CHICAGO — McDonald’s Corp. is adding a chicken Big Mac to US menus beginning on Oct. 10. The introduction is the continuation of the company’s efforts to add chicken-based items to its menu.

The chicken Big Mac features the same toppings as the traditional Big Mac but with two tempura battered chicken patties in place of the two beef patties.

“With the introduction of the chicken Big Mac, we’re excited to pay homage to one of our most iconic menu items, the Big Mac, and introduce it to a whole new generation of fans,” said Tariq Hassan, chief marketing and customer experience officer at McDonald’s USA.

In a March 13 presentation at the UBS Global Consumer and Retail Conference in New York, Ian F. Borden, global chief financial officer for McDonald’s, said the chicken category is much larger and growing faster than beef. He added that McDonald’s is under-indexed in its share of the chicken market and is focused on growing its share of the category.