It honestly felt like something out of a cartoon: glossy, perfectly toasted, yet still spectacularly soft. The first thing we noticed when we pulled Jack in the Box’s Cluck Sandwich out of its heat-preserving bag (yes, it comes in one of those thermal insulated paper bags like Chick-fil-A) is how perfect the brioche bun looked. The Build: Brioche bun, white meat chicken fillet, a single pickle (but I hear it’s meant to be two), mystery sauce

The batter isn't anything memorable and certainly doesn't taste as if it were dipped and fried in-house like Popeyes or Church’s. It’s much smaller and thinner, though we found it to be well-seasoned. The chicken fillet doesn’t measure up to that of other contenders in the chicken sandwich arena, especially Popeyes’. We can appreciate simplicity (see Chick-fil-A later in this ranking), but we'd prefer the added flavor and juiciness a sauce could add here. We'd prefer a spread of mayonnaise or some form of aioli. Even with the butter, the sandwich overall is spectacularly dry. Turns out, McDonald’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich is served with a pat of butter-though all of it had melted and seeped into the squishy, rather flavorless potato roll McDonald’s selected for this sandwich by the time we had our first bite. We were wondering why this sandwich didn’t have any sauce on it. The Build: Potato roll, crispy chicken fillet, pickles, salted butter instead of sauce Again, it's a tasty sandwich-just don't expect it to leave you fist-pumping with joy at your desk or dinner table. A nice tang could really tie the entire sandwich together and make it feel whole. This Crispy Chicken Sandwich could be improved with some pickles. Though the chicken patty itself isn't dry, the sandwich as a whole was. Our main reason for ranking this sandwich so low is the lack of sauce or mayonnaise. Meanwhile, the iceberg lettuce doesn't provide much of anything for the sandwich, other than a slight crunch. The chicken patty is juicy and has a nice pepperiness to it, while the fresh tomatoes are plentiful and succulent. Some are just better than others, and that's the case for Arby's.Īrby's Crispy Chicken Sandwich isn't a revelation, but it's a solid attempt. The Build: Star cut bun, buttermilk breaded chicken fillet, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, mayonnaiseįrom here on out, we want to make it clear that we enjoyed all these chicken sandwiches. Finally, the sandwich had to have similar components to its competitors, meaning we didn't go around comparing spicy sandwiches to regular ones or smaller value menu offerings to those higher up the pecking order.Īfter devouring every chicken sandwich we could find at major fast food chains (sorry, Shake Shack, you're fast casual)-and definitely feeling some sodium-induced bloat-we can officially proclaim a winner and some runner ups, including a few that may surprise you. It had to be similar in shape only round buns, not squares of sliced bread or subs, were allowed. Our rules were simple: The chicken sandwich had to be fried. We got our hands on chicken sandwiches from more than a dozen popular chains across the country-from Carl's Jr. These are the questions that weighed on us as we set out on a quest to find the best chicken sandwich in fast food. What type of batter works better-tight coats of seasoning and flour that shatter into oily little flecks, or popcorn-like blossoms of crackle and crunch? Does a chicken sandwich need pickles, or do tomatoes and lettuce suffice? Most importantly, which fast food chain makes the chicken sandwich to rule them all? Chicken sandwiches can be a touchy topic.

Fried chicken sandwich