15 Of The Unhealthiest Chicken Sandwiches You Can Order At Chain Restaurants

Chicken sandwiches are all the rage these days in the fast food industry, with chains adding them to the menu popping out new recipes to compete with the success of Popeyes. One unfortunately underreported loser in the "chicken sandwich wars" was the consumer themself. This focus on serving up deep fried chicken breasts on a pillowy bun has failed to reconcile with the health repercussions of the dish in question. With all these chain restaurant chicken sandwiches featuring deep fried chicken, it's hard to know where to turn for a healthy alternative.

It's not just the Popeyes and KFCs of the fast food world that are serving some unhealthy chicken sandwiches. The worst offenders are actually sit-down chain restaurants like TGI Fridays and the Cheesecake Factory. There are definitely some fast food classics on here, but a solid enough chunk of this list consists of chains where you order and tip a server and wait a decent amount of time before your meal comes to engorge yourself. We scoured chains from across the country and found these were the 15 most unhealthy chicken sandwiches you can get at chain restaurants in the United States. 

This selection from Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is your pretty average and standard chicken sandwich, topped with lettuce and spicy mayo. Still, it packs a remarkable caloric punch, one that contains high levels of saturated fats and sodium. 

The KFC Spicy Chicken Sandwich contains 620 calories, 33 grams of fat total, 4 grams of saturated fat, 85 milligrams of cholesterol, 49 grams carbohydrates, and 2,140 milligrams of sodium. That sodium is significantly elevated from the regular KFC chicken sandwich due to the saltiness of the hot sauce added to make the spicy sauce. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set 2,000 milligrams of sodium as the suggested daily limit for the average person. This sandwich exceeds that, and that's before you add the sides to the meal. 

As a research review in the journal Nutrients details, sodium overconsumption is linked to hypertension, aka higher blood pressure levels. Eating too many salty foods over time can put you at higher risk for other vascular diseases as well.

Southern chicken chain Raising Cane's is known for its chicken tenders and not its sandwich. In fact, the Cane's sandwich doesn't do much too change the formula that makes the expanding chicken chain so popular. This basic sandwich consists of three tenders, lettuce, and Cane's sauce on a toasted bun. Despite the simplicity, this still ends up being a radically unhealthy fast food sandwich. 

The chicken sandwich at Raising Cane's has 780 calories, 39 grams of fat altogether, 6 grams of saturated fat, 1,470 milligrams of sodium, and 66 grams of carbohydrates. That's a hefty dose of your daily sodium intake, but the carbs here that concern us the most when looking at this item.

Compared to competitors KFC and Chick Fil-A, the sandwich at Cane's is higher in carbs. The extra breading you get with three tenders as compared to a single fried breast or patty might be the explanation for this. Regardless, those extra bread-y carbs are no good for your blood sugar, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. If you suffer from diabetes or are have high blood sugar, this is one fast food chicken sandwich you should probably avoid.

Zaxby's might be the king of regional fast food chicken, but then again, so is every chain if you ask the right person in the right city. The Zaxby's menu doesn't shy away from indulgent sandwiches. The most devilish and enticing of these is the Signature Club Sandwich. This fried chicken sandwich comes loaded with American cheese, bacon, pickles, and Zax Sauce on a potato bun. It also contains 720 calories, 40 grams of fat total, 9 grams of saturated fat, 100 milligrams of cholesterol, 2,680 milligrams of sodium, and 46 grams of carbs. 

This club sandwich might look and taste delicious, but the amount of saturated fat is a reason to stay away. If you are on a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet, you should not eat more than 13 grams of saturated fat. With 9 grams on its own, this sandwich is pushing into very unhealthy territory. According to the American Heart Association, these saturated fats can raise your levels of LDL, or "bad," cholesterol. As your cholesterol gets worse, you become more at risk for heart disease and other cardiovascular issues. 

