Looking for a fantastic chicken sandwich for lunch, or for a satisfying afternoon snack? If that’s the case, then the following chicken sandwiches must get your attention! 

Popeyes Chicken Sandwich

This is the brand that became a viral sensation when they launched their chicken sandwich, which then led to the chicken sandwich war that started in 2019. For many, this is the chicken sandwich that sets the gold standard in the industry. 

It’s not as if they offer a complicated sandwich. You have the chicken with pickle, on a buttered brioche bun with some mayo. That’s about it, really. You don’t even have a lot of sauces to add to the chicken sandwich. But then again, you don’t really need those sauces. They just might distract your taste buds from the absolute deliciousness of the chicken. 

To start with, the chicken is insanely crunchy. They’ve achieved this level of crunch because they offer a double battered chicken breast with each sandwich, and they sure use a lot of oil. 

Unlike other brands that also offer crunch but sacrifice taste along the way, in the Popeyes chicken you still have delicious chicken underneath all that crunch. The chicken tastes like chicken, which is not really a given in fast food chicken. That’s because lots of other places brine their chicken, but Popeyes doesn’t. 

Try this first, and then compare the other chickens to it. 

Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich

This is the brand that contends against Popeyes for the top placement in the fast-food chicken sector. They also offer a somewhat simple formula, with the bun, chicken, and that unexpected delight of a pickle that offers a nice sour crunchiness to the whole deal. 

But it’s not really all that simple. One trick that Chick-fil-A uses is that they add a bit of vinegar to the mix, which makes the sandwich even seem fresher and brighter. It also helps that they offer a nice range of sauces to enhance the overall flavor of the chicken sandwich. Your choice of flavor can change the entire profile of the sandwich. 

Finally, they use pressure cooking to get you that ideal fried chicken. This makes the food prep faster, so you won’t have to wait too long for your perfect chicken in your sandwich. 

Shake Shack Chick’n Shack

Some of the Shake Shack fans say that those sandwiches from Chick-fil-A and Popeyes are just overly hyped treats, and that this is the real deal instead. The entry of Shake Shack sure sook things up, since the Shake Shack concept is quite simple. Basically, they take classic fast food to new heights, and then prepare them as quickly as possible. This is fast food at its best. 

This chicken sandwich is a prime example of that concept. First off, you’ll notice that absolutely huge piece of chicken that makes the toasted potato bun just puny in comparison. 

But even though it’s ginormous, it’s still super crunchy. With each bite of the crunchy and peppery breading, you also get that juicy chicken breast with its natural texture. You also get plenty of the terrific pickles that enhances the fatty goodness of the chicken meat. They dress the lettuce with their famous herbed mayo, so you’re also getting flavors like pepper, parsley, green onion, and thyme. 

All in all, this chicken sandwich offers a lot of different elements, and they all balance out nicely. It’s completely satisfying, and totally yummy. 

PDQ Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Okay, this sandwich is their standard chicken sandwich, and it’s rather good. After all, PDQ stands for People Dedicated to Quality, and they’re serious about living up to their name. This chicken sandwich starts with 100% all-natural sandwich, without hormones and steroids. And it’s always fresh and never frozen. 

The chicken breast is perfectly crunchy, but not too crunchy at all. Add the natural goodness of the chicken, and it’s terrific. Then they serve the sandwich with Duke’s mayo, lettuce, tomato, and dill pickles, all on a toasted potato bun. 

Then you have the sauces. There are 10 sauces available, but that’s counting the ketchup. Instead, go with the more interesting sauces, such as the Sweet Sriracha, Ranch, Honey Mustard, Buffalo Bleu, Creamy Garlic, or Bleu Cheese. 

The truth is, the Crispy Chicken Sandwich isn’t actually the best option among the PDQ sandwiches. Instead, you can go with the popular Big Buffy Bleu sandwich. You get two hand-breaded crispy chicken tenders that’s been tossed in buffalo bleu sauce with some lettuce. 

Or you can go with the fantastic Honey Butter sandwich. This time, they dipped the crispy chicken in homemade honey butter, and it’s terrific with the butter pickles and bread. 

This list is all about the standard chicken sandwiches, though. But if we’re counting the chicken specialty sandwiches, these 2 PDQ sandwiches are serious contenders for the crown.