I’ve probably eaten my entire body weight in chicken nuggets over the course of my life. I’m in my late 30s, so that’s a lot of meals to hit that milestone, but I can confidently say that I’m a nugget expert. I’ve eaten 20-piece boxes since they were limited-time promotions during the summers of my childhood.
It should come as no surprise that I had to try the Halo-inspired Moa McNuggets that are currently available. I’m pretty sure this article makes the order a business expense.
I’ve reviewed my fair share of Xbox-related fast food items. To this day, Nether Flame Sauce is the best sauce I’ve ever had from McDonald’s. I even reviewed an Xbox doughnut once.
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So, how does the latest gaming Xbox-themed snack stack up? I’m sorry to say that the black pepper and garlic nuggets are not my favorite. They’re made consistently and I’m sure there are people who like them, including our Richard Devine. But I found there to be too much pepper in each nugget.
The nuggets also felt dryer than standard McNuggets, which surprised me. I ordered them on two different days to see if it was a fluke, but the additional ingredients in the breading dry things out in my experience.
You may be tempted to dip the Moa McNuggets in the Dragon Breath Fiery Buffalo Dip inspired by Azeroth from World of Warcraft, but I’d recommend against it. That buffalo dip is meant to pair with Chicken Selects. Combining it with black pepper and garlic crowds the mouth. The sauce on its own is fine, albeit hotter and more vinegar-filled than Nether sauce.
I wasn’t a fan of the Blamco Cheesy Potato Bites either, though basing a food item on a post-apocalyptic game isn’t the best idea anyway.
Shifting back to the McNuggets you all are so eager to read about, the black pepper and garlic nuggets have an interesting history that connects them to Japan.
Reusing gaming assets
I found it interesting that the Moa nuggets are not new, just a rebrand. McDonald’s in the UK sold the same recipe last year as part of the World Heist menu. Black pepper and garlic nuggets were first sold at McDonald’s in Japan and proved popular.
So, why did McDonald’s reuse its Japanese McNuggets as part of its Halo promotion? That’s hard to say. According to Halo Waypoint, “the taste of Moa meat is barely distinguishable from beef.” People joke that everything tastes like chicken, but it seems odd that McDonald’s wouldn’t make its Moa product from beef.
While I have questions about Moa meat and the lore accuracy of the latest nuggets, there is some consistency when it comes to flavors to pair with the fictional food. The Pringles Wavy Moa Burger crisps that came out in 2021 featured garlic. They also had pepper, though chili and red rather than black. Those crisps (or chips to my American audience) were also supposed to taste like beef, so I still think McDonald’s is on thin ice trying to promote chicken as Moa meat.
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