McDonald’s to roll out chicken Mighty Wings nationally

The world’s biggest burger chain is branching into a new realm of finger food, rolling out chicken Mighty Wings nationally starting Sept. 9.

The lightly-breaded, bone-in drummettes and wingettes will come in three-, five- and 10-piece options, the company confirmed Monday.

The choice of nine sauces include Chipotle Barbeque Sauce, Creamy Ranch Sauce, Honey, Honey Mustard Sauce, Hot Mustard Sauce, Spicy Buffalo Sauce, Sweet Chili Sauce, Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce and Tangy Barbeque Sauce.

Prices start at $2.99.

The eagerly-awaited rollout will be completed by Sept. 24. The offering will only be available for a limited time, until the end of November.

The menu item’s impending arrival was initially teased by a franchisee of the massive chain who posted about the launch on Facebook before deleting the note, according to industry blog BurgerBusiness.com.

The wings have been tested in nearly 280 Atlanta restaurants.

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McDonald’s has had a poultry-heavy year, introducing its chicken McWrap and its egg-white breakfast sandwiches. The Oak Brook, Ill., company has hunted for ways to up its game after several disappointing rounds of earnings.

In July, company Chief Executive Don Thompson said same-store sales rose a “modest” 0.7%, though U.S. results were more promising, jumping 1.6%.

The chicken wing gambit, however, may be tricky.

Earlier this year, the National Chicken Council said Americans looking for the snack for the Super Bowl weekend would face a smaller, more expensive supply. The chicken population has suffered as animal feed prices have soared.

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