- I compared the new chicken biscuits from McDonald's and Wendy's against the Chick-fil-A original to see if they could compete.
- I found that while McDonald's has a decent biscuit and Wendy's has decent chicken, Chick-fil-A's chicken biscuit is much better in every way.
- Here's how they compared:
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I ate the chicken biscuits from McDonald's, Wendy's, and Chick-fil-A, and it's clear that the original is still the best by far
The chicken biscuit just might be the new chicken sandwich, and chains are trying to get in on the action.
Chicken biscuit comparison
Chicken has been the hottest item on fast food menus this year.
Ever since Popeyes took a giant bite out of the chicken sandwich market, other chains have been scrambling to get a piece of the pie. Now, chains are hoping that the chicken biscuit will be the next chicken sandwich.
Wendy's is releasing a maple chicken biscuit as part of its upcoming breakfast menu, and McDonald's is adding chicken to its breakfast menu, both in 2020. McDonald's is testing a McChicken biscuit in select markets but hasn't announced which chicken items it's planning to add next year.
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Chick-fil-A's chicken biscuit has been a menu mainstay since 1985 and has singlehandedly carved Chick-fil-A a hefty piece of the fast-food breakfast sector. So can these brand-new buttery bites compete with the champion of breakfast chicken biscuits?
In order to find out, I ate all three. Here's how they compared:
I went to my local McDonalds, Wendys, and Chick-fil-A restaurants and ordered their respective chicken biscuits.
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From left to right: McDonalds McChicken biscuit, Chick-fil-As chicken biscuit, and Wendys maple butter chicken biscuit.
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McDonalds biscuit costs $3.19 before tax, Chick-fil-As costs $3.79 before tax, and Wendys costs $2.59 before tax.
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
From the top, the biscuits looked largely the same. Wendys was the only biscuit that didnt feel crispy.
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Opened up, it was obvious McDonalds had the flattest, most processed patty. Chick-fil-As chicken was tall and natural, and Wendys wasnt bad-looking either.
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McDonalds has previously had other chicken biscuits on its menu, but the McChicken biscuit is the first to grace its breakfast in a while.
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One of the best parts of McDonalds breakfast is its buttery, crumbly biscuit.
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And in this sandwich, the biscuit does most of the heavy lifting. Its got a satisfying crunch and buttery texture.
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But the McChicken inside the biscuit tastes like its just been slapped on with no thought or effort.
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Together, they make a salty, dry, and ultimately disappointing sandwich.
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While the biscuit is satisfying, the McChicken on a biscuit feels cheap, lazy, and confusing. McDonalds chicken lovers deserve better.
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But if McDonalds makes a "B"-plus biscuit, Chick-fil-As baked breakfast bread is valedictorian.
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While chicken is something of a side hustle for McDonalds, its Chick-fil-As main thing.
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So its no surprise that I let out an audible "mmmmm" as soon as I bit into the buttery crust of this biscuit.
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The softness of the chicken is enmeshed beautifully with the crunchiness of the chicken thanks to a generous pat of melted butter.
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The tart pickle-brined flavor of the chicken really shines through, while the light sprinkle of black pepper in its coating adds a little something extra.
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Sure, Popeyes may have a better chicken sandwich. But Chick-fil-A has the chicken biscuit.
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Theres a lot at stake for Wendys when it comes to the chicken biscuit.
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Every time Wendys has tried to launch breakfast, McDonalds has combated those efforts. So when Wendys announced itd launch a new breakfast menu complete with chicken, McDonalds naturally decided to add chicken breakfast items soon after.
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Wendys biscuit has a great flavor concept. Maple butter is unique and tastes wonderful on fried chicken and a biscuit.
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However, Wendys biscuit itself is by far the weakest of the three so much so Im not even sure it qualifies as a biscuit.
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Its mushy, not at all crispy, and even kind of chewy, which a biscuit shouldnt be.
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Wendys sandwich has strong potential, but its being held back by its below-average biscuit.
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
So how do fast-foods chicken biscuits stack up? Well, Chick-fil-As is clearly on top.
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Wendys has decent chicken and McDonalds has a decent biscuit, but their sandwiches are overall much, much worse than Chick-fil-As.
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Maybe if they made love, not war, they could build a better chicken sandwich.
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See Also:
SEE ALSO: Popeyes' new chicken sandwich convinced us that we never need to go back to Chick-fil-A
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