Free UK delivery on all orders · At-home saliva test · Secure checkout
Free UK delivery on all orders
McDonald's McChicken Sandwich: calories, nutrition, ingredients and allergens
How many calories are in a McDonald's McChicken Sandwich? It contains 371 kcal, 16g of fat (2.2g saturated), 5g of sugar and 1.4g of salt. This sits in the middle of the range for the core menu.
Build a full meal with our nutrition calculator
A McChicken Sandwich is rarely ordered on its own. Use the calculator below to add fries, a drink, dips and a dessert, and see what the combined order adds up to against daily guidelines for calories, saturated fat, sugar and salt.
McDonald's meal builder
Build your meal and see the totals
Choose your main, then add fries, a drink, dips and a dessert. See combined calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt against daily guidelines.
Main item
Fries
Drink
Dips and sauces (select any)
Dessert or McFlurry
Your meal
Calories
--
--
0--
--
Saturated fat
--
--
0--
--
Sugar
--
--
0--
--
Salt
--
--
0--
--
Nutrition information
Nutrition information: McChicken Sandwich
Energy
371 kcal
Fat
16g
of which saturates
2.2g
Carbohydrate
40g
of which sugars
5g
Salt
1.4g
Protein
16g
Source: McDonald’s UK nutrition information. Figures are per item as sold, before any optional sauces or extras.
A McDonald's McChicken Sandwich contains 371 kcal, which is 19% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake. It provides 16g of total fat, of which 2.2g is saturated, 5g of sugar, 1.4g of salt and 16g of protein.
At 2.2g, the saturated fat content is relatively low for a hot menu item, representing 11% of the adult daily guideline of 20g.
The breaded chicken patty coating contains added starches, raising agents and seasonings beyond the chicken itself. Combined with the mayonnaise and bun, the sandwich has notably lower saturated fat than any of the beef burgers, at 2.2g.
A moderate choice on calories and saturated fat
A McDonald's McChicken Sandwich contains 371 kcal and 2.2g of saturated fat, 11% of the adult daily saturated fat guideline of 20g. The breaded chicken patty coating contains added starches, raising agents and seasonings beyond the chicken itself. Combined with the mayonnaise and bun, the sandwich has notably lower saturated fat than any of the beef burgers, at 2.2g.
Reference Intakes are EU-wide guideline daily amounts for an average adult (2,000 kcal). The free sugar limit of 30g is the NHS/SACN guideline, which is stricter than the 90g total sugars RI as it excludes naturally occurring sugars in whole foods and dairy.
Sugar, salt and protein by age group
The table below shows how the sugar, salt and protein in a McDonald's McChicken Sandwich compares to daily guidelines for different age groups and life stages.
Sugar, salt and protein by age group: McDonald's McChicken Sandwich
Age group
Sugar (g / % limit)
Salt (g / % limit)
Protein (g / % target)
Age 4 to 6
5g / 26%
1.4g / 47%
16g / 80%
Age 7 to 10
5g / 21%
1.4g / 28%
16g / 57%
Age 11 to 17
5g / 17%
1.4g / 23%
16g / 38%
Adult
5g / 17%
1.4g / 23%
16g / 32%
Sugar and salt % shown against NHS/SACN daily limits. Protein % shown against estimated daily targets. Red = 75%+ of limit, amber = 20-74%, green = under 20%. Protein is beneficial and has no upper limit, shown for reference only.
Protein
McChicken Sandwich provides 16g of protein. For comparison, a general guide for adult daily protein intake is around 50g, so this item alone provides 32% of that target.
Salt
McChicken Sandwich contains 1.4g of salt, 23% of the adult daily limit of 6g. This is a moderate contribution, leaving room within the daily limit for sides and other meals.
Ultra-processed food: what is really in it
A McDonald's McChicken Sandwich is assembled from 4 separate components, each manufactured and prepared separately, often at different factories, before being combined and cooked at the point of sale. The most heavily formulated of these are the bun and mayonnaise.
Reading the ingredient list closely, a McDonald's McChicken Sandwich contains emulsifiers, stabilisers, maltodextrin and dextrose. These are not used to add nutritional value. Emulsifiers help water-based and fat-based ingredients (such as oil and vinegar in a sauce, or fat and water in a bun dough) blend together and stay blended, rather than separating out. Stabilisers maintain a consistent texture in sauces and dressings over time, preventing them from becoming watery or separating during storage and transport. Maltodextrin acts as a bulking agent and helps control texture and browning in baked goods. Dextrose assists with yeast fermentation and browning in the bun during baking.
