Chicken sandwiches have been all the rage at fast-food restaurants for the past few years. We sampled and ranked the menu items from eight different restaurants to find out once and for all who makes the best fast-food chicken sandwich.
We Went to 8 Restaurants to Find the Best Fast-Food Chicken Sandwich
Updated on Sep. 29, 2024
To find the best fast-food chicken sandwich money could buy, we visited and taste-tested sandwiches from eight different chains. To ensure a level playing field, the original chicken sandwich was ordered at each location for comparison purposes. The sandwiches were analyzed by examining the chicken patty itself, the bun and the toppings.
It’s worth noting that many chains offer a spicy chicken sandwich or other flavors, so don’t feel limited to the original when ordering your favorite sandwich.
Here are the fast-food joints we visited:
- Chick-fil-A
- Culver’s
- KFC
- McDonald’s
- Popeyes
- Shake Shack
- Wendy’s
- White Castle
Keep reading to find out how your favorite fast-food chicken sandwich ranked!
8. White Castle
The Crispy Chicken Slider from White Castle was the least expensive (and the smallest) chicken sandwich on our list. These no-frills sliders consisted of a bun, a breaded chicken patty and a slice of cheese—no sauce, lettuce or pickles.
The slider-sized sandwich was fun to eat and is a perfect snack-sized option to order along with White Castle’s iconic burger slider. Unfortunately, this was our least favorite chicken sandwich of the bunch. The chicken tasted like a processed patty rather than a battered fresh piece of chicken.
We ordered the Crispy Chicken Slider, but White Castle also offers a Chicken Ring Slider and a Chicken and Waffles Slider for those who want to experience other chicken sandwich options.
Bottom Line: Sliders are always fun, but the White Castle chicken sandwich needs improvement to compete with others on this list.
7. McDonald’s
McDonald’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich is served on a toasted bun with sliced pickles but without mayonnaise or other sauce.
We enjoyed that the larger piece of chicken hung over the sides of the bun, resulting in a few extra chicken bites. Again, we felt this sandwich was a bit overcooked and lacked moisture. Some mayonnaise would’ve added interest and made up for the lost moisture from overcooking the chicken.
Besides the Crispy Chicken Sandwich, McDonald’s also sells spicy, deluxe, and spicy deluxe versions. Learn how to make a crispy chicken sandwich like your favorite restaurant.
Bottom Line: McDonald’s is a convenient fast-food option, but its chicken sandwich didn’t rank as high as other options.
6. Culver’s
The Culver’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich is served on an attractive toasted bun with lettuce, tomato and pickles. There isn’t any mayonnaise on this sandwich, but Culver’s offers a variety of sauces, so you can add whatever you prefer to make the sandwich your own.
Even before taking a bite, we appreciated this sandwich being served in a box rather than a bag. The box helped protect the bun and kept the sandwich from being crushed in transport.
However, there was so much lettuce and tomato that it almost took away from the chicken, which should be the star of the sandwich. We also felt the chicken patty was a bit underseasoned for our liking.
We ordered the Crispy Chicken Sandwich, but they also sell a spicy version as well as a grilled chicken sandwich.
Bottom Line: The fresh vegetables were a nice contrast to the fried chicken in this sandwich, but the balance of veggies to chicken just felt distracting. Culver’s did, however, do a lot better in our best fast-food burger taste test.
5. Wendy’s
Wendy’s sells its Classic Chicken Sandwich with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and pickles on a toasted bun.
In this sandwich, we found the lettuce to have a nice crunch without overwhelming or taking away from the chicken. The chicken patty was on the thinner side, but the balance with the veggies helped the chicken shine through. The only downside to this sandwich was that it tasted more like a processed chicken patty rather than the hand-battered chicken that we expect from a good fast-food chicken sandwich.
Besides the Classic Chicken Sandwich, Wendy’s offers several other flavorful sandwiches including spicy, grilled, Asiago Ranch Club and a Ghost Pepper Ranch Chicken Sandwich.
Bottom Line: Wendy’s sells a solid chicken sandwich. Just a couple tweaks to the recipe and they could be a real contender in the chicken sandwich game. Until then, you’re probably better off dropping in for a Strawberry Frosty instead.
4. KFC
KFC is a fast-food restaurant known for its fried chicken, so we were excited to sample its Classic Chicken Sandwich. For only a few dollars, a pleasantly juicy and well-seasoned chicken patty was served on a toasted bun with mayonnaise and pickles. Aside from the classic option, KFC also offers a spicy version.
The chicken was hearty and crisp, and the sandwich was well-balanced. It was definitely an enjoyable sandwich that we would gladly order again, along with a side of fast-food mac and cheese.
Bottom Line: KFC is a solid player in the fast-food chicken sandwich game, but it’s not a champ yet. While this sandwich certainly satisfied, there were still a couple sandwiches that were even better!
3. Chick-fil-A
While we tested and ranked a total of eight chicken sandwiches, the fast-food chicken sandwich race really comes down to our top three contenders. They are truly head and shoulders above the rest! It was difficult to decide which sandwiches would take the top two slots.
Coming in third place for the best fast-food chicken sandwich is Chick-fil-A’s Original Chicken Sandwich. It comes with pickles and without mayonnaise, served on a perfectly buttered and toasted bun. For those who crave sauce, Chick-fil-A offers several options.
Of all the sandwiches sampled, only Chick-fil-A had chicken that was moist, flavorful and perfectly seasoned. Each bite had a great crunch and the toasted, buttered bun kept the sandwich moist and satisfying.
In addition to the original chicken sandwich we sampled, Chick-fil-A also sells a deluxe chicken sandwich, spicy chicken, spicy deluxe, grilled chicken and grilled chicken club.
Bottom Line: In the end, the best fast-food chicken sandwich is a matter of preference. For us, there were two chains with a slight edge over Chick-fil-A.
2. Shake Shack
There’s a new player in the Popeyes vs. Chick-fil-A war! Shake Shack is known for its high-quality fast food, and the Chicken Shack sandwich is no exception. The crispy chicken breast is hand-breaded to order and served on a potato bun with buttermilk herb mayonnaise, lettuce and pickles. The pickles were plentiful and perfectly crisp, and we also enjoyed the texture and crunch of the lettuce. The real standout here was the buttermilk herb mayo. The creamy spread was a decadent balance of richness and bold, fresh herb flavors. This really elevated the sandwich above a typical fast-food offering.
Bottom Line: The Shake Shack chicken sandwich is phenomenal; however, the price point can be difficult to swallow.
1. Popeyes
In our top spot for the best fast-food chicken sandwich: the Classic Chicken Sandwich from Popeyes.
Even before taking that first bite, this sandwich immediately won the award for the most visually beautiful of the bunch. The pieces of battered chicken were large and the bun had a lovely sheen. This delicious sandwich was topped with mayonnaise and the most impressive pickles of all the sandwiches sampled.
Early on, we decided that pickles were an essential component of a perfect chicken sandwich. They provide texture, crunch and a tangy balance to the fried chicken. We loved the huge slices of pickles on the Popeyes sandwich that covered the whole surface of the bun, ensuring the perfect amount of pickle in every bite. On this sandwich, the fried chicken pieces were large, well-battered and offered outstanding crunch.
Besides this Classic Chicken Sandwich, Popeyes also sells a spicy version and a golden barbecue chicken sandwich.
Bottom Line: The incredible crunch from the battered chicken as well as the impressive pickles and beautiful bun made Popeyes the overall best fast-food chicken sandwich.
