Fans Are Calling Arby’s New Steak Nuggets 'Beyond Amazing,' So I Gave Them a Try

Korin Miller

Thu, October 23, 2025 at 10:17 PM UTC

6 min read

Arby's has introduced steak nuggets as a limited-time menu item, aiming to offer a unique twist on traditional chicken nuggets.
The steak nuggets are bite-sized pieces of seared, smoked, and seasoned steak, served without breading and accompanied by a side of Hickory BBQ sauce.
Initial feedback on Arby's steak nuggets has been largely positive, with customers praising the tenderness and flavor of the meat, although some have noted a resemblance to beef jerky.

For years, the nugget world has been dominated by chicken, with nearly every fast food joint having their own spin on the chicken nugget . While that opens up chicken nugget -lovers to a wide range to choose from, it's fair to want to try finger food that's a little different. And that's just what happened recently with the debut of Arby's steak nuggets .

The chain, which is known for its roast beef sandwiches, launched these meaty nuggets in early October 2025, and they're already getting a ton of buzz. According to Inspire Brands , which owns Arby's, the nuggets are only here for a limited time.

The idea behind this is pretty neat: Arby's wanted to take steaks that people know and love and turn them into a finger food. "Two of America's favorite foods—nuggets and steak— combined to create Arby's Steak Nuggets. No knife needed, fork optional," Jeff Baker, chief marketing officer at Arby's, said in a statement .

Arby's has really played these up online, joking on Instagram that they deserve a PhD because they " invented a new kind of steak " and sharing a post where a steak "father" and chicken nugget "mother" hold a steak nugget "baby." In the post, the nugget mom says, "He will be strong like his father." (Scroll down for the wacky visual.) Arby's has even called these nuggets the "biggest bovine invention since milk." So, there's a lot of hype surrounding these bites.

Because steak nuggets are an entirely new thing, it's fair to have questions, including how these taste. To help you out, I swung by my local Arby's and gave them a try, along with their sister product, the Steak Nugget Bowl. And-spoiler alert—I recommend taking a trip to Arby's ASAP. Here's my review sharing exactly what you need to know before you go.

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What Are Arby's Steak Nuggets?

Arby's steak nuggets are bite-sized pieces of steak . They've been seared, smoked and seasoned with garlic and pepper. Unlike chicken nuggets , these aren't covered in breading. Instead, they're essentially just steak bites. Arby's serves the steak nuggets in a five-count or nine-count order, along with your choice of a side of Hickory BBQ sauce. (They give you a fork too, although you don't really need it.)

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What Are People Saying About Arby's Steak Nuggets?

There's been a ton of feedback online already about steak nuggets, and it's largely been positive. They were called "nice and tender" by @megandmaddie , who noted that the bites "melt in your mouth."

The comments on Arby's social media don't disappoint, either. "These are so beyond amazing!!!" one person wrote on Instagram . Another said, "so good! Gotta get them again." At least one customer was disappointed, though, noting that the nuggets "tasted like I was eating beef jerky. Meat was hard and not tender at all."

Another person on Reddit said the nuggets tasted like "dried chunks of their beef brisket."

But others praised Arby's for branching out. "I can definitely appreciate a fast food chain trying something new," one wrote . "I feel like everything the last 10 years has been a copy and paste. Good or bad, this is a step in the right direction and I'm going to try it for this reason alone."

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How Much Do Arby's Steak Nuggets Cost?

The price depends on where you live. My five-count of steak nuggets cost $6, while the steak nugget bowl was $9.50. I've also seen the five-count of nuggets listed as low as $5.29, so it's area-specific.

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What Are the Nutrition Facts for Arby's Steak Nuggets?

You can expect a few things in the nutrition department when you dive into Arby's steak nuggets. A five-count has 340 calories, with 27 grams of fat and 17 grams of protein. Also worth noting: It contains 2 grams of sugar and 670 milligrams of sodium. Pair that with a fruit or vegetable, and you've got a meal.
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What's the Arby's Steak Nugget Bowl?

The steak nugget bowl is also quickly earning a loyal fanbase. The steak nugget bowl features steak nuggets on top of white cheddar mac 'n cheese—all topped with a sprinkling of crispy onions.

And the bowl isn't the only way to upgrade the nuggets. Arby's is offering a steak nugget sandwich too. The sandwich features steak nuggets with havarti cheese, crispy onions, pickles and mayonnaise on a toasted bun.

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Arby's Steak NuggetsReview: My Honest Thoughts

While there's been some mixed feedback online about steak nuggets, I'm with Arby's on this one: These are delicious.

The nuggets are juicy and tender, and the flavor was impressive. They're smoky, but not overwhelmingly so, and just salty enough to highlight the meat without feeling like you need to chug a bunch of water.

The nuggets are really similar to burnt ends, which are cubes of brisket that are slow-cooked, cubed and usually covered in BBQ sauce, before being re-cooked. The nuggets are pretty large too. While you can technically toss one back in one bite, I think each nugget is probably best eaten in a few bites.

Sure, brisket fans will find something to criticize about these—they're not as juicy as you'd get in steak that comes straight out of the smoker, for starters. But this is excellent for a fast food option.

Arby's offers up Hickory BBQ Sauce when you get your nuggets, and it's solid. But I like that you don't need sauce or anything else with steak nuggets. They truly can stand alone. Another perk: You can eat these with your fingers without getting messy.

The steak nugget bowl was a surprising sleeper hit. While the mac 'n cheese isn't the best fast food version I've ever had (Chick-fil-A still holds that spot), the steak nuggets go well with Arby's recipe. The crispy onions are also the perfect way to tie all of this together.

Whether you're a chicken nugget fan who's looking to branch out or you just love steak, Arby's steak nuggets are a solid option to put into your fast food rotation. They're packed with protein, road-friendly and go down easy. I'll be eating them again, for sure.

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This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the Food & Drink section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.