Finally, we arrive at Popeyes. The chain's famed chicken sandwich makes the list, albeit in a newer form than the classic or spicy varieties it debuted with. The least healthy sandwich on the chicken chain's menu is actually the Classic Bacon & Cheese Chicken Sandwich. Essentially, it's a regular chicken sandwich that comes topped with a couple slices of bacon and a slice of Swiss cheese. Naturally, the sandwich is less healthy than its original counterpart. 

The Popeyes Classic Bacon & Cheese Chicken Sandwich contains 830 calories, 53 total grams of fat, 19 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, and 1,874 milligrams of sodium. This sandwich has more saturated fat per serving than any other fast food chicken sandwich we could find. While some of the sit-down chains had more fat, this Popeyes sandwich combines fried chicken, bacon, and cheese in a way that leads to high fat content that blows its competitors out of the water. When you take into account that, as shown by a study in Nutrition Research, the overconsumption of saturated fats can easily lead to weight gain and its consequent health effects, you might not think of this as an achievement.

Let's take in good faith the idea that people are still going to Subway as a "healthier" alternative to other fast food chains. Anyone who's dined at the chain knows that a Subway sandwich is only as healthy as you make it. In this instance, the Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt can't even be made to be that healthy, since its core components are part of the problem. 

Picking the default menu options for bread, cheese, dressing, and so on, the footlong version of this sandwich contains 890 calories, 37.4 grams of fat total, 11.9 grams of saturated fat, 79.3 grams of carbohydrates, and 1,840 milligrams of sodium. The high-carb nature of a sandwich really sticks out, but the bacon, chicken, and even the ranch dressing contribute to that being extraordinarily high. Even if you don't have diabetes, there can be side effects for consuming too many carbohydrates. Overeating carbs can cause headaches, dizziness, and sometimes bloating, per The New York Times.

If you want to take a low-carb route, you can ask to get this sandwich as a wrap. That will save you on a good chunk of the carbs, and it's a good deal fewer calories, too.

Join us down under at the Outback Steakhouse. Or don't, if you are looking for a healthy grilled chicken sandwich. That's correct, in a sea of unhealthy fried chicken sandwiches this barbecue chain dares to bring a grilled chicken breast to the fight. 

Somehow, Outback's sandwich competes. The Sweet Chook O' Mine Sandwich is fully loaded with bacon and cheese, as well as 880 calories (470 of those from fat), 53 grams of fat altogether, 17 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 1,430 milligrams of sodium, and 56 grams of carbohydrates. 

Despite featuring a grilled chicken breast as its main component, this Outback menu item is loaded with unhealthy fats, including trans fat. Even though it's just a single gram, the truth is that any trans fats are bad for your health, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, as they all increase the production of bad cholesterol. Overconsumption of them can make you more susceptible to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and obesity. 

This is Burger King's take on the bacon and Swiss cheese chicken sandwich. At a whopping 890 calories, 61 grams of fat total, 13.5 grams of saturated fat, 0.4 grams of trans fat, 125 milligrams of cholesterol, 2,160 milligrams of sodium, and 57 grams of carbohydrates, the Bacon and Swiss BK Royal Crispy Chicken certainly takes the crown for most unhealthy.

There are a handful of concerning numbers in that breakdown, including more than your daily recommended dose of sodium, but the amount of bad fats in this sandwich (combined with its cholesterol) is bad for your heart health. For what it's worth, much of this is due to the addition of bacon to the chicken sandwich. Bacon is a processed meat, which makes it something worth looking out for if have high cholesterol. A 2021 review conducted by University of Oxford researchers indicates that eating too much processed meat can lead to an increased risk of coronary heart disease.

Buffalo Wild Wings is known for its wings and hot sauces, but the menu also includes some outright wild chicken sandwiches as well. This extra hot sandwich takes inspiration from Nashville and the city's specific brand of hot chicken that has caught on like wildfire nationwide. With Nashville hot sauce, pickles, ranch, slaw, and pickled hot peppers, this menu item goes above and beyond the simplicity called for in a traditional Nashville hot chicken sandwich. It also goes above and beyond in terms of sodium content. 

The Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich contains 810 calories, 47 total grams of fat, 14 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, and 2,690 milligrams of sodium. It is a sandwich high in unhealthy types of fats as well, but that sodium level alone counts for more than the daily recommended level of 2,000 milligrams. That level of salt consumption, on top of the fries that come with the meal and whatever else you eat that day, can become concerning. 

Salt begets more salt, as it were, and eating more of it than normal can lead you to craving saltier foods, as registered dietician Amanda A. Kostro Miller tells Byrdie.

If you're looking at the Chili's menu and trying to decide which sandwich is best for you, you might accidentally pick this one. It isn't breaded and fried after all, nor is it dipped in buffalo sauce. The grilled chicken must be the best choice! Unfortunately, the Bacon Avocado Grilled Chicken Sandwich is the least healthy sandwich of its type at the chain, due to its high levels of fats, sodium, and cholesterol. 

This Chili's menu item clocks in at 1,150 calories (560 from fat), 62 grams of fat total, 15 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 260 milligrams of cholesterol, and 2,230 milligrams of sodium. The sandwich is loaded with Swiss cheese, bacon, and avocado, all of which contribute to these high fat values. 

Nearly half of the calories in this sandwich come from fat, whereas it's recommended that no more than 30% of your calories in a day should come from fat. It's even possible to overindulge on healthy fats like avocados that, if eaten in moderation, can be good for you generally.

This bad boy is loaded and stacked with ingredients both glazed and fried, featuring a whiskey-glazed grilled chicken breast topped with cheese, bacon, fried Cajun-spiced onions, and a whiskey-glaze mayo (on a bed of lettuce, tomato, and pickles to boot). This totals up to about 1,160 calories (510 of which are from fat), 56 grams of fat overall, 17 grams of saturated fat, 3,140 milligrams of sodium, 107 grams of carbohydrates. This hefty sandwich will push you toward your daily recommended limits in some categories, but there is one specific reason we might recommend avoiding this item. Can you guess by now?

With over 3,000 milligrams of sodium, the Friday's Signature Whiskey-Glazed Chicken Sandwich contains more salt than you should be consuming in a span of about a day and a half, all in one sitting. While the long-term impact of a diet like this might be clear to you, you might not be aware of more sudden effects of eating sodium-rich meals. Consuming too much salt can actually impact your ability to get a good night's sleep, as Dr. Sandra Darling tells Cleveland Clinic. If you eat a meal, like this sandwich and a side of fires, very high in sodium as your last before bedtime, you are more likely to have restless sleep and experience grogginess when waking in the morning. 

Cracker Barrel doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to healthy eating. We aren't looking to dispel any rumors with this one, though, as the facts unfortunately point to the conclusion that this chicken sandwich at the Southern-inspired joint is among the most unhealthy you can get at a chain restaurant. 

The Homestyle Chicken BLT, with Sunday Homestyle Chicken as the chicken option, is a deep-fried chicken breast on a bun, topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and Colby cheese. The ingredient list may be unassuming, but the nutrition facts speak for themselves. At 1,180 calories, 2,560 milligrams of sodium, 60 grams of fat total, 13 grams of saturated fat, and 106 grams of carbohydrates, this sandwich is sure to knock you out and send you to bed for a nap. 

Dishes high in carbohydrates like this one can lead to weight gain. A high-carb, low-protein diet can impact your metabolism and make it harder to keep pounds off. If you want to opt for a lower-carb option at Cracker Barrel, you can get this sandwich with a Smoky Southern Grilled Chicken breast instead. That sandwich still has 77 grams of carbs in it, but at least the sodium level is more reasonable at 1,610 milligrams. 

This next chicken sandwich is a saucy delight, but those sauces combine with its other ingredients to make it the most unhealthy one on Red Robin's menu. This sandwich, featuring crispy chicken tossed in Buzz sauce and topped with jalapeño slices, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, and chipotle aioli, most definitely packs as much heft as Red Robin's burgers. 

