Burger King Vs McDonald's: Who Makes The Better Chicken Sandwich?

McDonald's and Burger King may be best known for slinging burgers, but that doesn't mean either fast-food chain is a one-trick pony. A visit to both restaurants will reveal a bevy of chicken-based items, including a literal handful of chicken sandwiches. Now, we've previously ranked every chicken-based menu item from BK and also ranked every chicken item sold by Mickey D's. With that in mind, there was only one question to consider: Which fast-food chain makes a better chicken sandwich?

The world was clearly waiting with bated breath for an answer, so I took on this daunting challenge by sampling every chicken sandwich offered by each chain — and it certainly was daunting. Both restaurants feature five chicken sandwich options on the permanent menu as of this writing, meaning I ate 10 different fried chicken sandwiches over the course of two days to determine a winner (I do it for you, America).

After taste testing an absurd number of chicken sandwiches from McDonald's and Burger King, I can say one restaurant outclassed the other when it comes to these poultry items. Keep reading to discover which fast food chain's chicken sandwiches reign supreme.

Prices are as of the date of publication and may vary based on region.

Both Burger King and McDonald's feature five different chicken sandwich options on the menu as of August 2026. While several of these are spinoffs of the same basic sandwich, they're all unique enough that I decided to collectively compare the chicken sandwich offerings from the two chains (rather than a single sandwich from each chain in a one-to-one battle).

I conducted a taste test of every sandwich to determine a winner, sampling all five chicken sandwiches from both Burger King and McDonald's (on different, but consecutive, days). I tried each sandwich individually by taking a single bite of each item to evaluate it, then taking a second bite minutes later to further assess the item. I focused mainly on the flavors and mouthfeel of each, particularly on the textures and complexities of the chicken (on both the inside and the outside).

I also considered the toppings and condiments on each sandwich; this included how well they contributed individually and how they impacted the sandwich overall. Additionally, while price wasn't the main deciding factor, the cost of one chicken sandwich in particular from McDonald's stood out when I was making my final determination.

It was fairly fascinating to find this former Dollar Menu staple tastes exactly the same as it did when I was a teenager so many years ago. In that regard, the McChicken was fine. There was way too much mayonnaise, but the shredded iceberg lettuce stayed crunchy over time, unlike the lettuce on the other McDonald's offerings.

My main issue with the McChicken is the price tag. This isn't an all-white meat or high-quality piece of fried chicken, but rather a chicken patty seemingly consisting of pressed-together chicken meat. There's nothing wrong with this, of course, but it's much more akin to a frozen chicken patty from the grocery store than a pricey fast food item. Seriously, how did we get to a place as a society where a McChicken sandwich cost an eye-popping $5.19 at the Lowell, Massachusetts location where I ordered it? It's a travesty, and it leaves McDonald's at a competitive disadvantage from the start.

I hadn't tried most of these chicken sandwiches before this article and wasn't aware some of them — like the Chicken Jr. — existed at all. It's essentially a miniature version of Burger King's classic Original Chicken Sandwich (hence the "Jr." moniker). I have to admit I couldn't tell the difference between this and the McChicken. I'm not saying the two sandwiches from competing fast-food chains were actually identical, but even my wife was stunned by the similar flavors and textures.

The lettuce was chopped rather than shredded here, which definitely helped improve the eating experience for me. But beyond that context, it would be tough to claim this or the McChicken as better than the other. Of course, context does matter, and since the Chicken Jr. costs a relatively meager $2.39 (less than half the price of the similar McDonald's item), BK clearly has the superior budget chicken sandwich option.

This was the best chicken sandwich I sampled from McDonald's, which is somewhat revelatory in and of itself. After all, the standard McCrispy only featured a premium chicken portion — which appears to be a real, whole piece of chicken rather than a patty comprised of chicken parts (like the McChicken) — and a couple of pickles. The company apparently uses a buttered-and-toasted potato bun, and since there were no condiments or other toppings aside from the pickles, the poultry's flavor shone.

The flavors of the chicken were nice and subtly spiced. It was wonderfully toothsome on the inside and wasn't the least bit dry. However, in what would become a running issue on the McDonald's side of things, the outer layer was a bit soggy by the time I started eating it (roughly 15 minutes after it was received from the restaurant, which was also how long I waited before trying each Burger King sandwich). This wasn't a fatal flaw, but it was a disappointment given how delicious the McCrispy chicken patty itself was.

The Royal Crispy Chicken sandwich is a fitting name given the faux monarchy that founded Burger King, and the chicken itself largely lives up to that promise. The chicken is very tasty, with a subtle blend of spices and flavors reminiscent of a brine. It was superbly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, even nearly an hour after ordering. The ability to retain that crunchy outer layer over time is a crucial factor for a successful chicken sandwich, and BK nailed that here.

As for the remaining aspects of this sandwich — it's not just chicken, after all — they all left something to be desired alongside. The Royal sauce tasted more like a garlic aioli than mayonnaise, which I'm not sure was the best move. The neutral nature of the lettuce and tomatoes (neither one tasted bad, but they weren't of exceptional quality on any sandwich this day) meant the sauce had to hold its own against the delectable chicken, and it ended up distracting more than elevating the sandwich. It's not poorly made or an unappetizing condiment, but it wasn't what I personally wanted on this sandwich.

The only difference between this and the standard McCrispy was the addition of a spicy sauce on the sandwich — and there was a lot of sauce on this sandwich. It wasn't as much as the restaurant included on the Spicy Deluxe McCrispy (hold that thought), but it was more than enough to clearly distinguish it from the regular McCrispy. The chicken remained as delicious as before, though it once again struggled to remain crunchy.

