I ate 8 chicken sandwiches from fast-food chains, and the best was also the cheapest

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

I tried the fried chicken sandwiches from eight chains, and the best sandwich was also the cheapest.

• I taste-tested fried chicken sandwiches from Chick-fil-A, KFC, McDonald's, Arby's, Shake Shack, Burger King, Popeyes, and Wendy's to see how they compared.
• I judged the chicken sandwiches based on their buns, texture, flavor, and my overall impression.
• With its juicy, crispy chicken and well-balanced flavors, Popeyes' Classic Chicken Sandwich was far better than the rest. It was also the cheapest sandwich at $3.99.
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Chicken sandwiches are a privilege.

My dad did not eat a chicken sandwich until he immigrated to America in his mid-20s. His first chicken sandwich, which was later also my first chicken sandwich, was a McChicken.

There are no McChicken sandwiches in this taste test.

The culture of immigrants is a culture of always trying to do better than the generation before. My dad ate McChicken sandwiches.

I, as a member of the next generation, had to find a better chicken sandwich - maybe even the best fast-food chicken sandwich out there.

Read more: I taste-tasted the signature breakfast sandwiches from 6 major fast-food chains, and the winner was clear

I put together a list of the chicken sandwiches from the eight fast-food chains closest to Business Insider office in Manhattan. If a chain had more than one chicken sandwich, I chose the one that seemed most like a classic chicken sandwich. I also avoided kid-sized or dollar menu items like the McChicken and the Chicken Jr.

My methodology, as usual, was as scientific as my bachelor of arts degree. I judged the sandwiches based on texture, flavor, bun quality, and overall impression.

The contenders in this taste test are: Arby's Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwich, KFC's Crispy Colonel Sandwich, Wendy's Homestyle Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Chick-fil-A's Original Chicken Sandwich, McDonald's Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Burger King's Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Popeyes' Classic Chicken Sandwich, and Shake Shack's Chick'n Shack.

All prices listed are what I paid in the New York City establishments I visited for this test.