I Tried And Ranked Every Wendy's Chicken Sandwich From Worst To Best

Although burgers may be the sandwich type that reigns supreme at most fast food chains, chicken sandwiches definitely have a rightful place in the fast food realm. Some places have chicken sandwiches on the menu even if they are best-known for burgers, like McDonald's or Burger King; many fast food enjoyers even prefer this option over beef.

One such fast food restaurant that highlights chicken on its menu is Wendy's. In fact, Wendy's offers not one, not two, but six chicken sandwiches, so whether you're in the mood for something plain and simple or something a little more decked out, you're sure to find it at the widespread chain. I put all six of these Wendy's chicken sandwiches to the taste test, narrowing down which ones fell a little short in the flavor department and which ones are worthy of being your lunchtime go-to.

When determining the ranking of these chicken sandwiches, it all came down to how good a respective sandwich tasted and how good the elements were as a whole. For example, not all of these chicken sandwiches had the same types of buns or chicken patties, and they all came with some sort of variety in toppings, spice level, and so forth. 

Coming in last place is one that surprised me a bit: Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich. In the grand scheme of Wendy's chicken sandwiches, this one falls somewhere in the mid-tier of being decked out; that means that it had a better bun and more toppings than some others, and all-around felt like a bigger, heartier sandwich.

So, why did the spicy chicken come in last place, then? To start, the spicy chicken patty wasn't working for me. It wasn't very spicy, to the point where it felt like I was eating a plain, uninspired chicken sandwich. The toppings — shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo — felt generic and sort of tossed on, and while they didn't clash with the spicy chicken patty, they didn't exactly harmonize either.

I was also disappointed to discover that this sandwich didn't come with pickles (which are indeed a viable topping option, as proven by another sandwich on this list). Sure, you could customize the sandwich and add pickles, but I was trying all of these sandwiches as-is, so pickles were a no-go here. I think that some sort of special topping, be it salty pickles or some sort of spicy sauce to complement the lackluster patty, would have gone a long way here. As-is, this wasn't a terrible chicken sandwich, but definitely the weakest in Wendy's lineup.

I love chicken sandwiches, and I love BLTs, so surely Wendy's crispy chicken BLT must be a hit, right? Well, I wouldn't say that statement is too wrong, but it also isn't completely accurate, either. I think that Wendy's crispy chicken BLT definitely had potential, but the lackluster execution left me feeling lukewarm on this one.

I mentioned earlier how a few of the sandwiches on this list had different buns than some of the others, and this is one sandwich that had a "lesser" bun, in my opinion. The price of this sandwich (along with one other on this list) was also drastically less than the others (we're talking this sandwich was in the $2 range, while most others were $6-$7), and it was pretty evident where those price cuts came into play. The bun and chicken patty were of lower quality, and the sandwich was pretty small. So, with all of these things in mind, this one already wasn't boding the best in my book.

Flavor-wise, I didn't hate this sandwich, but it didn't feel fully thought out. For example, why was there a slice of American cheese on there (and a completely room-temperature, not at all melty one at that)? This particular type of cheese didn't work in the BLT context, but otherwise, I enjoyed the BLT elements, and especially the bacon. The chicken patty itself was sort of overshadowed by everything else, ultimately making for a handheld that lacked cohesion.

Next up is Wendy's crispy chicken sandwich, another sort of "cheapie" (in the ~$2 range) sandwich that had that dryer, lower-quality bun and smaller chicken patty. Despite being such an inexpensive, small, and minimalistic sandwich, I didn't hate this. Sure, it was nothing remarkable and nothing to write home about, but the bare-bones approach at least worked in ensuring that there were no clashing flavors or odd elements at play.

So, what was at play on this crispy chicken sandwich? Well, there was the bun, the chicken patty, lettuce, and mayo. Yep, that's all that was going on, and somehow, it actually kind of worked. Don't get me wrong — the quality of the sandwich as a whole definitely paled in comparison to the top three contenders that we'll get to in a bit. But I liked how mayo-forward this one was, because if there's one topping that you can't go wrong with on a chicken sandwich, it's definitely mayonnaise. The lettuce I could take or leave, but I suppose a little greenery is always nice to help break up the richness of the fried chicken itself.

