If you want to be taken seriously in fast food, you probably need to have a chicken sandwich on your menu. It’s one of the trendiest categories these chains can try to compete in, and though the height of the Chicken Sandwich Wars is behind us, the aftermath has left us with a lot of options to pick from.
Which chain is still doing it the best? Whose sandwiches aren’t worth our time? Here are 10 of the most popular fast-food chicken sandwiches, ranked.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
Best: Wingstop: Chicken Sandwich
$5.89
I figured this wasn’t really a fair fight from the start. I was right. Very few of these sandwiches taste like a piece of proper, crunchy, fried chicken. Most of them taste like a fried chicken patty. There’s a difference, and with Wingstop, there’s no mistaking it. It’s right there in the perfect crunch of the batter and the moist chicken inside. And on top of that, you get to choose any Wingstop flavor you want? The geniuses have done it again.
2. Popeyes: Classic Chicken Sandwich
$4.99
Love. That. Chicken. From. Popeyes. I really do.
When the Popeyes sandwich first dropped, it sparked a race to the top of the chicken sandwich mountain. Though I still don’t love the bun too much, the chicken is undeniable. It’s like one huge, Bayou-flavored chicken tender. A dab of gloopy mayo and a briny pickle later, and you’ve got one of the best chicken sandwiches in the game.
3. KFC: Classic Chicken Sandwich
$5.49
Moist chicken. Crunchy batter. Flavorful seasoning. I don’t know what KFC has done in the last several years, but the adjustment is not lost on me. My man is absolutely DRIPPING in mayo, and though I’m not much of a fan of that, I’m unbothered here. When properly executed, mayo and pickles are really all you need. The Colonel’s been on fire lately.
4. Chick-fil-A: Chicken Sandwich
$4.89
While I find Chick-fil-A to be pretty overrated, the quality of the chicken in a Chick-fil-A sandwich is inarguably higher than most of the other chains. There’s no wondering if you’re looking at a ground chicken patty. Pure white meat chicken stares back at you when you take a bite of this sandwich, and if Chick-fil-A could just stop being a coward and make its batter a little crunchier, this could move up a few spots.
5. Burger King: Royal Crispy Chicken
$5.99
I’d be surprised if there’s anything better on Burger King’s menu. This outshines most of it. Juicy, crispy, golden brown — check, check, check. Though the spicy version is better than the classic, this is still a worthy adversary and a strong captain in the chicken sandwich wars.
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6. Bojangles: Bo’s Chicken Sandwich
$5.69
The menu says that Bo’s Chicken Sandwich comes with mayo and pickles. As you can see, I got some lettuce and tomato. Looks like I had a little bit of an omakase situation with my Bojangles chef, but that’s fine. The lettuce and tomatoes are neither here nor there.
The Bojangles sandwich really rides the line between feeling like a piece of fried chicken and a chicken patty. The seasoning is tasty, full of Cajun flavors like cayenne and garlic, but the chicken doesn’t really compare to the juiciness of the top three.
7. Wendy’s: Classic Chicken Sandwich
$5.39
This sandwich is a game of dualities. It’s crunchy, but the seasoning is bland. The mayo and pickle combo is nice, but the chicken is forgettable. Good and bad. Yin and yang. At the end of the day, you should only be at Wendy’s for a tiny cheeseburger or a Frosty, so this matter shouldn’t really concern you much.
8. Sonic: Crispy Chicken Sandwich
$5.29
It’ll do, I suppose. It’s a big piece of chicken, and it has a more appealing texture than the McDonald’s sandwich. I’m not sure the shredded lettuce is necessary here, seeing as Sonic seems to deal exclusively in wilted lettuce that provides no crunch.
This sandwich is nothing to write home about, and I’ll say it for the millionth time, Sonic: Brioche steals flavor. Stop putting sandwiches on it.
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9. Zaxby’s: Signature Sandwich
$6.99
We’re definitely talking about a crunchy piece of chicken here, but Zaxby’s seasoning and breading don’t do much for me. That Zax Sauce is quite a choice too; it’s like a peppery, eggy thousand island, and one of the worst Zaxby’s sauces by far. I’m not sure it belongs on my sandwich.
10. McDonald’s: McCrispy
$4.99
This is actually very surprising to me. I thought McDonald’s would finish in the middle of the rankings, but this is a toughie. The chicken patty on the McCrispy is extremely mediocre. There’s practically no flavor or seasoning, and despite the fact that I ate this fresh out of the drive-thru window, there was virtually no crunch to be found on this sandwich. Shockingly bad job, McD’s.
More Fast-Food Taste Tests From Cheapism
- The Best Fast-Food Chicken Nuggets, Ranked — When the chicken nuggets craving hits, where are you going? Which fast-food chain makes the best ones? I ventured to find out.
- The Best Fast-Food Cheeseburger, According to Our Taste Test — There are a multitude of fast-food chains slinging cheeseburgers, but which one is the best? Who deserves your hard-earned dollars?
- All 14 Tacos at Taco Bell, Ranked — Taco Bell is known for so many wacky innovations that it might be hard to remember what they started with. Taco Bell’s tacos are still, some would argue, the heart and soul of the menu.