The Ragin' Cajun Chicken Sandwich is a juicy delivery vehicle for 1,020 calories (590 from fat), 66 grams of fat altogether, 21 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 3,170 milligrams of sodium, and 67 grams of carbohydrates. There are a lot of spicy elements to this sandwich, which might explain the extremely high salt levels. While hot sauce is low in calories and fats, it can be extremely high in sodium. The fact that this sandwich is glazed with a specialty hot sauce and served with a chipotle aioli makes it no surprise that its sodium levels are this concerning.

If you choose to get a chicken sandwich at IHOP, you might want to skip this one. The Jalapeño Kick with Crispy Chicken is a variation on the chain's Jalapeño Kick burger (pictured), topped with a four-cheese crisp, sautéed jalapeños, serrano peppers, onion, bacon, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. In that, you'll find 1,220 calories, a total of 86 grams of fat, 25 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of trans fat, 2,250 milligrams of sodium, and 63 grams of carbs. 

Looking at those high saturated and trans fat numbers, it's easy to deduce how bad this item could be for your heart health. However, that's not the only thing you risk when needlessly munching down on unhealthy fats. A study published in JAMA Neurology indicated that overconsumption of saturated fats can double the risk for Alzheimer's disease.

This one looks so cute and unassuming, but we promise it isn't. There are not many ingredients on the Applebee's Sweet & Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich, but it's one of the least healthy options on this whole list. 

The simple sandwich features three components: a breaded chicken breast doused in Sweet Asian Chile sauce, coleslaw, and a Brioche bun. Despite this lack of fatty items like bacon or cheese, the Sweet & Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich still contains 1,350 calories, 62 grams of fat overall, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 3,520 milligrams of sodium, and 159 grams of carbs. In terms of carbs and sodium, this is one of the least healthy items at the chain. Both the Sweet Asian Chili sauce and fried chicken from Applebee's should be at the top of your avoid list if you're trying to eat healthy. 

Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure. If you are feeling dizziness, chest pain, or difficulty breathing, those are all symptoms that can indicate complications from hypertension. Limiting your consumption to a healthy amount of salt can make your day-to-day actions a lot more comfortable.

This chicken sandwich lives up to the idea that when you go to The Cheesecake Factory, you don't go to count calories. If you're going to order it, arrive on an empty stomach. 

Cheesecake Factory's Chicken Parmesan Sandwich features chicken tenders coated with Parmesan breadcrumbs, as well as tomato sauce and melted cheese, all on a French roll soaked in butter and garlic. You are eating chicken tenders and garlic bread with extra steps which ultimately nets out at a remarkable 1,960 calories, 1,130 of them from fat, 126 grams of fat total, 60 grams of saturated fat, 3.5 grams of trans fat, 335 milligrams of cholesterol, 3,510 milligrams of sodium, and 99 grams of carbs. 

Overindulging to this extent can have immediately noticeable effects. You may feel drowsy and uncomfortable physically afterward due to acid reflux or bloating, and you might even feel overheated or dizzy.

First off, we chose to only feature the most unhealthy chicken sandwich from each of the 15 popular restaurant chains selected. Unhealthiness was assessed based on the daily recommended limits for calories, sodium, fats, and carbohydrates. Each of these items approaches or exceeds those limits in one category, if not more. 

Any item with more than 1,000 calories is more than you should be eating in one sitting. If an item had more than 15 grams of saturated fats or any trans fats, we considered it unhealthy; the daily recommended intake of saturated fat should be less than 10% of your total calories. We considered items with more than 1,750 milligrams of sodium to be a health risk, given the suggested daily limit of 2,000 milligrams. Additionally, any chicken sandwich with more than 100 total grams of carbohydrates is eating too much into the daily recommended intake of roughly 200 to 300 grams to be considered anywhere near healthy.