5 Of The Best New Fast Food BBQ Items In 2026

When the standard fast food flavors of ketchup, mustard, and mayo aren't doing it for you anymore, seeking out sweet, spicy, and tangy barbecue-inspired items will surely liven up your meals. Barbecue flavors have emerged as an especially strong trend in the 2026 fast food landscape, giving customers no shortage of options to try. We looked through brand-new sandwiches and more from America's favorite chains to find five finger-lickin' good barbecue dishes that you should order before all the rest.

The following brand-new items from the likes of Burger King, Shake Shack, and others have earned top-notch ratings from customers and were never offered on menus before this year, making them extra exciting. Plus, Tasting Table's own reviewers have sampled most of these barbecue delights, so we can guarantee that they're some of the best new fast food items of 2026. You'll find classic barbecue staples like ribs and brisket in our top picks, as well as a creative burger, crispy fried chicken sandwiches, and a Cantonese-inspired stir fry to shake things up. With these satisfying, saucy entrees in your takeout bag, all you'll really need to achieve barbecue bliss are a cold drink, plenty of napkins, and perhaps some extra packets of your favorite fast food BBQ sauces.

You might not expect a fast food spot to do justice to authentic barbecue ribs — which take a much longer time to prepare than the average burger — but leave it to Shake Shack to put in the work. The chain put out a Summer BBQ menu in April, starring the BBQ Boneless Baby Back Rib Sandwich, made with real pork ribs cooked for nine hours and flavored with a spice blend and smoky barbecue sauce. The meat is topped with pickles and coleslaw and served on a soft potato bun.

In our review, we discovered that Shake Shack's boneless rib sandwich is the real deal, delivering juicy, tender meat with a crispy exterior that's balanced out by the sour pickles and crunchy, fresh coleslaw. From its superior flavor to its stunning appearance, nothing about this sandwich recalls lackluster imitations of barbecue found at other fast food chains. 

Other Shake Shack fans were also wowed by this sandwich, especially the cooking job on the ribs and the balanced sauce that's tangy and peppery instead of too sweet. "I thought it was really good," said one customer on Reddit. "You can tell it is an actual rib with a nice braised texture and crispy exterior." A second commenter said the sandwich delivers "all the goodness of pork ribs without any of the work," while another user even called it "earth shattering!!" While it's a limited-time offering, this sandwich is still available at Shake Shack as of this writing.

One of the most unique fast food barbecue offerings of the year, Panda Express Cantonese BBQ Brisket debuted in May to instant acclaim. This limited-time protein option, which you can add to the restaurant's bowl or plate meals, combines slow-cooked, American-style beef brisket with a rich sauce inspired by traditional pork char siu. The condiment creates a sweet, tangy, and savory complexity using soy sauce, sugar, garlic, spicy soybean paste, mirin rice wine, sesame oil, and more.

Our reviewer thought Panda Express' brisket married the best of American and Chinese barbecue, as the slices of beef are thick, marbled, and tender with a slow-smoked flavor and ample caramelization. The Cantonese-inspired sauce adds a punch of sweet and umami flavors with a dash of spice. Other customers also loved the melting texture of the meat and perfectly balanced flavor. "This brisket is more tender than brisket I've had at BBQ joints in my city," one Redditor said, and another commenter added, "I was seriously impressed by how tender and saucy it was. Sooooo yummy." Another fan on Facebook found the dish so exceptional, they said, "It was hard to believe this was fast food."

This Cantonese brisket costs about $2 more than other Panda Express proteins, but customers say it's 100% worth it. If they're willing to take that upcharge in this economic climate, you know this dish is worth ordering — but you have to try it before August 10, 2026, as that's when it will disappear from menus.

In the realm of fast food chicken sandwiches, Popeyes' version with an herb-and-spice marinated fried chicken breast, mayo, two pickle chips, and a brioche bun continues to lead the pack. The chain clearly knows not to mess too much with a good thing, as its new Honey BBQ Chicken Sandwich simply replaces the mayo with a Honey BBQ sauce, creating a simple yet meaningful upgrade.

Customers say that Popeyes' barbecue sauce genuinely tastes of honey, with a slight tangy note and a hint of smoke balancing out the sweetness. A few fans speculate that the sauce is the same one used on the chain's Honey BBQ wings, so if you're a fan of those, this sandwich is a must-try for you. Just like with the rest of Popeyes' sandwiches, the fried chicken filet is generously large and meaty with a crunchy, craggy coating. The crisp pickles add a much-needed acidity, and the ultra-soft bun ties it all together.

This new item doesn't revolutionize Popeyes' basic chicken sandwich, but it doesn't need to — it just tailors the cult favorite dish more toward barbecue fans. If you want a little more variety, though, you can add bacon and/or cheese to the Honey BBQ sandwich for a small upcharge.

Barbecue burgers are nothing new, but Burger King's BBQ Bounty Whopper was something special. Not only was this burger part of a promotional menu themed around "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu," but it featured some unique toppings: Swiss cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, creamy Bounty Barbecue Sauce, and crispy fried pickle chips flavored with ranch. While BK's "Mandalorian" menu has since passed by, this Whopper is still up for order, now under the new name of the Bacon Swiss BBQ Whopper. We're guessing that the great taste is partly why it stuck around.

Many reviewers called this burger a solid spin on the classic Whopper, naming the pickle chips and sauce as the stars. "I enjoyed the pickles on there a lot," one Redditor said. "That little extra vinegar crunch was the star of the show." As for the sauce, tasters said it's reminiscent of McDonald's Big Mac sauce or Thousand Island dressing with a kick of barbecue, and it's a fitting complement to the bacon and other burger ingredients.

In Tasting Table's ultimate ranking of Burger King burgers, the BBQ Bounty Whopper also fared well in third place overall. Our taster dubbed it one of the most interesting burgers BK offers, especially with those Texas Roadhouse-esque pickle chips and extra-filling load of toppings. It may not come in "Star Wars"-themed packaging anymore, but we reckon the Bacon Swiss BBQ Whopper still tastes just as good as the original Bounty version.

The Western Bacon Cheeseburger has reigned as an iconic item at Carl's Jr. (aka Hardee's) since 1988, and this past March, the chain released a natural twist on the original: the Carl's Jr. Western Bacon Chicken Sandwich. It included the same toppings as the burger — American cheese, onion rings, Western Barbecue sauce, and two strips of bacon — and swapped in a fried white meat chicken fillet in place of the beef.

We were lucky enough to nab this limited-time sandwich for our ranking of Carl's Jr. menu items, and we actually put it ahead of the original Western cheeseburger. Our reviewer thought the moist, crispy chicken easily bested the chain's burger patty. Other customers rate it highly as well, saying the chicken fillet is thick and not overwhelmed by the fried coating, with a noticeable juiciness. The barbecue sauce doesn't get lost in the mix, with a bold and flavorful presence. For a price of $5.99, customers also thought this sandwich was a great value for its size. 

The Western Bacon Chicken Sandwich's availability ended in May, but don't write off a return. In fact, some customers have remarked that they remember eating this sandwich in years past, though Carl's Jr. itself calls the item new. Whether this dish was offered previously or customers are recalling a similar sandwich, it's clear that the chain has a penchant for tricked-out chicken and barbecue flavors, so we wouldn't be surprised if the Western Chicken Sandwich rides again.