I’ve never been big on the roast beef sandwiches at Arby’s. Nothing personal against Arby’s, roast beef just isn’t really my thing. Put some chicken nuggets in front of me and that’s another story. They’re a simple, tasty item, sure to please most fast food eaters. Another factor in their favor… it’s hard to mess up a chicken nugget.

Arby’s recently introduced their Popcorn Chicken Shakers. It’s basically breaded and fried morsels of chicken served in a cup. Dump your favorite sauce inside… place the lid on and shake it up. There’s barbeque sauce and buffalo sauce to choose from, but you can ask for honey mustard instead, which is usually reserved for the chicken strips. I prefer the barbeque sauce. I’ve had the popcorn chicken a number of times now, and only once did I actually do the shake-up routine. I guess Arby’s was trying to create a fun new way of enjoying their bite-sized portable food with the whole “shaker” thing but honestly, why bother? I’m a dunker. I’m not into the shaking… and besides that, I want to have more control over the amount of sauce on each nugget.

Sizing the cup to fit your vehicle’s cup holder (photo above) was a stroke of genius. Ok, maybe that’s a bit of a superlative but it sure comes in handy when you are grubbing on the go. The nuggets have a nice strong crust and each morsel is a good size for being classified as ‘popcorn’. They’re a little on the dry side but you won’t notice once you add sauce. I think the dryness comes from having a fairly thick breading. I also feel the breading leaves a bit of aftertaste. The chicken tastes fine, and isn’t overly greasy, which is a plus, but if you were making a list of nuggets that taste great even without sauce, these probably wouldn’t be on it. Trust me, add your favorite sauce!

If you’ve tried KFC’s popcorn chicken, you’ve likely spent time scavenging through fried crust to find the meaty morsels. Not so with Arby’s variety. It’s more like an array of different sized nuggets but all are decent sized. You’ll get about 8-10 nuggets in a regular order ($2.99), whereas you’ll get more tiny bits with the KFC version.

Arby’s popcorn chicken is tasty and filling. Coming in regular and large sizes, it’s a welcome addition to the menu. It’s good to see Arby’s continuing to branch out beyond roast beef. Within the past year or so, their toasted subs and new chicken choices have made me a fan. If you’re on-the-go and need a quick snack, I recommend giving the popcorn chicken shakers a try. The real question - to shake or not to shake?

Price: $2.99 (regular) / Website: Arbys.com

Fast Food Critic Score: B

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Nutrition Facts - Arby’s, Popcorn Chicken (regular order).

Calories - 363
Calories from Fat - 147
Total Fat - 16 grams
Carbs - 27 grams
Saturated Fat - 3 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 54 milligrams
Sodium - 930 milligrams
Protein - 24 grams

NOTE: These nutrition facts are for the popcorn chicken alone, without sauce. Each flavor of sauce has different nutritional values, and depending on the amount used (1 or 2 packets, etc.) can vary quite a bit.