Like Spider-Man movies, McDonald’s has rebooted its chicken strips multiple times. First, there were the Chicken Selects (Tobey Maguire). Then, there were the Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Tenders (Andrew Garfield). And now, the fast food chain has once again dipped its toes into the extended dippable poultry universe with its McCrispy Strips (Tom Holland).

McDonald’s uses 100% white meat chicken coated with a crispy golden brown breading that features a new black pepper flavor for the new menu item. Along for the ride is the new Creamy Chili Dip, a savory, sweet, and tangy sauce that McDonald’s says “unlocks the full Strips experience.” The chicken is available in 3- and 4-piece orders, and both options come with two sauces of your choice. But, spoiler alert, I REALLY recommend getting the Creamy Chili Dip, which I’ll get to in a moment.

The first thing that caught my eye about the McCrispy Strips was how McLong they were. They seemed more impressive than the previous McDonald’s offerings. Also impressive was how tender and juicy the meat was. However, I wish the “crispy golden brown breading” was crispier. There’s some texture, especially on the edges, but for the most part, I find the Chicken McNuggets to have a crispier exterior. That’s disappointing for something that seems more premium than chicken nuggets. As for its flavor, it has a light pepperiness that makes these okay enough to eat sans sauce, but you NEED to eat them with the Creamy Chili Dip.

I’ve had Raising Cane’s once, and all I remember is how much I liked the Cane’s Sauce more than the chicken fingers. And I can say the same thing about these McCrispy Strips. While the chicken doesn’t blow away my taste buds, the Creamy Chili Dip does, and I hope it never leaves. Its tangy and peppery flavor brings to mind what I remember Cane’s Sauce tasting like, and it perfectly complements the McCrispy Strips’ flavor. However, there were times when I thought the chicken strip with the sauce got a bit too salty. But overall (I can’t believe I’m about to type this), I might love this Creamy Chili Dip as much as my beloved Hot Mustard Sauce. And I look forward to trying it with Chicken McNuggets.

McDonald’s says the McCrispy Strips are a permanent item, but it’s hard to tell if it will cement them into the menu like the Big Mac or Chicken McNuggets. History shows that McDonald’s has an on-and-off relationship with chicken strips. Only time will tell if they stay. If they end up disappearing, I won’t be too sad. But if the Creamy Chili Dip goes, I may McCry.

Purchased Price: $5.99*
Size: 3-piece order
Rating: 8 out of 10 (with Creamy Chili Dip)
Nutrition Facts: (w/o sauce) 350 calories, 17 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 1100 milligrams of sodium, 50 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 30 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

I know nothing about Minecraft.

But I do know that one of the ingredients in McDonald’s Nether Flame Sauce is also found in pepper spray — oleoresin capsicum. While not as unpleasant as I imagine being pepper sprayed is, this spicy sauce was not my cup of scalding hot tea.

Here’s how McDonald’s describes the sauce, “Like the lavafalls of the fiery dimension, this exclusive spicy Nether Flame Sauce will singe even the feistiest of mobs. Feel the heat of the Nether with crushed red pepper and flaming cayenne. Crafted with fiery flavor, this hot sauce gives hints of savory garlic and subtle sweetness. If you can dig the heat, know it goes perfectly with a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets.”

Spoiler Alert: I could not dig the heat and didn’t even want to dip all of my 4-piece order of McNuggets into it.

Of course, with the name “Nether Flame,” it should be evident that it will be spicy. But I thought it would be “mass appeal fast food spicy” where there’s a nice amount of heat that makes me want to reach for a refreshing and soothing McDonald’s Diet Coke, but I don’t NEED to. I guess I expected a heat level similar to the recent limited-time McNugget sauces.

While my eating history shows that I don’t mind the spicy, after dipping two McNuggets, my taste buds threw in the towel because they had a hunch that if they continued, the capsaicin level would make them and our digestive system regret it later. Also, while eating those two nuggets, I NEEDED to reach for the comfort of an ice cold McDonald’s Diet Coke. Of course, heat tolerances are different, so some of you might find this sauce’s spiciness to be lava off a duck’s back.

With those two McNuggets I consumed, I noticed not only the sauce’s spiciness and pepperiness but also a strong garlic taste, which also accompanied other recent limited-time McNugget sauces. So, it’s a little surprising that it’s also a notable component of this one. However, this sauce is much spicier than the previous ones.

If McDonald’s had turned down the heat a little, I might’ve enjoyed this because I love garlic. However, at the same time, doing that might’ve made this taste more similar to previous sauces.

Overall, while I know nothing about Minecraft, I do know that this Nether Flame Sauce is at the nether level of my favorite McNugget sauces.

Purchased Price: Free w/Chicken McNuggets
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 25 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 500 milligrams of sodium, 6 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

After this McDonald’s Angel Reese Special Meal, I hope there will be a Caitlin Clark McCrispy Cheesy Special topped with a feverish chipo-trey sauce, three bacon strips, and three cheese slices on a half courtato bun. (Yeah, I shoehorned that into the word “potato.”)

The headliner of the Angel Reese Special is the BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese, or as McDonald’s also calls the meaty burger, the QPC, which is an acronym that has never crossed my lips. I don’t say it because I fear things could get confusing when I want to point out a particular Japanese mayonnaise on a burger, “It’s Kewpie, see?”

