Here they are, the tip-top of fast food premium chicken: chicken strips, grilled chicken sandwiches, and crispy chicken sandwiches from McDonald's and Chick-fil-A.
First, let's take a look at what McDonald's is offering.
The crispy buttermilk chicken sandwich was released last year as a replacement for the normal crispy chicken patty. It comes in a soft roll that tastes rather sweet when paired with chicken; it fares better with savory burgers.
The buttermilk patty is large and satisfyingly crispy; however the chicken comes off as a bit dry and chewy. Not outrageously so, but enough to notice. Also, the lettuce is disappointingly wilted and the mayonnaise is way too much. This seems to be a recurring problem with these sandwiches.
McDonald's artisan grilled option is pretty similar, simply grilled instead of fried. Same bun, same problem: its sweetness takes away from the delicate taste of chicken, and would complement beef much better.
However, the chicken is juicier, albeit somewhat stringy. The seasonings — salt, garlic, and parsley — are present, but barely. It's not an impressive sandwich, but it's not disappointing either.
Lastly, McDonald's Chicken Select tenders. They come in threes, as they're intended more for snacking than for a full meal.
They're incredibly crunchy, which is great, but there's so much on breading on them one wonders if there's chicken at all. For the pieces that do have a noticeable amount of meat, they're altogether rewarding. The chicken is similar to the crispy chicken sandwich patty, but the stringiness works much better in strip form.
So far, McDonald's chicken is not amazing, but a decently successful effort to rise above fast food mediocrity. But how does it hold against Chick-fil-A?
Chick-fil-A's deluxe chicken sandwich, with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and cheese, has been a favorite for years.
The chicken is moist and juicy, although not as crunchy as McDonald's. The cheese isn't very noticeable so it doesn't rock the boat much in terms of flavor, which is fine considering how great the chicken is. Sorry McDonald's, but unless you're looking for some serious crisp, Chick-fil-A's sandwich is the one to get.
The grilled option is just as juicy, but sans grease. By default, it comes in a whole wheat multigrain bun — it's clearly marketed as the healthier alternative.
The marinade lends a slightly sweet flavor to the chicken breast, which balances nicely with the very slightly charred grill-marked outside. While McDonald's grilled chicken breast makes for a perfectly decent sandwich, the incongruous choice of bun and the weak seasoning pales in comparison to Chick-fil-A's.
And finally, the chicken strips: juicy, meaty, and not as crispy. See a recurring theme? There is some crisp to them, but not as much as McDonald's.
However, this means these strips are mostly chicken, which is much more satisfying a meal. Chick-fil-A knows how to do chicken, there's no doubt here. McDonald's has put forth an admirable effort to improve — and indeed,the chicken has improved drastically — but Chick-fil-A's still comes out on top.
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