We tried spicy chicken sandwiches from every major fast-food chain — and the winner is obvious

The chicken sandwich has made a resurgence in the fast-food industry in the past few years, and now it's time for the spicy version.
We tried spicy chicken sandwiches from three major chains:
While each had decent chicken, the quality of the sandwiches varied greatly.

The fast-food chicken sandwich is enjoying a golden age — and now the heat is rising.

Burger King recently launched a spicy version of its revamped chicken sandwich, hoping to compete with Chick-fil-A and Wendy's.

Spicy chicken sandwiches are unique beasts, as they need enough heat to make things interesting without burning your taste buds. And the chicken still has to be held to the same standard as its non-spicy brethren — it doesn't matter how spicy it tastes if it's bone-dry and stringy.

With this in mind, we compared the spicy sandwiches of the three major chains to see who makes the best one.

Let's start with Burger King's new sandwich. It certainly looks good, and it smells peppery and golden fried.

The chicken looks heavily breaded, and it's a rather discomforting orange hue. The sandwich necessities are lackluster at best — the tomato slice is mealy and pale, and the iceberg lettuce is wilted and sparse.

It's definitely not crispy, but there is a solid spiciness to it. The heat is surprisingly strong and sharp, with a lingering needling similar to the vinegary heat of buffalo sauce. The tomato and lettuce add a cooling balance but let the sandwich down in terms of quality.

Heat level: 6/10

Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich is a fast-food favorite — and typically, Wendy's chicken is nothing to scoff at.

The chicken patty seems a little on the thin side, but it looks as if it has a crispier, more robust breading than Burger King's. Yet the story is the same when it comes to the anemic tomato and globs of mayo.

It's another solidly spicy sandwich undercut by lackluster quality. The chicken is good — crispy, albeit thin, with a strong heat that's more peppery than caustic. But the oomph just isn't there.

Heat level: 5/10

And then there's Chick-fil-A. We know the chicken-centric chain makes good chicken — otherwise it wouldn't be half as successful as it is. Chick-fil-A has two spicy sandwiches, but we're starting with the classic version.

With just a patty, pickles, and a bun, the sandwich doesn't have much to it. But the simplicity — and lack of mayonnaise — is refreshing. The chicken isn't crispy in the slightest, but it's a very thick fillet.

The sandwich has a satisfying low heat — room to slow burn with minimal distraction. It's more peppery than acidic. It's just plain good, though not spicy enough for those looking for a fiery challenge.

Heat level: 4/10

And just when you think the classic spicy sandwich is good, there's the deluxe version. This one has cheese and veggies added for some dramatic flair.

A spicy pepper jack cheese slice blankets the chicken fillet, which is roughly the same as in the classic version.

The chicken is, of course, fantastic. It has the same spiciness as the other sandwich, but the cheese adds a bit more pizzazz and bite. Plus, the tomato and lettuce are vibrant and fresh — especially in contrast to the others.

Heat level: 5/10

So who comes out on top? It's fairly obvious. Chick-fil-A does chicken and nothing else, so it has a leg up on every other chain. It's almost unfair to compare Chick-fil-A chicken with the rest, but fast food is fast food. If the burger chains ever want to take on Chick-fil-A, they have some serious work ahead of them.

We tried spicy chicken sandwiches from every major fast-food chain — and the winner is obvious

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