NEW YORK (AP) — Burger King said bringing back its "Chicken Fries" helped sales jump in the U.S. and Canada by the biggest amount in two years.

The Miami-based chain said Tuesday that global sales rose 2.4 percent at established locations during the third quarter, including a 3.6 percent increase in the U.S. and Canada. McDonald's previously reported a 3.3 percent decline in the U.S. for the same time, citing heightened competition.

Alex Macedo, Burger King's president of North American operation, said in a phone interview that the chain's strategy of focusing on fewer, "more impactful" new menu items is paying off.

Burger King had announced in August it was bringing back Chicken Fries for a limited time in response to "ongoing guest outcries reached a point where they could no longer be ignored." The offering — which are deep-fried pieces of chicken in the shape of french fries — had been introduced in 2005 and taken off the menu in 2012.

The return of the Chicken Fries is among the many marketing pushes Burger King has made since investment firm 3G Capital took the chain public again in 2012. Some efforts have flopped; the chain recently said this summer that most its franchisees would take its lower-calories "Satisfries" off the menu after less than a year.

To boost its profits, Burger King has also refranchised company-owned restaurants in the U.S. and has been striking deals with local operators to open more stores around the world. It currently has nearly 14,000 locations globally.

After factoring one-time charges primarily related to its purchase of Tim Hortons, Burger King Worldwide Inc. lost $23.5 million, or 7 cents per share. Adjusted earnings were 27 cents per share, in line with Wall Street expectations. Burger King said this summer it would buy the Canadian chain for about $11 billion, creating the world's third-largest fast-food company.

Total revenue rose to $278.9 million, short of the $281.8 million Wall Street expected.

Shares of Burger King fell 4 percent to $31.