's doesn't sell a 50-piece. It depends how you order it: a 40-piece plus a 10-piece is 2,060 calories, a 40-piece, a 6-piece plus a 4-piece is 2,070 calories, and two 20-pieces, a 6-piece plus a 4-piece is 2,080 calories. Each total is McDonald's own published figures for those boxes, added together.
Can you order any number of Chicken McNuggets?
No. McDonald's sells them in boxes of 4, 6, 10, 20 and 40, so only counts those boxes add up to can be ordered — nothing adds up to 2, or to any odd number. The smallest box is the 4-piece, at 170 calories.