The spicy pepper sauce is actually decent, too, and brings a nice McDonald's-esque flair to the proceedings. In fact, while I have no idea if this is intentional, it sort of tasted like a spicy Big Mac sauce rather than a uniquely flavored condiment. The similar orange color only further connected those mental dots, and I couldn't shake the notion that the sauce was simply a Red Hot-enhanced special sauce. It was interesting, I suppose, though it was less enjoyable when slathered on the bun.

Similar to the Spicy McCrispy, the Spicy Royal Crispy Chicken from Burger King is essentially identical to the standard Royal Crispy Chicken (made with a Royal Crispy Chicken patty, lettuce, tomato, Royal sauce, potato bun) with one notable addition. This one features a spicy pepper glaze on the chicken itself, and the addition was much more subtle — and enjoyable — than the sauce on the Spicy McCrispy. In fact, my main issue with this particular sandwich was that the triple pepper glaze didn't stand out enough for my liking.

It's not that I wanted the spicy sauce to overwhelm the rest of the sandwich, of course, nor do I need to be sweating bullets to enjoy heat in food. But the sauce didn't really distinguish itself from the regular Royal Crispy Chicken option. Still, it was incredibly delicious overall, and it featured a better balance of condiments and toppings than the standard Royal Crispy Chicken.

The Deluxe McCrispy features the same delicious chicken patty, but swaps the Southern-style buttered bun and pickles for the more standard lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. Interestingly enough, I don't recall ever eating tomatoes from McDonald's before this assignment — and somewhat disappointingly, they were the best part of this sandwich.

To be clear, the chicken was as good taste-wise as it was on the other McCrispy varieties. But the shredded lettuce was almost impossibly soggy thanks to the excessive amount of mayo and presumably watery produce. Combined with the less-than-crispy exterior of the chicken itself, this was a sloppy, if somewhat satisfying, sandwich (it's still a fast-food fried chicken sandwich). It's not something you should delay eating, though, and it may be worth asking for light mayonnaise (unless you want to feel like the popular song inspired by the iconic white condiment in the process).

I won't beat around the bush here: This was, hands-down, the best chicken sandwich I tried from either chain. I didn't expect it to outshine every other item I sampled, in part because this felt like the type of sandwich where too much was happening. Yet the old adage that "everything is better with bacon" held true here, and the near-perfect combination with melted Swiss truly elevated this above the rabble.

Unsurprisingly, the chicken was delectable (as it was with every Royal Crispy Chicken option), ensuring the additional items weren't overshadowed or let down by poor poultry. The bacon was crisp-yet-chewy, and combined almost stunningly well with the cheese and chicken. The lettuce and tomato played their parts well, and the Royal sauce was delightful when placed alongside the bacon and Swiss. I'm not always a fan of cheese with crispy chicken, either, but the pairing was fantastic on this BK chicken sandwich.

Of all the chicken sandwiches I tried from McDonald's and Burger King, this one was easily the least enjoyable. Now, on paper, I should have loved the Spicy Deluxe McCrispy sandwich given that it's just the premium chicken fillet with lettuce, tomato, and a spicy sauce instead of mayo. But as you can see from the photo above, the sandwich was literally drowning in sauce, which effectively ruined the experience.

I actually think the chicken and bun could have withstood the flood of spicy sauce if they weren't bogged down by the lettuce. I'm not sure if the restaurant simply forgot to fully drain the lettuce after rinsing it on the day I visited, but the produce was sopping wet by the time I took my first bite. There was virtually no crispiness left on the fillet's outer surface, either, and the toppings refused to stay on the sandwich. If it was better prepared or better balanced in composition, I might have actually enjoyed this. The elements were there, but the execution missed the mark.

Burger King's original chicken sandwich is a fairly odd bird (get it?) within the fast food arena. And while I'm sure there's a reason why it's made to resemble a long, tube-like sandwich rather than using a round bun and patty, I'm not here to discuss the menu item's history. All that matters is how it tastes in comparison to the McDonald's chicken sandwich lineup, and it essentially held its own.

This is basically a larger version of the restaurant's Chicken Jr. sandwich, so there were no surprises here after sampling that one. The chicken was decent if a bit boring, and it's a step down from the Royal Chicken. Still, it tasted and looked exactly the same as it has every other time I've eaten it, with a long sesame seed bun housing plenty of lettuce and way too much mayonnaise. Even if it wasn't as good as the Royal Crispy Chicken options, it'll get the job done if you're a fan (and consider this trick for an Italian-style chicken sandwich from Burger King).

To start, there was only one real loser after this article: me (eating 10 fast food chicken sandwiches in two days takes a toll on the human body, folks). While I wouldn't claim Burger King or McDonald's is set to take the title of best fast food fried chicken sandwiches, both chains offer a decent variety of such options within the fast food world. Between the two of them, though, I'd have to say Burger King makes the better chicken sandwich — both individually and collectively.

The consistently crunchy textures of the Royal Crispy Chicken sandwiches, particularly compared to the soggier composition of the various McCrispy sandwiches, were the key deciding factor. Since the flavors were quite close taste-wise — namely with both chains' premium-level chicken sandwiches — the lack of a consistently crisp chicken exterior hurt McDonald's overall. Furthermore, the best sandwich I ate from either restaurant was the Bacon and Swiss Royal Crispy Chicken from BK, which was hard to dismiss when deciding a winner.

Additionally, the $5-plus price for the McChicken was a major negative in the McDonald's column during my final assessment. Perhaps it's unfair to hold that single point against the chain, but this is also a subjective comparison. Reintroducing a $1 cost for this chicken sandwich is one of the changes I wish McDonald's would make, after all, and the McChicken's current price simply sank the chain when all was said and done.