Wendy's Just Unleashed an All-New Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich

The chicken sandwich wars are heating up again.

Courtesy of Wendy's
Courtesy of Wendy's

We thought the fast food chicken sandwich wars were settled. But the competition has only ramped up with KFC, McDonald's, and Burger King unleashing their own new chicken sandwiches. Now, Wendy's is joining the race with the debut of its all-new fried chicken sandwich.

On Thursday, the pig-tailed fast food chain announced the nationwide rollout of its Classic Chicken Sandwich. Now, of course, Wendy's has already got a few other poultry options in its lineup—including the Bacon Jalapeño Sandwich, Asiago Ranch Chicken Club, and Pretzel Pub Chicken Sandwich, all of which will now feature the same new crispy fillet. Don't worry, though. You can still score that OG grilled style or the chain's spicy chicken, too. 

"We can't wait for our fans to get their hands on the New Classic Chicken Sandwich which has the perfect crunch from breading and pickles paired with the juiciness and flavor of the fillet," Chief Marketing Officer Carl Loredo said in a statement. "The Classic joins what customers have already come to know and love in spice and taste from Wendy's via our Spicy Chicken and Pretzel Bacon Pub Chicken Sandwiches."

The chain's latest entry into the chicken sandwich wars boasts an updated take on its all-white meat chicken breast coated in a crispy breading. The fillet is then topped with mayo, tomato, lettuce, and pickles, all sandwiched between a toasted bun for $4.99.

In case you needed the comparison, Popeyes has taken a simpler approach with its own version: pickles, mayo (or spicy cajun sauce), and fried chicken between a brioche bun. Is the less is more approach better where it applies to toppings? We'll have to sample Wendy's take to truly know. 

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Megan Schaltegger is a staff writer at Thrillist.