McDonald's Is Giving Its McCrispy Some Limited-Time Cajun Flair

McDonald's has one thing to say with it's new McCrispy chicken sandwich: Laissez les bons temps rouler. The new Cajun style chicken sandwich features spicy, creamy Cajun ranch and applewood smoked bacon. The standard sandwich comes with crinkle-cut pickles, and the deluxe version comes with Roma tomatoes and shredded lettuce. It will be available at participating locations for a limited time starting April 22.

The original McCrispy sandwich is usually topped with mayo, but McDonald's said this Bacon Cajun Ranch McCrispy is "inspired by the soul food flavors of the South." Cajun seasoning is usually a blend of paprika, thyme, file powder (ground sassafras), parsley, and scallions, though there is some variation. Cajun food differs from Creole food in that it usually has a bit of a kick, but it's not meant to be light-you-on-fire spicy. If you like the spicy McCrispy but find it a little too hot — or love the spicy McCrispy but want to change it up — this Cajun version may have you saying ça c'est bon. It might not be on the list of Cajun dishes everyone needs to try, but it's bound to be popular with fans of the Golden Arches.

The sandwich hasn't been released to the public yet, but employees of McDonald's have started getting the ingredients already. According to the r/McDonaldsEmployees Reddit, some restaurants got the sauce in stock in their Thursday through Saturday deliveries. A drive-thru employee who is a self-proclaimed "wimp when it comes to spice" still said they enjoyed the Bacon Cajun Ranch McCrispy. The original poster said "Literally all but one person in my store loved the sauce," saying it was boldly flavored but not too spicy. That's bound to satisfy a retired crew member who claimed in an earlier, anticipatory post in the same channel that the Bacon Ranch McCrispy from 2023 was "super mild."

That earlier post also showed a screenshot of a calendar listing the release of the new McCrispy sandwich as April 17, a full five days earlier than the official date announced by McDonald's in its press release today. Though it's not showing in the app or on in-store menus yet, some curious foodie creators have gotten early access by asking nicely. Papi Eats posted a YouTube review on Sunday, April 14, saying it has a "little bit of a zesty kick" and that if you like McDonald's chicken sandwiches, you should get this new sandwich.