Not KFC Or Popeyes: This Chain Has The Crispiest Fast Food Chicken Sandwich

Nothing says "letdown city" like unwrapping a soggy chicken sandwich from the fast food drive-thru. Craving crispiness? Set the route to Raising Cane's. In Tasting Table's definitive lineup of major fast food chain chicken sandwiches ranked by crunch, the sammy from Raising Cane's came out on top as crispiest of 'em all. Perhaps surprisingly, there's only one chicken sandwich on this chicken-centric chain's entire menu. However, it gets the job done well enough that there isn't any need for another contender to enter the ring.

Raising Cane's does not reinvent the wheel, nor does it reinvent the chicken patty. In fact, it eschews the patty altogether. At Raising Cane's, the sole chicken sandwich consists of three of the chain's signature chicken fingers crammed into a toasted bun, topped with Cane's sauce and lettuce. Its assembly may appear innocuous, but foodies should not be misled by the seemingly simple makeup. Cane's is rocking an innovative design with a fundamentally different physicality compared to competitor fast food chicken sandwich offerings — and it totally works.

As noted by our taste tester, "As opposed to the limited surface area to be found on one chicken patty, Cane's extra-crunchy breading has three times that space to play with." The chain trades the industry-standard flat, premade chicken patty for a trio of crispy, hand-breaded tenders slathered in sauce. The result is a maximum crunch that you won't forget. As one Redditor noted, "[The] sandwich is by far the best thing on the menu."

Ultimately, it's worth noting that "crispiness" is just one criterion in the chicken sandwich world. In a previous taste-test ranking of 19 fast food chicken sandwiches, Raising Cane's placed eighth for general, overall dining experience. Here, both Popeyes and KFC sandwiches ranked higher, which could indicate that perhaps Raising Canes' non-traditional, tender-stuffed chicken sandwich isn't the best candidate overall. Indeed, in this general chicken sammy ranking, our taste-tester felt the "three chicken strips slapped onto a bun" formula was less innovative than "lazy or pedestrian."

Still, for those who munch for crunch, Raising Cane's remains the place to go — and, of course, the iconic flavor of that Cane's Sauce is a feature for competitor chains to fear. For the record, there's a reason why Raising Cane's famously craveable chicken tastes so good. Those robust, meaty chicken breast tenderloins get brined for a full 24 hours to ensure maximum juiciness. Then, each tender gets hand-battered, hand-breaded, and cooked-to-order. No wonder they're so crispy.

This attention to detail yields a difference we can taste. It also sets Raising Canes' chicken sandwich apart from competitors, particularly in the crispiness department. The price point is accessible, too. At a Raising Cane's location in Chicago, for instance, the sandwich combo — which includes the chicken sandwich, choice of side, and a 22-ounce fountain drink or tea — currently costs $10.99, which isn't too bad for a hearty fill-up.