Quick meals chains are more and more leaning on hen as beef costs rise
“Right now, there is a tightness in the U.S. protein supply, especially where beef is concerned, due to reduced cattle herds that could go on for years before they’re replenished,” Invoice Lapp, president of Omaha, Neb.-based Superior Financial Options informed the Nationwide Restaurant Affiliation (NRA). “Some ground beef cuts are now at record levels, and chicken breast prices, while higher than anticipated, are still lower than the costs associated with beef.”
That is why burger chains together with McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s have been ramping up their hen efforts.
“Even though beef is an important item for a lot of restaurants, some operators, because of the tight supply, are starting to introduce a variety of chicken items this summer. The hope is that they’ll take away some of the pain that higher beef prices are causing,” he said.
To lean into that trend, McDonald’s has been testing a new line of chicken tenders that follows a move Wendy’s made in 2024.
McDonald’s tests a new McCrispy Strips line
Back in 2024, Wendy’s added Saucy Nuggs, essentially its popular chicken nuggets coated in a sauce of your choice. That’s a smart move because it adds multiple menu choices without adding a new protein or any additional cooking, just the prep step of coating the nuggets in the sauce.
“Initially, we reported that the nuggets could be coated in signature sauces, together with honey BBQ, Buffalo, ghost pepper, and garlic parmesan. Whereas these 4 sauces might be becoming a member of the menu, the official nationwide launch contains further flavors,” AllRecipes reported.
After the successful initial test, Wendy’s national rollout also added Spicy Honey BBQ, Spicy Garlic Parm, Spicy Buffalo, and Spicy Ghost Pepper.
Social media posts, including from widely followed food account Snackolator, have also highlighted McDonald’s ongoing tests of new McCrispy Strip flavors.
McDonald’s has been testing a mix of dry rubs and sauces.
“McDonald’s remains to be testing new Glazed or Seasoned McCrispy Strips and these NEED to go nationwide! They have six choices that basically unlock the potential of the McCrispy Strips,” the popular Snackolator Instagram page posted, along with an ad showing the flavors.
While these may not be the final flavors, the ad showed Sweet Chili, Teriyaki, Kickin’ BBQ, Spicy Chili Garlic, Garlic Parm, and Sweet Asian. The first three are sauces while the next three are dry rubs.
Beef prices are climbing
Beef prices have climbed faster than the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI).
“The CPI for all meals elevated 0.4% from January 2026 to February 2026. Meals costs in February 2026 had been 3.1% increased than in February 2025,” according to data from the USDA.
- Wholesale beef prices increased roughly 13% year-over-year in early 2026, according to the USDA Economic Research Service (Food Price Outlook).
- Ground beef reached about $6.69 per pound in December 2025, a record high, according to data released by the White House.
- The U.S. cattle herd fell to roughly 86 million head, the lowest level since the 1950s, added the White House.
In February President Donald J. Trump signed a proclamation temporarily increasing the U.S. tariff-rate quota for lean beef trimmings to boost supply and make ground beef affordable for American consumers despite current supply challenges.
“The proclamation permits a further 80,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings per 12 months from Argentina to be imported tariff-free in 4 quarterly tranches of 20,000 metric tons every,” according to a White House press release.
McDonald’s sees opportunity in chicken
McDonald’s Global Chief Restaurant Experience Officer Jill McDonald spoke about the opportunity the chain sees in growing its chicken sales during the fast-food giant’s fourth-quarter earnings call.
“Lastly, hen. Simply as a reminder, this international class is 2x the scale of beef and sooner rising. We grew our hen class share throughout our high 10 markets in 2025 and imagine we’re properly on our technique to rising our share by at the very least 1 proportion level by the tip of 2026 versus the place we had been in December 2023,” she said.
Chicken, she noted, is not McDonald’s only potential growth area.
“We have recognized development alternatives, hen. There’s loads of development nonetheless in beef in addition to the brand new areas of beverage. However we’re additionally occupied with enhancing style and high quality round how we renovate right now as properly,” she added.
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The executive also confirmed that the chain was working on new chicken items.
“And on the innovation entrance, lots of you could have noticed one thing cooking at a couple of eating places within the Chicagoland space. We’re within the early levels of testing new taste mixtures and new methods of cooking as we proceed to discover nice tasting recipes for purchasers to get pleasure from,” McDonald mentioned.
McDonald’s desires clients to purchase extra hen.
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Beef costs rising sooner than burger costs
Burger menu costs have risen in recent times, however not almost as quick as the price of beef.
“New data from Datassential’s Burger Price Index shows burger menu prices have increased approximately 14% since January 2023, while beef production costs have surged roughly 32% during the same period. Restaurants often manage pricing strategically across the menu, limiting increases on high-visibility items while balancing costs across other categories,” in line with a Datassential press launch.
Over that very same time interval, federal Meals Away From Residence inflation rose about 13%, which means burger costs have tracked intently with total restaurant inflation at the same time as beef prices have risen far more sharply.
“Operators can’t simply pass every cost increase directly to the consumer,” mentioned Datassential CEO Jim Emling. “The data shows just how carefully restaurants are managing pricing on high-visibility items like burgers while balancing costs across the rest of the menu.”
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