Top 10 Best Fried Chicken Sandwiches Ever

Arby's Arby's may have "the meats," but fans of this fast food chain usually hit up their local franchisee for roast beef sliders, rather than freshly fried fowl. Still, you gotta admit that the Crispy Chicken Sandwich is just that: a delicious fried chicken feast. Although we could go for some pickles to keep the lettuce and tomatoes company, it gets a long of things right. The well-seasoned patty delivers a surprising crunch factor, while the bun is fluffy enough to bring home that all important "mouth feel." Are there better chicken sandos out there on the market? Sure, but Arby's more than holds their own in this fight.

Checkers & Rally's As if putting a fried chicken patty in between two pieces of bread wasn't delicious already, Checkers and Rally's went and added bacon to the mix. Yes, the Mother Cruncher Sandwich is available in a barbeque bacon variety that adds crispy pork to the already crunchy fried chicken goodness. You might want to try both varieties, however, as the OG Mother Cruncher arrives armed with Squawk sauce, a top secret creamy topping that pushes these sandwiches over the top. All of these accoutrements might make it seem like Checkers and Rally's are hiding their chicken patties, but make no mistake: these sandwiches are the total package.

#8: Chicken Sandwich

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Jollibee Ok, so put down that peach mango pie for a second and listen to us: you've GOTTA check out the Chicken Sandwich at Jollibee. This Filipino fast food chain is known primarily for its signature Chickenjoy plates with spaghetti (trust us, it works), but don't sleep on their sandwiches. The Chicken Sandwich comes in classic and deluxe varieties, the latter including lettuce and tomato, and boasting a delicious fried chicken patty on brioche with a garlic aioli. There aren't a lot of bells and whistles for this one, but when the quality of the ingredients is this on-point, you don’t need any gimmicks! Plus, you can snag another peach mango pie for dessert! Win-win!

McDonald's Ok, so let's face it: McDonald's is a fast food institution, with billions and billions served. They've had numerous menu shakeups over the years. Different options are always coming and going, but chicken sandwiches are a constant. The tasty Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich is a new addition that’s worth trying, but the Crispy Chicken Sandwich ultimately claims the spot on our list. The real kicker here is that the potato roll is buttered, and not sauced. Admittedly this could be a deal breaker for some but for our money, it works, and the pickles add a nice bite to what could've been one-note taste. Though humble in design, the Crispy Chicken Sandwich is a nicely balanced melding of crunch, depth and taste.

Raising Cane's Raising Cane's does one thing and they do it right: chicken fingers. They even found a way to make a mark on the chicken sandwich wars without messing with the formula. Basically, the Louisiana-based company lines up three of their trademark chicken fingers in a row, layers on some Cane's sauce and places it in between two sesame seed buns. It's a unique mouth feel to say the least, but it's certainly something different and a fun way to get your fried chicken fix while thinking outside the bun … hmm, or should that be inside the bun? Plus, the level of quality here is top notch. Raising Cane's chicken is something that needs to be tasted to be believed: fresh, slightly citrus-y and oh so delicious.

#5: Spicy Chicken Sandwich

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Wendy's It was an opening salvo of a tweet that made the fried chicken sandwich wars feel very, very real. On August 19th, 2019, Wendy’s tweeted: "Ya'll out here fighting about which of these fools has the second best chicken sandwich." To be fair… the brand’s legendary Spice Chicken Sandwich stands its ground. The heat is real with this patty. It's not habanero or ghost pepper levels of heat, but the pep and punch of the Spicy Chicken Sandwich is among the very best fried fast food has to offer. If that seems intimidating, then the chain's new Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich with added pickles also makes for a great choice.

Zaxby's Veggies? We don't need no stinkin' veggies! Not when Zaxby's has this massive Signature Chicken Sandwich on the menu. Chicken, pickles, Zax Sauce and a bun: that's all you're getting here, but that's really all you need. Fans in the Southern United States may have something of a secret weapon on their hands, as that's where the lion's share of Zaxby's casual dining eateries are located. Although we admit a leaf or two of fresh lettuce could brighten things up a bit, the level of crunch and flavor here is more than enough to make the Signature Chicken Sandwich at Zaxby's one of our all time favorites.

#3: The KFC Sandwich

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KFC It's kind of all right there in the name, right? Even with the abbreviation, we all know that Kentucky Fried Chicken has been frying up their fowl to perfection for decades now, with no signs of stopping. A lot of research reportedly went into the creation of this late entry into the chicken sandwich game, but we think that the results have been worth the wait. The patty is massive and double-breaded, providing the perfect amount of crunch and heft to go with that juicy flavor. The pickles are just perfect, and the brioche buns are so soft that every bite of chicken feels like it’s being hand delivered by angels. Too much? Ah well, just try the KFC Sandwich: you won't be disappointed!

Popeyes There's a lot to love about Popeye's Fried Chicken Sandwich options, but for our number two pick we're going to go with a discontinued favorite: the Chicken Po’ Boy. As much as we love the chain's new flagship chicken sandos in both the original and spicy iterations, we gotta admit that we miss that Po Boy. Sure, both the brioche buns on the current menu are buttery and delicious, but we also love the crusty French baguette that housed the chicken strips on the Po’ Boy. It was a traditional sort of experience that tied into Popeyes Louisiana roots, but who are we kidding? We'll devour Popeye's chicken any way we can get, short of eating it off the ground or something.

#1: Spicy Chicken Sandwich

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Chick-fil-A Behold! The lord and ruler of the Chicken Sandwich Realm: Chick-fil-A's Spicy Chicken Sandwich. Of course, we could've given our top spot to the chain's Deluxe Chicken Sandwich, but there's just something about this sando's glorious simplicity that keeps us coming back every time. Again, there are no veggies to be had here other than those essential pickles. But the Chick-fil-A patty itself is peppery and savory and just so darn good, it doesn't need to be dressed with anything else. Sure, the multigrain bun option is nice, but other than that, just give us that buttered bread, that fried chicken and leave us alone: we're having a moment.