I tried McDonald’s Chicken Big Mac so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.

What do you call a Big Mac that’s afraid of the dark? A Chicken Big Mac!

Or that’s what you call a Big Mac that has chicken patties on it instead of hamburgers. Which is what McDonald’s rolled out in stores nationwide on Thursday. For a limited time, those who prefer chicken to beef (or simply enjoy McDonald’s McChicken sandwiches) can get a Chicken Big Mac.

The sandwich features two chicken patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese and pickles on a sesame seed bun. Not quite as catchy as the original Big Mac jingle, but close enough.

While McDonald’s is far from my favorite fast food burger chain (Wendy’s rules nationally, In-N-Out crushes regionally), there is a time and place for the golden arches. Is it a time and place of desperation and weakness? Absolutely. But in those moments, a Big Mac and fries are a salty salve for the soul.

There is indeed something special about a Big Mac, from its double-decker presentation to the briny combination of special sauce, pickles and onions. The burger quality is of no consequence, mostly a canvas for condiments. So I was very curious how swapping the beef for chicken would fare.

It tastes pretty much how I expected — like a McChicken with Big Mac sauce. Which is pretty good! You’ll never mistake a McDonald’s chicken sandwich for an elite one from Chick-fil-a or Popeye’s, but there is a certain nostalgia to this style of low-grade chicken patty. And it is indeed elevated by the sauce, pickles and onions. The fact that this is technically a menu item McDonald’s could always serve — they always have Big Mac ingredients and chicken patties — does make this feel a little less special. But it doesn’t make it taste any worse.

Is it better than the original Big Mac? Nope. The sauce goes better with beef than chicken, and it’s hard to beat the original. I didn’t even like the Double Big Mac, which came out earlier this year, as much as the classic Big Mac.

And I’m not chicken to admit it.

Related coverage:

• I tried the Wendy’s Krabby Patty Kollab meal so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.

• I tried Chick-fil-A’s banana pudding milkshake so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.

• I tried Taco Bell’s cheesy street chalupa so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.

• I tried McDonald’s Kit Kat banana split McFlurry so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.

• I tried Wendy’s triple berry Frosty so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.

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Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com and followed on Twitter at @J_Schneider and on Instagram at @JeremyIsHungryAgain.