I Tried 6 Fried Chicken Sandwiches and Only One Wins the Sandwich Wars
Did you know the Chicken Sandwich Wars are still going on? The poultry phenomenon originally began in 2019 when Popeyes launched its very first fried chicken sandwich. But, it didn't just simply launch a new product. It sparked an all-out battle with Chick-fil-A over social media and the debacle was even the catalyst for the addition or revitalization of chicken sandwich recipes on other fast-food menus.
Nowadays, we're not being bombarded with chicken sammies constantly flashing across our T.V. screens or taking over entire chains. All of that is but a distant fowl fever dream. But, these chicken sandwiches live on, in their original forms and in some cases in new exciting flavors. We all tend to have our go-tos in this department (myself included). However, today I am putting six of the most prominent to the test to judge them all by what they currently have to offer taste-wise with preconceived notions, social media drama, and all other hullabaloo aside. Let's dive into my final pecking order from least to most favorite.
Wendy's
Chicken comes in several forms at Wendy's. Nuggets are often cited as the most popular way Wendy's consumers choose to chicken. They often pop up on the chain's annual lists of most ordered items. But, when you don't want to dip and dunk, sandwiches are there for you as well. They range from spicy to Asiago to crispy and I opted for the Classic Chicken Sandwich whose makeup is just that: classic. The lightly breaded chicken breast comes topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayonnaise, all on a toasted bun. It comes to a single sandwich price of $5.99.
The Look: On the small side even with its array of veggie toppings. The condensed chicken is breaded in golden brown, though it appears to lack any kind of seasonings. Thinner dabs of mayo seep into everything from the chicken's outer crust to the soft bun.
The Taste: Patty-style chicken is a great way to stamp your ticket to last place ville and Wendy's did just that. It's all white meat but from the inside of the sandwich, you can tell it looks more fabricated than natural. I think the fact that it comes with the works is just a distraction from this inferior composition. The lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise don't do much to improve the experience. Even the bun was underwhelming with a lack of moisture and the pickles couldn't turn things around either–no matter how hard they tried to.
Culver's
At Culver's, you can take a break from ButterBurgers and try a chicken sandwich instead. You can order one grilled or spicy, but I ordered a classic crispy version for $6.29. It starts with whole white meat chicken breast coated in a Southern-style breading that's seasoned with garlic, onion, and a dash of cayenne. This fried piece of poultry then gets paired with a toasted Kaiser bun and lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles as garnishes.
The Look: The sandwich stands tall but mostly because of the bumpy and puffed-up Kaiser bun. Below, the slab of fried chicken takes up the same amount of room as the fresh toppings.
The Taste: Between the garlicky breading and pure un-pattified chicken, it didn't take long for me to determine this was a step up from Wendys' sandwich. It delivers a nice crisp and juiciness. However, the meat's surrounding environment isn't doing it any favors. The lettuce, tomato, and pickles detract from the chicken's seasoned taste, and the roll is an even worse offender. It's too big for its britches, throwing off the bread-to-contents ratio and rendering the entire sandwich bland and forgettable. I'm convinced the chicken would have been better off as a solo act.
McDonald's
There's a time and place for a McChicken–Mickey D's first-ever chicken sandwich that was introduced in 1980. But, I believe this taste test called for a more adult option and not on the McValue menu. Enter: the McCrispy. Previously operating under the duller, less McDonald's-like alias of the Crispy Chicken Sandwich, this handheld is said to offer a thicker, juicier, and crispier cut of poultry compared to its McChicken predecessor. It also axes the lettuce and mayonnaise, sticking instead with just crinkle-cut pickle chips on its toasted and buttered potato roll. One sandwich sans fries cost me $4.29.
The Look: The chicken cutlet is still pretty flat. It's not a big-mouth sandwich by any means. But, it is well-breaded and its imperfect shape is a hint that it is formed from real chicken breast rather than a chicken paste. I counted two total pickle chips thrown on and the bun's potato roots are made obvious by its yellow coloring.
