McD’s New Chicken Pizza Kicks Review: Meatballs That Should Stay as Perm Menu

When McDonald’s announces the return of McGriddles, everyone went giddy about the burger: from what I can tell online, it’s a burger that people have been looking forward to since 1819.

I don’t remember having the McGriddles before (maybe because I wasn’t born yet), so I can’t say much about it.

Turns out that other than McGriddles, the World Cup fever has brought in other new items as well: according to McDonald’s Facebook Page, there’s a Party McFLURRY and a Banana Cone.

And also, something known as Chicken Pizza Kicks.

Now, that’s a handful. What the heck is a Pizza Kick?

Turns out, it’s a meatball with pizza sauce within it. Think of it like the cheese meatball you have during steamboat: fry it with flour and substitute the cheese with pizza sauce, and it’ll be called Chicken Pizza Kicks.

If I were working in McDonald’s, I’ll call it McMeatball, but I guess that’s why I’m still working for Goody Feed.

The reason for the name is simple: it, well, looks like footballs (info not by McDonald’s but by my completely inaccurate observation).

On first glance, it doesn’t look anything remotely McDonald’s; remove the packaging and you might think that it’s some innovative fried balls invented by a hipster cafe. Heck, you might just find avocado in it.

But once it’s in your mouth…you’ll realize it doesn’t taste anything remotely McDonald’s as well.

I’ll try my best to be a food blogger and describe the taste to you: imagine a nugget that’s shaped in a sphere. There’s a hollow space within it with the pizza sauce that you’ve bought from a supermarket. Now, imagine the ball being deep-fried with bread crumbs (I think-ed?).

Take a bite and that’s how it tastes like.

To put it bluntly, it’s just a few familiar items mashed together. Which, if you think about it, is like World Cup: it’s just a few familiar players coming together kick a ball into a specific area.

So, how does it taste like when everything is together?

Reading this might be as boring as hearing your lecturer talks about microeconomics, but it’s a different story when you eat it.

It actually blends well.

I’m not one who likes pizza sauce, so it doesn’t really matter to me what’s in the meatball. What makes me go for one more after another after another is the chicken.

At first bite, it doesn’t taste like chicken for some reason, but after a while, I feel the texture and it becomes…addictive.

And suddenly, it dawns to me that it’s chicken (I wasn’t told about what it was before trying it).

One thing about having meatball, or fishball, is the overwhelming flour that seems to overpower the meat: but the Chicken Pizza Kicks have no trace of it. It’s almost like a chicken turning into a ball, and I ain’t even kidding though the description is funny AF.

How About the Pizza Sauce?

As mentioned, it’s almost akin to those found in supermarkets, but my colleague, who definitely have more pizzas than me given his size, disagreed. It’s strong enough to remind him that there’s a surprise within the meatball, though I DGAF (the chicken is the superstar!).

One thing to note is that despite how it looks online with its juicy full pizza sauce…

…reality has a different story to tell.

But I understand. And I don’t care (since all I care is the chicken, yo).

All in all?

I’ll have it again…if the price is right.

It’s Not Exactly Wallet-friendly

Maybe it’s just me, but $4.20 for six meatballs just don’t cut it for me. Top up a dollar or so and you can have the McGriddles, the real star of this new menu.

But still, if it’s based on taste, I’ll give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. If it’s less than $4?

Then it’ll be 5 stars.