I tried spicy fried-chicken sandwiches at 5 fast-food chains and ranked them from worst to best

• I compared spicy chicken sandwiches from Burger King, McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, and Wendy's.

• I thought Burger King's sandwich had a nice kick but not the crispiest chicken patty.

• Chick-fil-A's sandwich took the top spot because it was crispy yet juicy and full of flavor.

While classic chicken sandwiches have long dominated fast-food menus, their spicier counterparts are stealing the spotlight.

For the last couple of years, Gen Z's appetite for spicy foods has been fueling competition in the food market.

In 2025, this trend is expected to intensify, with "complex heat" emerging as the generation's flavor of choice, according to a November 2024 report by Rubix Foods, a food science company. About 48% of 15,000 respondents said they would opt for a spicier version of an item over the original.

Gen Z are also ready to back their preferences with their wallets. The report found that two-thirds of its Gen Z respondents said they were more likely to buy an item if it was advertised as spicy, and 44% would even pay extra for it.

I don't have a high tolerance for spicy food, but still, like other Gen Zers, I prefer a chicken sandwich with a little kick.

To see how popular fast-food chains turned up the heat on their menu, I put their spicy chicken sandwiches to the test, trying and comparing offerings from five major brands.

Here's how they ranked, from my least to most favorite.

5. Wendy's

Cost: $6.39 — excluding tax and tip — at a Wendy's drive-thru in Chicago.

Note: All prices listed here may vary in different markets.

The bun felt stale, lacking the soft, fresh texture you'd expect, and I found the chicken disappointingly dry.

Wendy's introduced its spicy chicken sandwich in 1995, becoming one of the earliest fast-food brands to bring heat to the mainstream chicken sandwich market.

Each burger features a marinated chicken filet tossed in a breading with peppers and eight different spices. The fried chicken is placed atop lettuce, tomato, and mayo.

I'd heard great things about the brand's spicy menu, especially its chicken sandwiches and nuggets, so I was excited to try this.

One bite in, though, I thought the sandwich needed major modifications to compete with offerings from other chain restaurants. From the bun to the veggies, everything felt a bit off to me.

I shared the sandwich with a friend, who felt the sauce was too "liquidy," making the chicken soggy. It also came with limp green lettuce and a lifeless half tomato. In terms of spiciness, I didn't think it tasted any different from a regular Wendy's sandwich.

The only saving grace was that the sandwich came wrapped in foil, which kept it warm and toasty despite the freezing temperatures outside.

While packaging and portion size might win it some points, a great sandwich needs to deliver on taste and texture and this one fell short on both. Even the sauce, which should have added flavor, did little to elevate it.

When I contacted Wendy's, the spokesperson apologized for the bad experience and offered a gift voucher, recommending that I give the sandwich another chance.

4. McDonald's

Cost: $5.89 — excluding tax and tip — at a McDonald's drive-thru in Chicago.

Although well-constructed, the sandwich I tried was stuffed with a very dry chicken filet.

In my experience, McDonald's in the US can be a hit or miss, depending on which location and, at times, what item you order.

Its limited-time spicy chicken nuggets, for example, were a huge hit. The spicy chicken sandwich, on the other hand, was somewhat of a miss for me.

When I received the sandwich, it came warm and wrapped in a cardboard box. Upon opening it, I thought it looked appetizing and filling — it was similar to the Chick-fil-A sandwich, but with a split-top potato bun that included shredded lettuce, Roma tomatoes, a Southern-style fried chicken fillet, and a spicy pepper sauce.

However, when I took my first bite, I was disappointed by how dry and lackluster the burger was. Even in terms of spice, the sandwich did not have much to offer and tasted similar to the McCrispy.

My friend and I agreed that to move up the ranking, this sandwich needed a spicier sauce and maybe some of the punchy seasoning used in the spicy chicken nuggets.

A better alternative and more bang for your buck when you're craving something fried and spicy is the restaurant's Hot 'n Spicy McChicken sandwich. It is perfect as an evening snack, full of flavor, and has the juiciest chicken.

Business Insider contacted McDonald's for comment but did not receive a response before publication.

