McDonald’s new fried chicken sandwiches are a huge improvement. But do they stack up to Popeyes and KFC? (2024)

After years of silently sitting on the sidelines as nearly every other fast food chain introduced new fried chicken sandwiches, McDonald’s has finally entered the deep-fried fray of the chicken sandwich wars.

Starting Wednesday, you’ll notice three new chicken sandwiches on the chain’s menu, which will hopefully allow it to compete against the immensely popular offerings from Popeyes, Chick-fil-A and, most recently, KFC.

It’s about time.

When I ranked all the fast food fried chicken sandwiches a few years ago, McDonald’s did, how shall we say it, poorly. In fact, I ranked the McChicken in last place, decrying the “spongy texture” of the chicken patty and the “painfully salty” exterior. Likewise, I found the chain’s other two options, the buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich and the classic chicken sandwich, needlessly salty and dry.

[As McDonald’s joins the chicken sandwich wars with three new options, how do other fast food chains stack up?]

While the McChicken remains on the menu, the other two are gone. They’ve been replaced by a brand-new crispy chicken sandwich, which is available in three formats: original with crinkle-cut pickles ($4.19), spicy with pickles and a “spicy pepper sauce” ($4.39) and deluxe with pickles, lettuce, tomato and mayo ($4.99). Each is served on a buttered and toasted potato roll, which differs from the brioche bun favored by Popeyes and the new KFC option.

How do they hold up?

The good news is these three blow the previous fried chicken sandwich offerings at McDonald’s out of the water. As advertised, the meat is genuinely juicy and tender, with none of the dry and almost chalky-tasting bites of the previous versions.

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I’m also a big fan of the bun. Brioche buns may be trendy right now, but if too big, they can distract from the meat of the matter. The airy potato rolls happily play the supporting roll to the chicken.

The original is a tad Spartan, with a couple of pickle slices and a swipe of salted butter making do as the toppings. I preferred the deluxe, thanks to the cooling crunch of the lettuce and the freshly sliced tomatoes.

To my surprise, the spicy pepper sauce actually brings the heat. It’s nothing compared to the real deal Nashville hot chicken, but compared to other fast food options, this one has a burn. I’m not sure the flavor quite harmonizes with the chicken in the way Popeyes’ spicy chicken sandwich does, but it’s admirable that McDonald’s actually went for the spice.

While they are an enormous improvement, the sandwiches still don’t quite measure up to the crackly crunch of KFC’s new option, or the complex spice profile of Popeyes’ popular chicken sandwich. McDonald’s might not have hit the home run it was hoping for, but at least it’s playing the same game now.

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nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com