The 3 Best Fast Food Chicken Items We've Tried In 2026 — That Don't Come From Chicken Chains

There are plenty of options when it comes to fast food chicken. But in 2026, three of the best fast food chicken items came from restaurant chains that aren't focused on chicken at all. Taco Bell, Wendy's, and Arby's had some of our reviewers' favorite new items of the year. Each has long been known for its beef — whether it's ground and seasoned in tacos, sliced into roast beef sandwiches, or stacked in burgers. All three chains didn't even have chicken on the menu when they first opened. But in 2026, they released some of our favorite new fast food chicken items of the year.

Ahead of nationwide rollouts, Tasting Table's taste testers often have a chance to sample the new, limited-release menu items at various fast food restaurants, including those from Taco Bell, Wendy's, and Arby's. After sampling the items with flavor, aroma, texture, and other elements of deliciousness in mind, our reviewers gave their honest opinions and named the chicken dishes at these three restaurants some of the best of the year so far.

With the Diablo Dusted Crispy Chicken Nuggets, Taco Bell transformed its packets of Diablo sauce into a powder that clings across the crispy crags of nugget breading. "The execution was on point," said Tasting Table's reviewer in their review of Taco Bell's new 'Dusted' and 'Dirty' menu. "There's a fantastic contrast between the moist chicken and crispy exterior." They found the Diablo Sauce was hotter than expected, but they kept it cool with Taco Bell's cream-spiked Dirty Sips beverage.

Other diners found the Diablo Dusted Crispy Chicken Nuggets tasty too — so long as they went when the right person was working the kitchen. A commenter on Reddit wrote, "It's seriously inconsistent but when they're good, they're some of my favorite nuggets of all time, but when you get some hard pieces it's lame." Another said, "That spicy dust is bomb." Other commenters agreed that they were even better dipped into the Spicy Ranch. 

Unfortunately, it's too late to try the limited release for yourself, as they're no longer on the menu. But Taco Bell is known for bringing old hits back from the dead. Maybe the Diablo Dusted Chicken Nuggets will join the ranks of the revived Nacho Fries or Mexican Pizza.

The Chicken Tenders Ranch Wrap was Wendy's 2026 crisped-up spin on its Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap. Alongside strips of Wendy's Chicken Tenders, the limited-release tortilla wraps were stuffed with cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce, and Creamy Ranch sauce. In Tasting Table's review of Wendy's new Chicken Tenders Ranch Wrap, our reviewer found it to be an upgrade from the grilled version.

"The crispy chicken tenders and lettuce provide a nice crunch that balances the creamy ranch and slightly melted cheese," our reviewer wrote. They also said the crunchier style chicken gave the wrap "a little more textural variety than the grilled chicken." Our reviewer also found it to simply be the more substantial wrap of the two.

While it has since left Wendy's, Wendy's Chicken Tenders are still available. This means the fast food menu hackers out there can request them in the Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap to easily recreate the departed Chicken Tenders Ranch Wrap themselves.

In 2014, Arby's launched a new slogan: "We Have The Meats," informing customers it carried more than roast beef. In 2026, those "meats" broadened to a line of Arby's Chicken Cheesesteaks. For Tasting Table's review of Arby's new Chicken Cheesesteaks, our reviewer was sent the sandwiches in three forms: a flagship Chicken Cheesesteak, its Deluxe upgrade, and a Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak.

Our reviewer didn't think there'd be much difference between the Chicken Cheesesteak and the Deluxe Cheesesteak, in which shredded greens and tomato slices joined the chicken, melted cheese, and caramelized onions. But the additions surprised our reviewer. "What I didn't realize was that the fresh veggies added a needed diversion from the otherwise dense affair," they said.

The Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak didn't seem that hot to our reviewer, but the slowly building spice still enhanced the sandwich. If you decide to try it out, grab a side of Arby's ranch sauce. Our reviewer found it would have worked perfectly in the Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak. "As a whole, the restrained but pleasant spice added a fun punch to this already established solid sandwich," they concluded.

In general, our reviewer thought the generously portioned, juicy chicken and filling made for "scrumptious" sandwiches. They found the seeded rolls were nicely crunchy too. Arby's Chicken Cheesesteaks are still available as of this writing.