Who Makes A Healthier Classic Chicken Sandwich, Sonic Or Dairy Queen?

Chicken sandwiches started hitting the drive-thru decades after hamburgers, but these days they are an integral part of any fast food menu. As consumers continually become more health conscious, and begin seeking the healthiest fast food orders, these fried chicken sandwiches do, however, come under some scrutiny. So, we decided to compare the offerings from Sonic and Dairy Queen to determine the healthier option. 

As with just about anything, fast food chicken sandwiches certainly can be integrated as part of a balanced diet. That said, it is always beneficial for consumers to know the nutritional details of the foods that they are eating so that they can strike that aforementioned healthy balance. When it comes to comparing two fried chicken sandwiches from Sonic and Dairy Queen, it isn't always cut and dry. For these two sandwiches, the numbers are nearly equivalent, with Sonic perhaps winning by a hair, but the final decision comes down to the specific dietary needs of the person placing the order.

The sandwiches from these two chains are fairly similar. They both go by the name "Crispy Chicken Sandwich," for example, and both placed pretty low in our overall ranking of fast food chicken sandwiches. Both also feature fried chicken fillets on a bun with mayonnaise and lettuce — the industry standards for such a sandwich. Over at Dairy Queen, the only other ingredient added is a thick slice of tomato. Sonic's Crispy Chicken Sandwich, on the other hand, skips the tomato, adding pickles instead, and using a brioche bun. As we will see breaking down the numbers of the nutrition facts, it is exactly these decisions that create the gap between these two sandwiches.

These two sandwiches are pretty similar calorically, with the Sonic chicken sandwich coming in slightly lower at 520 calories, 30 less than the Dairy Queen offering. Next up is fat, where Sonic again keeps a slight edge at 24 grams of fat and 4.5 grams of saturated fat. Dairy Queen's Crispy Chicken Sandwich matches the saturated fat exactly, but the overall fat is 4 grams higher for a total of 28. For carbohydrates, the tally is slightly lower at Dairy Queen, with 49 grams, compared to 52 for Sonic. Cholesterol-wise, it's back to Sonic, with 50 milligrams to DQ's 60. Overall, Sonic's sandwich scores slightly better in most categories, though they're all fairly close.

Moving on to the side of nutrition where higher numbers are generally considered better, we have protein and fiber. The protein content of both sandwiches is almost identical, with Dairy Queen nosing in front by offering 25 grams to Sonic's 24. As for dietary fiber, Sonic takes the lead again, with 4 grams compared to just 3 in the Dairy Queen sandwich.

The remaining two nutritional figures are where the stylistic choices of Sonic's sandwich really show. At Dairy Queen, the Crispy Chicken Sandwich has 5 grams of sugar and 980 milligrams of sodium. At Sonic, it's 10 grams of sugar and 1470 milligrams of sodium, or 100% more sugar and 50% more sodium. These differences can likely be directly attributed to the sweeter brioche bun and the addition of pickles. The final decision about which sandwich is healthier will come down to individual dietary goals and requirements, but generally the Sonic sandwich is a slightly better pick. Ordered on a standard bun and without pickles, it's a surefire winner.