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When we think offast food chicken, we think fried.
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Undressed chicken can still be found, though, if you know where to look.
Chick-fil-A is an obvious source, but it also comes from a few other expected and unexpected places.
I recently had a chance to try the grilled chicken sandwiches from six different fast-food restaurants.
Megan Hageman/Eat This Not That
Here they are, ranked, with my #1 fave at the very end.
I guess we’ll see about that.
The hyped-up sammie features whole white meat chicken breast that is hand-seasoned with salt and pepper.
Megan Hageman/Eat This Not That
Crispy lettuce, ripe tomato, and pickles join the patty on a hoagie roll.
The Taste:The slimy texture of the chicken cutlet was an immediate turnoff.
Not only that but the hoagie roll was a poor choice.
Megan Hageman/Eat This Not That
This jot down of bun pairs really well with a sub stacked high with various meats and cheese.
But here, it’s overbearing and renders the entire sandwich dry.
Fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and two pickle chips were really the only redeemable qualities.
Megan Hageman/Eat This Not That
Panera Bread
At one time, Panera had a more conventional chicken sandwich named the Signature Take.
After its release in 2022 (alongside a spicy option), it has since fallen off the menu.
But, the chain left us with plenty of other grilled chicken specialties.
Megan Hageman/Eat This Not That
It costs $7.99.
The Look:It’s hard to look past the cheesy toasted bagel.
Everything’s covered in white and green sauces.
Megan Hageman/Eat This Not That
The Taste:I had to separate my feelings for asiago bagels and this sandwich as a whole.
Because this is one bagel key in that could make any inner contents taste good.
It’s juicy but with a flimsy and rubbery demeanor and no seasoning to zhuzh it up.
Thankfully, garlic creaminess and fresh basil make up for the lack of natural savor.
15 Best Chicken Chains in America
Subway
Subway doesn’t chicken out of the chicken race.
The fast-service chain offers more than a handful of subs filled with the grilled stuff.
It comes on hearty multigrain bread and the chicken is in the form of strips.
The 6-inch rings up at $6.99.
The Look:Messy.
The sauce is laid on thick while the chicken is kept light.
But, this still isn’t my favorite chicken of the flock.
With a chewy and parched multigrain bun to top it off, this was a take-it-or-leave-it sub.
Smashburger
Even the chicken comes smashed at this burger joint.
Smashburger does have a crispy chicken sandwich made from tenders.
But, it also has an unprecedented Chicken Smashburger made with ground chicken.
The formed patties are marinated in-house with a signature garlic olive oil seasoning.
Lettuce, tomato, and mayo are also then slapped on top of the meat and butter-toasted bun.
The sammie comes out to a price of $8.09.
The Look:In a questionable shade of greyish pink, the patty looks uncookedlike a flattened chicken tartare.
The bun appears dry but two tomato slices and a small glob of mayo are present to provide moisture.
The Taste:Luckily, the chicken tastes much better than it looksphew.
It’s still an interesting sensation though.
It eats like a typical burger patty with tangs from the grill and a fatty essence.
Meanwhile, the bun is a little large for the smashed patty and other toppings.
I just don’t think I can completely look past the appearance here.
The $6.75 grilled chicken sandwich takes a slightly different approach from its fried predecessor.
Plus, it’s accompanied by a honey-roasted BBQ sauce packet.
The boneless chicken breast itself is lemon herb marinated before being grilled.
The Look:Extra fresh between the grain-spotted bun, ripe tomato, and bright green lettuce leaf.
The chicken cutlet is unlike any of the previous options, boasting blackened marks and clear marinade speckspromising.
The Taste:It really does have that fresh-off-the-grill flavor.
The smokiness complements the light citrus of the marinade, engaging more of your palate.
Even with the lettuce and tomato is the teensiest bit drymostly thanks to the oversized wheat bun.
Swensons
Last but not least, we’re throwing a local taste into the mix.
It cost me just $5.99.
The Look:Disheveled with a crackly bun.
However, the chicken looks divinethe kind of patty I’ve been waiting for.
It has grill marks up and down, but the best part is its size.
Standing at about an inch thick it’s the undisputed star of the show.
The Taste:This chicken isn’t slimy like Culver’s or subpar like Panera’s or Subway’s.
It’s just right.
It’s unbelievably juicy and tender, without a doubt the highest quality poultry I came across.
It almost tastes a little bit fatty which just adds to its succulence.
The bread was a bit ravaged by the sheer size of the fillet.
