Popeyes introduced a breading-free blackened chicken sandwich. The sandwich is made with chicken that is marinated in a blend of Cajun and Creole spices and served on a brioche bun with classic or spicy mayo and pickles.

“After the immense success of the chicken sandwich, we wanted to reinvent the category of traditional grilled chicken sandwiches with our all-new take on a non-breaded option, the Popeyes Blackened Chicken Sandwich,” said Sami Siddiqui, president of Popeyes North America.

Wingstop introduced a limited-edition flavor of chicken sandwich to its menu: Carolina Gold BBQ, inspired by the traditions of the Carolinas.

“Wingstop’s Carolina Gold BBQ flavor maintains the classic queues of mustard, vinegar and brown sugar flavors that are true to its origins, but — in Wingstop fashion — our flavor stands out from the crowd,” said Chef Larry Bellah, director of culinary and R&D. “It’s heavier on the sweetness, making this flavor delectable and surprisingly craveable for even the biggest mustard skeptics. It’s a must try, especially on our Chicken Sandwich.”

Wendy’s added an Italian mozzarella chicken sandwich to its menu, which features a chicken breast topped with fried mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce and asiago cheese inside a toasted garlic knot bun. It tastes like a chicken Parmesan sandwich, said Becky Davis, director of culinary innovation for Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy’s.

Taco Bell’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco is “not quite a sandwich, not quite a taco,” the Yum! Brands, Inc. subsidiary said. The taco features all-white meat crispy chicken marinated in jalapeño buttermilk, seasoned with Mexican spices and rolled in a crunchy tortilla chip coating. The chicken is served on a warm flatbread folded into a taco form and flavored with Taco Bell’s creamy chipotle sauce. The taco may be ordered regular or spicy with the addition of crunchy jalapeño slices.

Wendy’s turned to habanero peppers for the company’s hot honey chicken biscuit and hot honey chicken sandwich. The chicken biscuit is made with a chicken fillet drizzled with honey sauce and served on a buttermilk biscuit. It sells for $3.19.

The chicken sandwich contains a spicy chicken breast, melted pepperjack cheese, three strips of Applewood smoked bacon and pickle chips topped off with hot honey and served on a toasted bun. It sells for $5.99.

“They (habanero peppers) definitely are on the higher end of the Scoville scale, but they also have a ton of flavor,” said Eryn Bennett, manager, culinary and product innovation, in a Feb. 2 webinar. “What I really love about them is they’re fruity, they’re citrusy, and they’re just so nice to work with, and they blend really well with the honey we’re using.”

Chicken n’ Biscuits, a delivery-only brand owned by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, introduced a homestyle chicken sandwich, with breaded fried chicken, pickles and mayonnaise on a brioche bun.

For years, the debate around “the best chicken sandwich” has been growing, and Chicken n’ Biscuits by Cracker Barrel is excited to enter the competition with our new Homestyle chicken sandwich,” said Matthew Schaefer, senior director of strategy and innovation at Cracker Barrel. “The best part is that guests can enjoy this new sandwich plus other homestyle comfort food made with care like hand-breaded fried chicken tenders or scratch-made biscuit beignets right at home through their favorite on-demand delivery partners.”

KFC Canada, a Yum! Brands concept, launched its spicy sandwich: the Kentucky Scorcher.

The sandwich is made with chicken breast, covered with Scorcher sauce and spicy mayo, topped with crunchy pickles, all on a toasted bun.

The sauce reaches a Scoville level of 13,500, which is more than double that of Tabasco sauce, according to the company.

Rally’s Hamburgers, Inc.’s Checkers & Rally’s introduced the Bacon Brewhouse Mother Cruncher chicken sandwich, with a chicken breast, two strips of bacon, bacon pieces, spicy pickles, crispy onions and beer cheese flavor sauce on a toasted bakery-style bun.

“Look no further if you’re ready to be blown away by our newest chicken sandwich with no equal,” said Ryan Joy, senior director of development at Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. “While the sandwich is made complete with beer cheese flavor sauce, we assure everyone it’s safe to enjoy in our drive-thru behind the wheel. The only thing you might be under the influence of is the crazy amount of flavor found in every bacon-infused bite.”

Burger King started testing a new plant-based chicken sandwich in Cincinnati in August 2022.

The Impossible Original Chick’n Sandwich offers guests a twist on Burger King’s Original Chicken Sandwich line. Featuring a plant-based patty from Impossible Foods, the sandwich will be topped with shredded lettuce and mayonnaise on a toasted sesame seed bun.

The sandwich is the latest collaboration between the Restaurant Brands International burger chain and Impossible Foods, Inc., Redwood City, Calif. Starting with the introduction of the Impossible Whopper in 2019, the companies have brought consumers plant-based alternatives to a variety of menu favorites.