We tried McDonald’s new McCrispy Fried Chicken recipe to see if it's better than the OG

Did you know that Singapore used to have its own superhero duo? No I’m not talking about the legendary VR Man.

Back in the old days when there were only two lines on the MRT, McDonald’s Singapore unveiled the super-powered duo of Flash Fry and Steam Marinate, along with the debut of the OG McCrispy Fried Chicken.

I remember being a super excited kid, begging my mum to take me to McDonald’s just so we could try out the new menu item. I remember the long queues, the brightly-coloured boxes, and the crunch of the chicken as I bit into a piece.

It tasted rather novel to my young taste buds, unlike other fried chicken I had previously tried. It delivered on its twin promises of being crunchy and juicy, and not being noticeably spicy, it was perfect for a kid like me.

Please watch this video as proof I was not hallucinating.

New recipe

But now, at long last, McDonald’s will be relaunching its McCrispy Fried Chicken with a new recipe.

It promises to take everything great about the OG and make it even better, with more crunch, more juice, and more spice with every bite.

Now as a (much) older man, I am something of an expert when it comes to fried chicken. It’s often my go-to menu item when I’m in a foreign land and unsure of what’s good to eat.

I’ve had tremendous fried chicken from Sapporo to Sydney, but there’s something about the innately spicy McCrispy that is hard to find anywhere else. If I want a little bit of a kick to my chick, I usually have to dip it in hot sauce, but the McCrispy does the job all on its own.

So it was with much anticipation that I greeted the super secret delivery to the office of McDonald’s McCrispy Fried Chicken with its new and improved recipe.

Would it live up to my childhood nostalgia? Could it even exceed those treasured memories? Or would it not be up to par?

Friends weigh in

In order to find out, I enlisted the help of my very willing colleagues.

My strategy was to entice them with the promise of free food and let them taste the chicken first, one by one, before I weighed in with the final bite. That way, I could ensure maximum objectivity.

First up was Hannah, whose chicken-eating credentials include (allegedly) a fast-food run before every pickleball game.

“It’s very spicy!” she enthused, before clarifying that she wasn’t a habitual eater of spicy food. So maybe someone who wasn’t a wuss would welcome the spicy kick.

Hannah also specified that it was “much nicer” than the original, comparing it favourably to a McSpicy burger, but on the bone.

Next up was GZ, who compared it to yet another McDonald’s menu item, the McWing.

“It’s like a spicier, bigger McWing,” she said. GZ was another non-spicy eater, but she did note that the spicy taste didn’t kick in immediately, but instead spread with a delicious heat.

So far so good, but to truly gauge the chicken’s credentials, I would need someone who laughs in the face of heat, spice and elevated Scoville units. Enter Swarn.

Now Swarn is a certified spice king, able to down the hottest of hot food without breaking a sweat. So I was quite curious as to how he would rate McDonald’s latest offering.

“It tastes different,” he said, while still chewing. “The coating is considerably less salty (than the previous Chicken McCrispy).

“It’s [very] delicious,” he added, using an expletive which I have euphemistically substituted.

Swarn also helpfully tried out each of the dipping sauces available to the discerning customer, Honey Mustard, Curry and Barbecue. His verdict? All were great.

Our next taste tester Gawain agreed, saying that Curry sauce is “always a hit.”

He also gave the chicken coating props for its exceptional crispiness.

“It’s a good balance between [the coating] and the softness of the meat,” he added.

Our final volunteer is Mikayla, who grew up in Korea and as such is someone I trust when it comes to rating fried chicken.

She went straight for the Honey Mustard, calling it “flavourful but strong,” and complementing the taste of the chicken nicely.

But what of the spice?

“It’s spiciness that won’t hurt your stomach after, but still has the flavour of the crispy chicken that I like,” she said, as she went back for another bite.

The final verdict

Soon enough, it was time for me to finally get my hands on the chicken. I had read up on the briefs. I had listened to the peer reviews.

There was nothing else left to do but to try it myself.

As soon as I crunched down, I was assailed by a delicious combination of heat, spice and juice.

The new McCrispy Fried Chicken was immediately recognisable as different from the earlier version with the old recipe.

The earlier comparison was apt, it really did taste like a bigger version of a McWing, which I really enjoy.

But the spice! This wasn’t the slow suffusion of a well-made curry, or the biting hot kick of a chilli pepper. This was something quite unique altogether.

A blast of spice that makes your eyes widen, but it doesn’t linger on the tongue, bringing pain and agony like other spice-laden dishes.

The crunch of the crispy coating was also just right, not overly salty and not too rigid that would prevent a good bite.

The meat itself was just as good as before, tender and juicy, standing in a nice contrast to the coating.

In the interest of fairness, I dipped into all three sauces available.

My preference would be Honey Mustard, but maybe you’re more of a BBQ or Curry devotee. I just think the Honey Mustard is just the right flavour to balance the spice and flavour of the crispy chicken coating.

So while the new and improved Crispy Fried Chicken took a long while to get to us hungry diners, I can definitely say it was worth the wait.

No time machines exist to bring us back to a bygone era, but this new Crispy Fried Chicken recipe is doing its part to make the future fun.

This branded article is brought to you by McDonald’s.

Top image by Mothership.