3. Popeyes

Cost: $4.99 — excluding tax and tip — at a Popeyes drive-thru in Chicago.

The Popeyes spicy sandwich had the juiciest and crispiest chicken filet but lacked seasoning.

Popeyes debuted its chicken sandwich in 2019, offering two flavors: classic and spicy. The sandwich keeps it simple; the crispy chicken filet is packed in a soft brioche bun with cured pickles and spicy mayo.

When my friend and I were doing this taste test, he felt Popeyes deserved a higher ranking for its pillowy soft brioche bun and perfectly crispy, juicy chicken.

While I thought it was a generous sandwich, the underlying taste of oil and the lack of spicy seasoning put me off.

For a sandwich marketed as "spicy," I expected a stronger punch of heat. Instead, the flavor leaned heavily on the richness of the chicken and bun, which, while delicious in their own right, didn't deliver the bold, fiery experience I hoped for. My friend didn't mind the absence of spice, however.

Popeyes has mastered the art of a satisfying chicken sandwich, but for me, the lack of spice kept it from moving higher up in this lineup. A touch more seasoning or a spicier sauce could have pushed it closer to the top.

The brand also serves a ghost pepper sandwich — which, the last time I tried, also did not live up to my spice expectations — but perhaps with some extra sauce, it could be a better option compared to the regular.

When I reached out to Popeyes about my experience, they said they believe its chicken sandwich "stands out as the ultimate choice for chicken lovers because of our perfect balance of flavor, texture, and quality" and that "each bite delivers an irresistible combination of savory, spicy and crunchy."

2. Burger King

Cost: $6.09 — excluding tax and tip — at a Burger King drive-thru in Chicago.

The "fiery" chicken sandwich lived up to its reputation, packing the most heat.

The first thing that hits you when you bite into this sandwich is the kick from the sauce.

So far, all the other sandwiches I'd tasted were either sprinkled with a slight spice mix for a kick, or their fried chicken was coated in a slightly spicier batter.

But Burger King's fiery, crispy chicken sandwich, which was introduced last year, combines both techniques. The triple pepper fiery glaze sauce is also generously spread on both buns, ensuring you taste the spice in every bite.

That generous spread is also where the trouble begins, though. I thought the sauce and the juices from the tomato slice killed the chicken's crispiness, leaving a wet sandwich.

It was also messy to eat, with blobs of sauce and oil dripping out. One of the joys of a good drive-thru burger is being able to eat it without making a mess, but with this one, that was nearly impossible.

On a brighter note, I appreciated that, unlike many traditional sandwiches, this one skips the pickle and features lettuce and tomato instead. The fresh crunch of the vegetables added a nice contrast and helped balance out the meatiness of the sandwich.

In a comment to Business Insider, Burger King said the sandwich "uses a special blend of spices for a bold and balanced level of heat that builds gradually, allowing guests to experience its full flavor profile."

1. Chick-fil-A

Cost: $6.49 — excluding tax and tip — at a Chick-fil-A drive-thru in Chicago.

The perfect seasoning, soft bun, and crunchy chicken landed this in the top spot.

Disclaimer: This has been my go-to order at Chick-fil-A since I first ate at the restaurant in 2022. This sandwich is always served hot, tastes fresh, and is packed with flavor.

This time, when I tried it for the taste test, it was no different. There are two other spicy chicken sandwich variations on its menu, but I prefer the spicy deluxe sandwich because it has vegetables and is more filling.

Visually, this sandwich blew the others out of the water. A large piece of fried chicken was layered between two halves of a soft, buttered bun, topped with one large pickle, a tomato slice, some lettuce, and a slice of pepper jack cheese.

There is no spicy sauce here, but the fried chicken is full of flavor and hits all the right spice notes.

Overall, each sandwich I tried had a distinct flavor profile, varied textures, and different ways of spicing it up.

But Chick-fil-A's chicken sandwich stood out as the complete package. The heat was perfectly balanced: not overpowering, but enough to give each bite a kick. The perfectly seasoned chicken remained crisp and juicy, and the bun held everything together beautifully.

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