- McDonald’s released a chicken sandwich amid the fast-food “chicken sandwich wars.”
- The sandwich immediately drew comparisons with Chick-fil-A’s iconic chicken sandwich.
- I tried McDonald’s McCrispy chicken sandwich and thought it was very similar to Chick-fil-A’s.
Chicken tenders may be the fast-food menu item to watch, but for some customers, it doesn’t get much better than a crunchy, juicy chicken sandwich.
So which chain has the best chicken sandwich at the best value?
In 2021, McDonald’s replaced its buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich with a new lineup of sandwiches: the Crispy Chicken Sandwich, the Deluxe Crispy Chicken Sandwich, and the Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich.
Immediately, fans and industry experts noted how similar the items were to Chick-fil-A’s and Popeyes’ iconic chicken sandwiches. A leaked menu at the time revealed McDonald’s plans to release a new chicken sandwich, saying the chain was planning to “take a page out of Chick-fil-A’s playbook,” while former McDonald’s chef Mike Haracz told Business Insider it was “very apparent” that McDonald’s was following Chick-fil-A’s lead with its sandwich.
In 2024, the chicken sandwich wars are still underway, and not just at fast-food chains. Bloomberg noted that chicken sandwiches now appear on 47% of restaurant menus, citing data from research firm Technomic. The publication reported that not only do chefs want to showcase their take on chicken, but it’s cheaper and considered healthier than beef, and Gen Z loves it.
In honor of National Chicken Sandwich Day on November 9, I tried the chicken sandwiches from McDonald’s and Chil-fil-A to see which had the best version. Here’s how they compared.