Overall, I could see the crispy chicken sandwich appealing to those who don't necessarily want a full meal but are looking for a quick bite. This no-frills, unfussy sandwich definitely gets the job done, and if you especially don't like a lot of toppings on your chicken sandwiches, this might be one worth trying.

Breaking into the top three is the Asiago ranch classic chicken club sandwich, a mouthful to say and a mouthful to eat, too. In terms of how decked-out Wendy's chicken sandwiches can get, this is pretty much the cream of the crop. Between a big ol' chicken breast patty base, lettuce, tomato, ranch sauce, a slice of Asiago cheese, and bacon, there was a whole lot going on here — and for the most part, I think it worked.

Obviously, if you're a chicken sandwich minimalist, you'll probably think this Asiago club takes things too far. And, at certain points while eating this sandwich, I was almost inclined to agree with that sentiment. Ultimately, though, there was something downright tasty about this club concoction that kept me coming back for more. Unlike the American cheese slice on the BLT sandwich, the Asiago cheese slice on this sandwich fits right in, melting onto that chicken patty a bit and adding a nice, sharp touch. The ranch added a certain creamy element that worked well with both the chicken and bacon, and overall, despite how much this sandwich had going on, it was tasty. 

If there's one thing that could make the Asiago ranch chicken club even better, it would be to incorporate a spicy chicken patty into the mix. Admittedly, after being let down by the low-ranking spicy chicken sandwich, I didn't have super high hopes for this iteration. But the spicy chicken patty worked much better here, and paired with all those over-the-top garnishes, it made for one unique and delicious chicken sandwich.

Ultimately, this sandwich is pretty interchangeable with the regular Asiago chicken club, and it comes down to whether or not you enjoy that hint of spice. I indeed enjoyed the spice that the chicken offered, which is why this version outranks the regular one, if only by an inch. The toppings are all the same here: lettuce, tomato, ranch, bacon, and Asiago cheese. I especially enjoyed how well that sharp, nutty, and almost tangy Asiago cheese paired with the spicy chicken patty. Plus, the ranch sauce felt more apparent here, since it served as a more direct cooling contrast to the spice in the patty. And, yes — I felt that the patty was much more notably spicy in this sandwich than it was in the spicy chicken sandwich, making this handheld an overall very strong option in the Wendy's lineup.

Sometimes less is more, sometimes more is more, and in the case of Wendy's classic chicken sandwich, sometimes somewhere in between is the sweet spot. It is hard to beat a fast food chain's "classic" sandwich, and Wendy's version most definitely hits the nail on the head. Between the perfectly soft bun, crispy chicken breast patty, and simple but effective toppings (including pickles!), this sandwich is a steadfast go-to that will simply always hit the spot.

What I enjoyed most about this sandwich was how it was comprised of relatively basic elements, but they all worked well together. The mayonnaise added the perfect creamy sauce element, while the tomatoes and lettuce added a touch of freshness. The pickles were the most exciting aspect to me, providing that briny bite and subtle crunch (plus, fried chicken and pickles make for an undeniably good pairing). 

Overall, Wendy's classic chicken sandwich is a safe choice for a tried-and-true option that is about as foolproof. It's cohesive, tasty, and has just enough frills to keep things interesting, so for these reasons, the classic chicken sandwich reigns supreme in the Wendy's chicken sandwich lineup.

When ranking Wendy's chicken sandwiches, I went in with the assumption that none of these sandwiches would necessarily taste bad. And, this assumption proved to be true, as all of these sandwiches were at least generally good. So, my ranking criteria became more so about which sandwiches excelled — which ones had the better toppings, which ones had higher quality buns, and which ones had more cohesion than others. 

In terms of how I tried the sandwiches, I made sure to sample all of them when they were as fresh as possible. I purchased them, brought them home, and went through the lineup (in no particular order), tasting each sandwich and making notes of any standout features (or lackluster ones). I refrigerated the sandwiches and returned to them the next day as well, just to go in with a fresh perspective and see if my observations from the day before held up. 

Also, it's worth noting that, while I made note of the price of some of the sandwiches, this didn't necessarily reflect the ranking. I only noted the price to provide context for those sandwiches that were smaller, had different buns, and were all-around a little more bare bones. While these two cheaper sandwiches did rank in the bottom three, this isn't because of their price, but because the sandwiches themselves simply paled in comparison to stronger contenders.