The Taste: It was a bold move to copy Chick-fil-A's sandwich recipe to a tee (just bun, chicken, and pickles). But, McDonald's doesn't make a complete fool out of itself with this copycat sammie. Even if it's unoriginal, I still like the simplicity of it. Pickles add just enough zest while the buttered bun provides a dash of sweetness that I didn't get from any other rendition. The only real problem comes from the protein itself. It's confirmed white meat chicken but it's more dry and chewy than juicy and crispy. And, with a name like McCrispy you simply can't have that. I do give McDonald's props for its attempt, though, and while I don't think it will ever surpass the McChicken in terms of popularity, it's a solid addition to the lineup.
KFC
The Colonel has been slinging chicken sandwiches alongside his buckets and family meals since the early 1990s. But, it wasn't until 2021 that his current, new-and-improved recipe was released–presumably in response to the madness of the Chicken Sandwich Wars. This revitalized handheld houses a quarter-pound all-white meat, double breaded, and "Extra Crispy™" chicken breast filet. This comes stacked on a toasted and butter brioche bun with pickles and the Colonel's real mayo. Getting in on the finger-lickin' good action will cost you $4.99.
The Look: The glistening bun was unfortunately smashed in the hand-off process. But, the chicken filet remained as plump as ever covered in ridges and valleys of brittle breading. Three pickle chips were tucked below as well as a hefty glob of mayo.
The Taste: Extra crispy is an understatement. You could hear the crunch of this sandwich from the next room over. It also immediately hits you with that KFC nostalgia that can be attributed to its 11 herbs and spices blend. This batch may have overdone it with the salt just a smidge, but overall each bite is satisfyingly crisp, comforting, and familiar. I would have been happy with about half the mayonnaise portion. But, the pickles were just enough to cover each section of the sandwich while the bun held everything in place despite its squashed appearance. All in all, it's an inviting home-cookin' style sammie. A fact that speaks volumes to what we have coming up next.
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A has been making chicken sandwiches since before it was cool. It really put the sandwich type on the map during a time when fast food was all burgers, burgers, burgers. For this taste test, I knew I had to represent the chain's roots with an original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich. It's freshly breaded, pressure cooked in 100% refined peanut oil and served on a toasted, buttery bun with dill pickle chips. It costs $5.09.
The Look: Extra crispy and in a deeper brown color, I almost thought they gave me a spicy patty on accident. Two standard pickle slices are accounted for and the bun was its usual perky self.
The Taste: One of the only chicken sandwiches that thrives with no condiments and hardly any toppings at all. Of course, you can always add the Chick-fil-A dipping sauce of your choice. But, the pickles are often all you need to add a little bit of color. The chicken could even stand by itself if need be. It provides instant, all-around juiciness and maybe not as much of a crunch as KFC but those crackly edges are magical. It's never overly greasy which is a win and the bun is extra soft and manages to not overtake the entire sammie. Near perfection.
Popeyes
Like KFC, Popeyes has been in the fried chicken business for quite some time. Since 1972 to be exact. But, it didn't drop its famed chicken sandwich–the one at the center of the sandwich wars–until 2019. Now, 6 years later, it still follows the same recipe. The chicken itself is a breast fillet marinated in Popeyes seasonings, hand-breaded in the chain's buttermilk system, and fried. The bun is brioche and both classic mayo and barrel-cured pickle slices join the party.
The Look: Mayo was over-applied. Let's get that out of the way first. It appears like congealed vanilla frosting all over the chicken and sandwich. The fillet comes in a large size, though it's more wide than tall, making for a hefty sandwich overall.
The Taste: Between Chick-fil-A and Popeyes' sandwiches, any given day one could be better than the other. But, today Popeyes triumphed, and it has everything to do with the Cajun-style breading. Thanks to its seasoning blend, it's bursting with flavor and crispy to the max but protects the tender white meat chicken waiting inside. Even the pickles are delicious. Their barrel-cured brininess made me wish I had a handful just to snack on. While I will always be a Chick-fil-A fan, it's pretty obvious Popeyes knows what it's doing in the sandwich department. It's a worthy opponent and my top pick in this poultry-off.
Sign up for our newsletter!