None of this means the ingredients are unsafe; all additives used are approved for use in UK food. What it indicates is the degree of industrial formulation involved. A home-cooked equivalent, made from a small number of fresh or minimally processed ingredients prepared in one kitchen, would typically involve far fewer steps and far fewer additives. The version sold at McDonald's reaches a comparable end result using a longer list of industrially processed components, several manufacturing sites, and a number of functional additives designed to keep the product consistent across thousands of restaurants.
Looking at the ingredient list rather than just the nutrition panel tells a different story. Even where individual macros (sugar, salt, calories) look moderate, the number of separately manufactured components, and the additives used to bind, emulsify, preserve, colour and flavour them, place almost every hot item on the McDonald's menu in the most processed food category under the NOVA classification system.
Processing (NOVA classification)
A McDonald's McChicken Sandwich falls into NOVA group 4, ultra-processed food. The NOVA classification system groups foods by the extent and purpose of the processing involved, rather than by their individual nutrients. Group 4 covers products that are formulated mostly or entirely from substances derived from foods, plus additives, using a series of industrial processes with little or no whole food remaining recognisable in the final product. In this item, that includes emulsifiers, stabilisers, maltodextrin and dextrose, on top of the breaded or formed proteins, processed cheese and multi-stage assembly typical of the menu. This classification applies to almost all hot menu items at McDonald's, and indeed to most fast food and packaged convenience food generally; it is not a finding specific to this item.
Allergens at a glance
Allergen information: McChicken Sandwich
Wheat
Contains
Rye
May contain traces
Barley
May contain traces
Oats
Not present
Sesame
Contains
Soya
Contains
Milk
Not present
Eggs
Not present
Fish
Not present
Crustaceans
Not present
Celery
Not present
Mustard
Not present
Molluscs
Not present
Lupin
Not present
McDonald's UK prepares food in kitchens where allergens are present and equipment is shared. "May contain traces" reflects cross-contact risk from shared fryers, toasters and preparation areas. McDonald's cannot guarantee any item is completely allergen-free, even when ingredients are removed on request.
Frequently asked questions
A McDonald's McChicken Sandwich contains 371 kcal, which is 19% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake.
A McDonald's McChicken Sandwich contains 2.2g of saturated fat, 11% of the adult daily guideline of 20g, and 13% of the guideline for a child aged 11 to 17 (17g).
Yes. A McDonald's McChicken Sandwich falls into NOVA group 4, ultra-processed food. It contains emulsifiers, stabilisers, maltodextrin and dextrose, used to bind, preserve, stabilise or standardise the product, alongside breaded or formed proteins and processed cheese. This is a description of how the food is made and formulated, not a statement that it is unsafe to eat.
Calories, fat, sugar and salt only describe part of the picture. Two foods can have similar nutrition figures while differing substantially in how processed they are, how many ingredients they contain, and how many additives are used to replicate texture, flavour or appearance. The NOVA classification and ingredient list capture this difference, which the nutrition panel alone does not.
A McDonald's McChicken Sandwich contains wheat, soya, sesame and egg. May also contain traces of barley and rye from shared kitchen equipment.
A McDonald's McChicken Sandwich contains 1.4g of salt, 23% of the adult daily limit of 6g.
At 371 kcal, the McDonald's McChicken Sandwich sits roughly in the middle of the range for the core menu, between the Hamburger (248 kcal) and the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (743 kcal).
Track how this fits your day
See exactly how this meal fits your day.
The Boone app tracks calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar, salt and 30 plus micronutrients in real time. Log meals by scanning food or searching restaurant items, and see instantly how a meal out fits into your day, adjusted for your exact age and goals.
Download the Boone app and start tracking your nutrition today.
Nutrition and allergen information from McDonald's UK official sources (allergen booklet and product pages). Figures are per item as sold, before optional sauces, dips or extras, and may vary slightly by recipe updates. Reference intakes: EU Reference Intakes for an average adult (2,000 kcal); NHS/SACN free sugar and saturated fat guidelines. For guidance only, not medical advice. Always check the McDonald's UK app or in-restaurant information for the most current data.
