Shake Shack Just Added an Entire Menu of Spicy Fried Chicken & Fries

Shack Shack is turning up the heat with spicy fried chicken menu items.

Courtesy of Shake Shack
Courtesy of Shake Shack

I'm a Shake Shack loyalist through and through. And while I have a weakness for the Popeyes chicken sandwich, now that my trusty burger slinger has brought back its own spicy, fried chicken sandwich, I've gotta side with my go-to. 

But as if the return of Shake Shack's Hot Chick’n sandwich weren't enough, the chain is dropping three more soon-to-be favorites right along with it: Hot Chick’n Bites, Hot Spicy Fries, and Hot Spicy Cheese Fries, a trifecta of guajillo- and cayenne pepper-seasoned goodies. 

Shake Shack first debuted its spicy chicken sandwich -- an offshoot of the original Chick'n Shack sandwich -- back in 2017. And it was the cherry pepper slaw and pickle-topped sandwich that inspired the brand-new Hot Spicy Fries in the first place. Though this is their first official debut, the heat-forward fries were actually a "secret menu item" back in the day. At the time, a Shake Shack spokesperson told Thrillist customers could add the pepper blend to either regular fries or cheese fries at no extra cost.

Courtesy of Shake Shack

"A lotta people ask us what makes our chicken so juicy, so here’s the secret straight from our culinary team: it’s slow-cooked sous vide (a fine dining technique that prevents overcooking) in a creamy buttermilk marinade," Shake Shack said in a press release on Tuesday. "After that, it’s dredged and breaded by hand and crisp-fried to-order every single time." 

So while you might have had the pleasure of sampling the Hot Chick’n sandwich or even those secret menu spicy fries, Shake Shack's Hot Chick'n Bites are a first for everyone. The crispy, antibiotic-free, all-white meat chicken bites feature that same pepper blend and come with a ranch dipping sauce to cool off your tastebuds. 

If you're really feeling daring, you can even upgrade the heat level. All four menu items are now available in hot, extra hot, or fire spice levels. 

Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email and subscribe here for our YouTube channel to get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.

Megan Schaltegger is a staff writer at Thrillist.