The 8 Best Fast Food Spicy Chicken Sandwiches, Tasted & Ranked by a Food Editor

• What’s On It: crispy spicy chicken, iceberg lettuce and mayo on a toasted sesame seed bun
• Price: $6
• Pros: very crispy, well-seasoned
• Cons: not spicy, lower in quality than the rest of this list, expensive for the size

Because I didn’t grow up near a Checkers, this chain’s fare is extra alluring to me. (Funnel cake fries? OK, I’ll bite.) But I’ve yet to be blown away by its food, and the spicy chicken sandwich was no exception. While it was very crunchy, there was a batter-y taste to the chicken that was excessively oily. The heat was super mild compared to others on this list, and visually, it reminded me of a high school cafeteria sandwich. Paired with their signature seasoned, battered fries, this chicken pick will deliver double the black-peppery goodness you crave. While the shredded lettuce was a bit lackluster, the mayo was deliciously vinegary and rich.

• What’s On It: crispy white meat breast fillet coated with triple-pepper fiery glaze, savory sauce, lettuce and tomato on a toasted potato bun
• Price: $7
• Pros: spicy, substantial
• Cons: lackluster produce, messier than others on this list

I appreciated the smoky, nuanced heat of the Fiery iteration of Burger King’s chicken sandwich. However, I wished the chicken’s breading was spicy on its own, rather than having been doused in a sticky glaze that made the main both messier and less crispy. The produce was a notch below that of Wendy’s and McDonald’s (more on those later), but it was nice that the heat gently built up as I ate. I also really enjoyed the pillowy bun.

• What’s On It: hand-breaded chicken breast fillet, sriracha mayo and fresh jalapeños on a toasted brioche bun
• Price: $6
• Pros: toppings are tasty, chicken was fresh
• Cons: bun was old, chicken was small

Given how much I adored Jollibee’s classic chicken handheld (which comes with umami mayo, BTW), I expected this fast food spicy chicken sandwich to rank higher. But this one was notably smaller and less fresh than the last one I had. (Such is the risk of fast food—you never know exactly how your meal is going to come.) The bun was a bit stale and tough, and the fillet was significantly smaller than expected. That said, the fresh peppers paired better than I thought they would—I’m partial to pickled jalapeños, but they gave the sandwich very sturdy crunch and vegetal flair—and the sriracha mayo offered approachable medium heat.

• What’s On It: crispy chicken breast marinated and coated in spicy pepper breading, lettuce, tomato and mayo on a bun
• Price: $8
• Pros: nice heat, good toppings
• Cons: chicken is small for the price

This was the first fast food spicy chicken sandwich I ever loved, but I swear it used to consistently come with a bigger, craggier piece of chicken. Lately, the poultry seems thin and small, and for this ranking, it definitely had some frozen chicken patty vibes rather than fried chicken. However, the heat still delivered, as it always has. The mayo offered a cool, tangy foil to the peppery breading. I could’ve done without the tomatoes, but for a standard fast food spicy chicken sandwich, this still hit, despite my theory that it’s shrunken over the years.

• What’s On It: extra crispy chicken breast fillet, pickles and mayo on a toasted brioche bun
• Price: $4
• Pros: very affordable for the size, freshly fried
• Cons: very salty

I liked the spicy version of this sammy way better than the classic. The fillet was substantially large, very fresh and thoroughly crispy, albeit excessively salty for my taste. The breading was seasoned but not spicy on its own, however the sauce on it was similar to sriracha mayo and had an impressive level of heat. The pickles were thin, crisp and sour. The combination of the acidic and spicy toppings made for an enticing, balanced bite compared to the classic chicken sandwich I had a while back.

• What’s On It: boneless chicken breast seasoned with spicy pepper breading and dill pickle chips on a toasted buttery bun
• Price: $7
• Pros: high-quality, fresh chicken, very crispy
• Cons: not spicy enough, comparatively soggy bun

Chick-fil-A’s was perhaps the freshest tasting fast food spicy chicken sandwich, although not my favorite overall. It was very crispy and hot. The pickles were a bit underwhelming and floppy, but still provided acidic contrast to the buttery bread and piquant poultry. The bun was a bit saturated with grease, but that didn’t take away much from the experience for me. I wished there was a sauce or spread to amp up the heat, because it was super mild, although the sandwich’s quality was undeniable.

• What’s On It: crispy chicken fillet, spicy pepper sauce and pickles on a potato roll
• Price: $7
• Pros: very fresh, balanced, substantial
• Cons: may be too spicy for some

I was surprised how much better McDonald’s ranked this time around. (Fast food is an unpredictable crapshoot…or uh, like a box of chocolates.) The chicken was not only impressively large, but also very fresh and crunchy on the outside. The pickles were crisp and sour, while the sauce was actually spicy (finally!) and complex with a borderline fruity pepperiness that other fast food spicy chicken sandwiches lack. It was slathered with a generous dose of tangy mayo, but that didn’t tame the heat much.

P.S.: For a lower-quality yet similar bite for a few bucks less, turn to the Hot ’N Spicy McChicken for $4.

• What’s On It: hand-battered, seasoned chicken breast fillet, barrel-cured pickles and spicy mayo on a toasted buttery brioche bun
• Price: $6
• Pros: fresh, spicy crispy, stellar pickles, comparatively affordable for the size and quality
• Cons: none

Popeye’s is still my ride or die when it comes to fast food chicken, especially sandwiches. I’ve literally never had one that wasn’t freshly fried, super crunchy or deeply flavorful (and for the record, I’ve had countless). The bun was soft, fresh and notably buttery. The chicken held its crispness for an impressively long time, while the notably sour pickles were thick-cut, making for an extra crunchy bite. The chicken fillet was very large compared to that of, say, Wendy’s or Checkers.

My one caveat? I wished the chicken’s breading was spicy. However, the spicy mayo definitely got the job done in terms of tang, creaminess and heat. This remains one of my all-time favorite fast food sandwiches—ever.