Food & Beverage

McDonald's, Carl's Jr, Hardees feel the burn with latest offerings

Back by popular demand, McDonald's Spicy McNuggets and Mighty Hot sauce. (Provided)

January 26, 2021

If, as they say, variety is the spice of life, then it makes sense that spice has become the variety of choice for QSRs. Just this week, McDonald's, Carl's Jr. and Hardees each launched spicy LTOs for their menus, according to separate news releases.

McDonald's said it brought back the brand's little social media darling — the spicy chicken nugget — in response to "tens of thousands" of online requests for their return to the menu, much like this November tweet.

To appease its heat-seeking customers, the QSR is bringing back the Spicy Chicken McNuggets as well as its Mighty Hot Sauce — both as LTOs. The nuggets have a tempura-batter infused with cayenne and chili peppers, while the sauce enhances the burn with crushed red and cayenne peppers, garlic and "a hint of sweetness." McDonald's said that Mighty Hot Sauce is both its most popular dipping sauce and the first new variety the brand has introduced since 2017.

To promote the spicy return, the brand said it was adding a free six-piece Spicy McNuggets to $20 or more orders placed via McDelivery with Door Dash using the code SPICY from Feb. 2 through Feb. 6 at its 14,000 U.S. locations.

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's latest spicy offerings. (Provided)

But McDonald's latest launches were actually preceded by competitors, Carl's Jr. and Hardees, which released its fiery platform Wednesday. Included in the hot offerings are Fiery Famous Star burger, the plant-based Beyond Fiery Famous Star burger and hand-breaded chicken tenders. Each come with a Fiery sauce that features a habanero Ranch flavor.

To promote these LTOs, the two brands have invited customers to "virtually" tour Carl's Jr. and Hardees so-called "Habanero Ranch" via a digital listing on real estate platform, RelaHQ.com starting today as well. Customers can not only tour the "ranch," but also look for hidden gems that relay information about the brands' fiery sauce.

The two sandwich LTOs include pepper Jack cheese jalapenos, sliced onions, tomatoes and lettuce on a toasted seeded bun, with chargrilled beef on one and the plant-based patty on the other. They start at $4.39.