You might have heard of the now-infamous Chicken Sandwich Wars, an arms race of poultry-powered weaponry. The first shot in the battle was fired by Popeye’s back in 2019. That single sandwich volley reportedly earned the brand an extra $400,000 in sales per location, and more than $200 million in free social media buzz. That all added up to the competition furiously scribbling down notes to work out how they could take a slice of the action too.
The response to Popeye’s salvo was fierce and furious, with countless competing fried chicken releases hitting menus. At this point every single fast food chain has either launched a competing sandwich or has plans to launch one soon – and we’re keeping track of each and everyone. Here are all the entrants into this hotly contested space.
Below we’ve included all the new fried and grilled chicken sandwiches we’ve written about and reviewed in chronological order. This is the story of the chicken sandwich wars…
Jollibee – Chickenwich
September 2021 – Jollibee joined the fray with a trio of options under the Chickenwich menu item. The new sandwich comes in an Original, Spicy and Deluxe version. Read more here.
Jack In The Box – BBQ Cluck Sandwich
September 2021 – Jack In The Box decided to add their own unique twist to their chicken sandwich in late 2021, namely BBQ sauce. See the full info here.
Taco Bell – Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco
September 2021 – After a successful February limited test, a regular and spicy version of this new fried chicken option hit menus at the ‘Bell. Read our review here.
Bojangles – Bo’s Chicken Sandwich
August 2021 – Some two years after Popeyes set the stage for this epic battle, new options are STILL being released to tempt diners. The latest we’ve seen this this option from Bojangles, read more here.
Shake Shack – Hot Honey Chicken
July 2021 – Riffing on their original chicken sandwich and January’s Korean flavors – this third iteration featuring spice and sugar. Read the full release notes here.
Chili’s – Chicken Sandwich
June 2021 – Launched with the bold claims of to, “Put All Other Chicken Sandwiches To Shame.” This chicken sandwich was a limited time release only. See more.
SONIC – Popcorn Chicken Po’ Boy
May 2021 – A little left field for sure, but undeniably another fried chicken option for fans. Read more here.
Carls and Hardees – Hand-Breaded Chicken Sandwiches
May 2021 – The twinned chains announced this trio of menu updates during early Summer 2021. see the release info here. A month later we got our hands on one of the new crispy chicken sandwiches and reviewed it here.
Pilot Flying J – Classic and Spicy Chicken Sandwiches
May 2021 – If you needed confirmation that EVERYONE wanted a chicken sandwich on their menu – herein is. The nationwide chain added two new sandwiches in 2-21. Read more.
Smashburger – Scorchin’ Hot Crispy Chicken
April 2021 – Ordinarily known for the hamburgers – Samshburger entered the chicken sandwich fray in 2021 with this spicy creation. Check out our review here.
Wingzone – colossal chicken sandwich
This monster weighs in at a half pound. Read the full details here.
Slim Chickens – Chicken Club
March 2021 – Slim Chickens launched a quartet of new fried and grilled chicken sandwiches in early 2021 as a limited time special. See the full info here.
Jimmy John’s – Smokin’ Kickin’ Chicken
February 2021 – While not in the mold of the regular fried chicken patty on a bun – Jimmy John’s clearly didn’t want to feel left out of the Chicken Wars. This all new fiery sub with kick hit menu boards in February 2021. It’s expected to run until March, read more here.
Burger King – Hand Breaded Ch’King Sandwich
February 2021 – Some two years in the making, the King announced in early 2021 that they hoped to replicate the success of their iconic Whopper with an all new hand-breaded offering. The sandwich change name during the gradual roll out, finally being known as the Ch’King. Here’s more info. We finally reviewed the Spicy version of the sandwich here.
Taco Bell – Crispy Chicken
February 2021 – Is it really a taco? Is it a sandwich? Whatever it is, it’s Taco Bell’s entrant in the hotly contested fried chicken world. See more here.
Boston Market – Nashville Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich
January 2021 – It’s not just fast food restaurants competing for title of best chicken sandwich. Even the sit down brands want in on the action. Boston Market entered the fray with this spicy creation. Read more here.
Chick-fil-A – Grilled Spicy Chicken Deluxe Sandwich
January 2021 – Veering away from the fried chicken frenzy, Chick-fil-A dropped news of this all new grilled chicken sandwich in late January. Their secret weapon? That chicken is marinated in spicy seasoning for an extra punch. Read more here.
Shake Shake – Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich
January 2021 – Hitting the menu in January 2021 is this sweet and spicy creation from the NYC hotshots. The sandwich isn’t really Korean style, it’s more Korean inspired. See what we thought of it in our review here.
KFC – Best Chicken Sandwich
January 2021 – This all new competitor from the colonel started to roll out in early 2021. The sandwich was the result of a range of testing in select markets first. The name is also unashamedly proud of those results. Read more here. We tested the sandwich in February 2021, check the review here.
McDonald’s – Crispy Chicken Sandwiches
January 2021 – When McDonald’s teased news that they’d be getting involved more actively in the chicken sandwich wars, no one expected the final results. In 2021 they announced three all new chicken sandwiches to put up against the competition. See our review of all three.
Carl’s Jr. – BLT Ranch Big Chicken Sandwich
January 2021 – What makes a chicken sandwich even better? Carl’s Jr. reckons ranch and bacon, we’d be hard pressed to argue. See the details here.
Habit Burger – Crispy Chicken Sandwich
December 2020 – Habit Burger’s entrant into the contest came toward the end of 2020. You can read our review and what we thought of it here.
Church’s – Chicken Sandwich
October 2020 – Another smaller regional chain getting in on the action. Check out the all new chicken sandwich from Church’s Chicken here.
Zaxby’s – Signature Sandwich
October 2020 – Zaxby’s press release for this new sandwich literally mentioned artillery shots fired. This one is all about the size and presence, check out the info here. You can read our review of the sandwich here.
Wendy’s – Classic Chicken Sandwich
October 2020 – Wendy’s launched another new chicken sandwich for fans – the simply named Classic Chicken Sandwich. The pickles set Redditors alight in argument, read our review here.
Wendy’s – Spicy Chicken Sandwich
September 2020 – Before the Classic Chicken, Wendy’s also released this spicy chicken option. This smaller option was clearly a shot at McDonald’s dollar menu spicy chicken option. We reviewed Wendy’s new release here.
Curry Up Now – Tandoori Fried Chicken Sandwich
September 2020 – Another smaller regional operator getting in on the fun, and with a unique twist. The California based brand offered up this Indian-inspired option.
The one that started it all – Popeyes
This sandwich is the one that started innumerable imitators across the fast food landscape. Is it still the best one out there? Here’s our recent look at the sandwich.