McDonald's Just Quietly Launched 2 New Cajun Chicken Sandwiches
It's been close to five years now since the 2019 debut of Popeyes's viral Chicken Sandwich ignited a fierce fast-food war, as scores of other chains rushed to introduce their takes on a premium chicken sandwich. But McDonald's is breathing new life into the chicken sandwich wars in 2024 with the debut of not just one, but two new flavorful varieties of the popular poultry offering.
The burger giant just announced two brand-new spins on its signature McCrispy chicken sandwich: a Bacon Cajun Ranch McCrispy (630 calories) and a Bacon Cajun Ranch Deluxe McCrispy (630 calories). The former features a southern-style fried chicken fillet topped with applewood smoked bacon, crinkle-cut pickles, and a creamy Cajun ranch sauce on a toasted potato roll. The latter is practically identical aside from replacing the pickles with shredded lettuce and Roma tomatoes.
The new Cajun varieties join the classic McCrispy chicken sandwich (470 calories) and Spicy McCrispy (530 calories) that customers can order year-round.
The sandwiches are supposed to hit menus nationwide for a limited starting on April 22, though some McDonald's stores have already started to serve them.
The expansion of the McCrispy line comes during a time when McDonald's is working to make the chicken sandwich a core part of its menu and brand. The chain first introduced the McCrispy, originally named the "Crispy Chicken Sandwich," in 2021 in response to the raging chicken sandwich wars. Then, in March 2023, McDonald's officially rebranded it as the McCrispy to grant it the "Mc" stamp of honor, which is only given to some of its most iconic menu items, like Chicken McNuggets and the Oreo McFlurry.
That minor tweak ended up being a very lucrative move for McDonald's. Just about a month after the rebrand, McDonald's reported that the name change had already helped drive a double-digit boost in sales. And in October 2023, the company announced that the McCrispy had grown into a billion-dollar brand.
Customers should expect to see even more McCrispy varieties debut at their local Mickey D's in the coming years. During McDonald's annual investors meeting last December, McDonald's USA President Joe Erlinger revealed that the company plans to build on the McCrispy brand by developing a McCrispy chicken tender. That tender will also eventually become part of a new McCrispy chicken wrap, Erlinger said, which should come as great news for McDonald's fans still missing the chain's discontinued Snack Wraps.
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