Speaking of condiments and toppings, Applewood smoked bacon, American cheese, pickles, onions, and a tangy, sweet barbecue sauce top the cheeseburger with a 1/4 lb beef patty and sesame seed bun. The meal also comes with a medium fries and drink. Because the Orange Hi-C is being promoted with the celebrity special (you can get any soft drink you like), and it’s been a while since I’ve had one, I ended up with the basketball-colored drink.

Peeling back the bun reveals a hodgepodge that, at first glance, could be mistaken for a skeleton driving a car with a pickle steering wheel and secured in the automobile with a bacon strip seat belt. (You don’t see it? Well, the HFCS in the Hi-C could be making me imagine things.) Despite the number of loose toppings, the steering wheel and skeleton, the BBQ sauce and cheese act as glues to prevent the vegetation from falling out. Also, with the onions, pickles, and BBQ sauce, I can’t but help think of the McBeloved/McDespised McRib.

Of course, this burger’s flavor doesn’t remind me of the McRib because the sauce is noticeably different. It tastes like something I’ve had from Sweet Baby Ray’s — sweet, tangy, and with a mild spicy kick. But its overall flavor is reminiscent of many other “bacon western BBQ” cheeseburgers I’ve had, which all have a flavor dominated by the sauce followed by the beef, bacon, and cheese. As for the plant-based toppings, the pickles make their sour sides known with bites that end up with them, and the onion slices are a bit muted when up against the sauce.

I wish the BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese was a permanent menu item. However, I’m not saying that because it’s a mind-blowing burger. It’s just good. But I really want to have the option of having a tasty bacon barbecue cheeseburger whenever I go to McDonald’s, which is something the menu will lack when this goes away.

Purchased Price: $12.99* (Angel Reese Special Meal)
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 630 calories, 35 grams of fat, 16 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 115 milligrams of cholesterol, 1460 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 36 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

I could’ve sworn we’ve had the Chicken Big Mac in the United States before. Or maybe I’m confusing it with a menu hack I’ve seen online. Or perhaps I was thinking of Burger King’s version of it from years ago. Or maybe I’m confusing it with the international McDonald’s locations that offered it. Or perhaps I had a vivid dream about it after falling into a McDonald’s-induced food coma?

Anyhoo, finally, the Chicken Big Mac is an official thing in the US, and it features two all-chicken patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, no onions on a sesame seed bun. The breaded poultry appears to be the same one used in the McChicken, which makes sense because using the McCrispy fillets, which aren’t as uniformly shaped, would’ve made it harder to wield and much messier. (Update: Via the comments and the press release, I learned these tempura battered chicken patties were specially made for the Chicken Big Mac.) Yes, much like the iconic original, the shredded lettuce and secret sauce can get everywhere with this sandwich. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some sauce on my chin or hair right at this moment.

Unsurprisingly, the Big Mac components work well with the chicken patties. As someone who has probably eaten his weight in McChickens and Big Macs over the past two decades, I think it tastes exactly like I expected. The breaded coating has a slight pepperiness, the American slice adds a slight cheesiness, and the sauce and pickles give the sandwich a jolt of tanginess. The crispy coating also adds a little more crunch on top of what the lettuce provides. With that said, while this sandwich is tasty, there’s something about the all-beef patties that makes the original taste better.

While the Chicken Big Mac is good and is definitely worth a try, it hasn’t got me completely yearning for another one. Instead, while I ate it, it made me wish more for an opportunity to always be able to customize any sandwich with the special sauce in the McDonald’s app. I’d love the option to add it (along with some pickles and cheese) to a McChicken and turn it into a version of the Mac Jr. without beef. Or add it to a McCrispy sandwich. Or create a Filet-O-Fish Big Mac.

Purchased Price: $5.99*
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 700 calories, 37 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 1410 milligrams of sodium, 61 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar (including 6 grams of added sugar), and 25 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

Click here for our most recent fast food reviews

McDonald’s in the US is dipping its toes again in the pulling from the international product pool with the release of its Special Grade Garlic Sauce, inspired by the Black Garlic Sauce offered by McDonald’s Japan. Or, perhaps I should say dipping its fingers? If you’ve watched the anime Jujutsu Kaisen (or read the manga), which is the tie-in with this sauce, you’ll understand why fingers might’ve made more sense.

The only way to obtain it is through the McDonald’s app. Why? To encourage you to download the app. But, if you do order it, you’ll get a free 30-day trial of the anime streaming service Crunchyroll, which has Jujutsu Kaisen in its library.

McDonald’s says the limited time offering is a savory and tangy black garlic sauce with hints of black pepper. Another description says it contains notes of garlic and soy sauce, balanced with a slight tangy sweetness. With its combination of black garlic, black pepper, and soy sauce, I thought its color would be tar black or Black Flash black, but it has a clear reddish hue.

As expected, the sauce has a strong garlic smell, and the garlic and soy sauce flavors are the most prominent. I can’t say I’ve ever had black garlic, so I can’t compare. The ingredient list includes black garlic puree and regular garlic, but I didn’t taste anything about the garlic notes that made me think something was different. However, the whole thing tastes a bit too umami-y to me. (Try to say umami-y 10 times really fast.) Even the sauce’s slight sweetness was not enough to cut through that. There was also a peppery warmth that built up, but it stayed quite mellow.

McDonald’s Special Grade Garlic Sauce is okay enough that if I had to eat one of Sukuna’s fingers (or anyone’s), and if it was my only option, I’d be fine with using it. But I won’t be getting it again with my McNuggets.

Purchased Price: FREE (comes with order of McNuggets)
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 45 calories. No other nutritional information is available on McDonald’s website.