There’s a lot of choices out there when it comes to fast food chicken sandwiches. We’ve already tried and ranked 10 fast food chicken sandwiches; some are modern inventions, while others are tried and true classics. At the end of the day, one thing is clear: Fast food chicken sandwiches are here to stay.
Although fast food chicken sandwiches are commonplace nowadays, that wasn’t always the case. Many fast food chains didn’t start implementing chicken sandwiches until the late ’70s and early ’80s. Quite a few of the first fast food chicken sandwiches ever invented are still out there, featured at major chains like Chick-fil-A, KFC, McDonald’s, and more.
Many of us have eaten these classic fast food chicken sandwiches without realizing just how long these menu items have actually been around. It just goes to show that sometimes you really can’t beat a simple, delicious chicken sandwich. Fast food chains know this, which is why these five classic fast food chicken sandwiches are still popular to this day.
Chick-fil-A’s Chicken Sandwich
The oldest classic fast food chicken sandwich you can still order today is Chick-fil-A’s classic Chicken Sandwich. In 1946, Chick-fil-A’s founder, S. Truett Cathy first began experimenting with the chicken sandwich in his Dwarf Grill diner, coming up with the final recipe for this revolutionary menu item in 1964. It went on to be sold at the first Chick-fil-A restaurant that opened in 1967, where it has remained for the most part unchanged since its inception. The sandwich is simple: boneless chicken breast cooked in peanut oil on a buttered bun with dill pickle slices.
One thing that really stands out about Chick-fil-A’s original Chicken Sandwich is the way it is cooked. Chick-fil-A has a unique cooking method that makes the sandwiches taste so good: pressure frying. Essentially, these pressure fryers cook the chicken sandwiches faster without losing any moisture or flavor.
Perhaps this specific cooking method is what has given Chick-fil-A’s Chicken Sandwich its longevity. To this day, it remains a popular menu item; there’s a spicy variant of the sandwich now, too.
Burger King’s Original Chicken Sandwich
A fast food chain that literally has the word “burger” in its name might not sound like the spot to go for chicken sandwiches. Nonetheless, Burger King does have the second oldest chicken sandwich in the fast food industry that is still standing. Burger King’s Original Chicken Sandwich hit menus in 1979 and has stayed there ever since.
The addition of a chicken sandwich at a chain primarily known for charbroiled burgers didn’t come about easily. It wasn’t until Donald N. Smith, a former McDonald’s executive, joined the team in the late ’70s that menu expansion started to take place at Burger King. This wave of changes included the invention of the Original Chicken Sandwich.
The Original Chicken Sandwich is sometimes known as the “Long Chicken” or the “Chicken Royale.” It’s one of the most recognizable fast food sandwiches due to its more elongated shape, which more closely resembles a miniature sub sandwich than a typical fast food sandwich. On top of its sheer longevity, the sandwich has proven popular enough to warrant spin-offs, with the chain releasing Mexican and Italian inspired variants of the sandwich in 2023.
McDonald’s McChicken
The McChicken, not to be confused with the McCrispy, has been the quintessential chicken item for many at McDonald’s. The chicken sandwich was first introduced to the world in 1980, and shockingly, it wasn’t a success right off the bat. It wasn’t that the sandwich was bad per se, but it underperformed in comparison to projected sales.
As such, the McChicken was actually temporarily removed from McDonald’s menus in the mid-1980s. It returned a few years later in 1988 with a slightly revised recipe. It was this revised version that won over the hearts of fans and the sandwich has been a staple ever since.
Today, the McChicken has become so successful that it’s spawned its own series of spinoff sandwiches. There’s the McChicken Deluxe, which is essentially a normal McChicken with Roma tomatoes. Internationally, there are even more variants, like Britain’s Chicken Big Mac, which is basically a Big Mac that has chicken patties instead of hamburger patties and no onions.
KFC’s Chicken Littles
It comes as no surprise that one of the biggest chicken fast food chains out there is also home to one of the oldest chicken sandwiches in the fast food industry. KFC as a franchise got its start in the ’50s, but the chain’s first chicken sandwich didn’t come about until the ’80s. The chain wanted a way to expand the menu; as such, Chicken Littles sandwiches were introduced to the world in 1987.
Like the name implies, the sandwiches were charmingly little. Many have compared their size and appearance to that of a slider, like the ones White Castle has. The sandwich was widely popular, to the point that when it was briefly discontinued, fans clamored for its return so much that the chain brought the sandwich back in 2012.
Although the sandwich had a brief hiatus, it is still part of KFC’s menu and remains highly popular. The sandwich features a chicken tender in a brioche bun with lettuce, pickles, and mayo. Chicken Littles can be ordered by themselves or as a combo meal.
Arby’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich
Last but not least is the rather unexpected Arby’s Original Crispy Chicken Sandwich. For a chain that is renowned for its use of roast beef, it comes as a shock to many that Arby’s even has chicken sandwiches. Even more shocking is that Arby’s Original Crispy Chicken Sandwich is one of the oldest fast food chicken sandwiches out there.
Arby’s made the move to start featuring chicken on its menus back in 1981. With it came the birth of the Original Crispy Chicken Sandwich. The sandwich itself is simple and straightforward: breaded chicken breast with shredded lettuce, tomato, and mayo on a brioche bun.
Arby’s current array of sandwiches is definitely a far cry from what the first-ever Arby’s menu looked like. Today, Arby’s has four chicken sandwiches available, including the Original Crispy Chicken Sandwich. There’s a buffalo chicken variant of the original, as well as a Chicken Bacon Swiss Sandwich and a Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich, too.
