We Tried Chili's New Crispy Chicken Sandwich And Can't Wait To Have It Again

In the last couple of years, Chili's has placed great emphasis on quality food at excellent value. This point was well conveyed to me when I visited Chili's Dallas headquarters recently, meeting with its President, Kevin Hochman, Chief Marketing Officer, George Felix, and Director of Culinary operations, Brian Paquette. Team Chili's believes strongly in its core four menu items — burgers, fajitas, margaritas, and Chicken Crispers — and is always looking for ways to raise them all to new heights without emptying its customers' wallets, sometimes with a little celebrity help. In 2024, Chili's is hoping to make a tender moment by revamping its chicken sandwich with a new item joining the menu, namely the Crispy Chicken Sandwich. In a statement provided to Daily Meal, Brian Paquette said, "We know our fans love our hand-battered, all-white meat Chicken Crispers, so we turned that flavor profile into the best chicken sandwich in town with the new Crispy Chicken Sandwich."

With a bottomless supply of excellent chicken sandwiches available at every casual, fast casual, and fast food joint across America, how does Chili's new entry into the genre stack up? Is the Crispy Chicken Sandwich a game-changer or a false start? I was treated to an early sneak-eat of it during my visit, and ready to talk cheep. The following chew and review is based on flavor, uniqueness, value, and overall lovability.

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

While the generous pile of seasoned fries in the food basket almost dwarfs the burger that sits next to it, do not underestimate the size of the Crispy Chicken Sandwich. It is sneaky big. Under the bright lights, the brownish-orange brioche bun has a buttery sheen that invitingly twinkles. The interior, whiter parts of the bun have a bit of visibly toastiness to them, like one might see in a pair of Texas toast slices. Underneath creeps a flaky fried chicken filet, which gives cover to slices of pickles, and what appears to be a deluge of mayo swirls.

For those unfamiliar with Chili's popular Chicken Crispers, they're deliciously plump and crispy chicken fingers (hence their name), with nicely juicy white chicken meat inside. The filet in the Crispy Chicken Sandwich may take a different shape than a single Chicken Crisper, but what you get instead is less crackling skin, and more chicken meat. That works better for a sandwich, as you don't want to be bombarded with breading, both from the bun and the chicken's fried exterior. The squishy softness of the brioche bun here adds a nice balance of texture to the filet, and the pickles and mayo form a nice relish to tie it all together. I'm not sure what the previous iteration of Chili's Crispy Chicken Sandwich tastes like, but this new and improved version already feels like it's an old-fashioned favorite.

The Crispy Chicken Sandwich consists of a hand-battered and fried chicken filet, which is topped with mayo and pickles, all sandwiched between a buttered, and lightly toasted brioche bun.

The Crispy Chicken Sandwich nets 1,020 calories, 59 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 115 milligrams of cholesterol, an eye-opening 2,600 milligrams of sodium, 80 grams of carbs, 5 grams of dietary fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 45 grams of protein. These numbers probably won't earn it recognition anytime soon as one of the healthiest items on Chili's menu.

Starting on April 29, the Crispy Chicken Sandwich and the Big Smasher Burger are being added as permanent items to participating nationwide Chili's menus. The sandwich can be ordered a la carte with a side of fries, or as a part of Chili's 3 For Me deal. The latter includes an all-you-can-drink, non-alcoholic beverage, and a choice of a side picked from the full gamut from french fries to broccoli, corn to Mexican rice. The sandwich itself is also completely customizable. Condiments and toppings can be removed, and other options added. Some items may have additional costs.

The Crispy Chicken Sandwich can be ordered in the restaurant, for dine-in or take-out, anytime Chili's is open. Advance orders for pick-up or delivery are available by calling your local Chili's or pre-ordering using Chili's app or website. Delivery is handled in partnership with DoorDash. It never hurts to be a member of My Chili's Rewards either, where a free bottomless bowl of freshly made chips and salsa is available at every visit.

The new Crispy Chicken Sandwich is certainly a welcome addition to Chili's already expansive menu. While the folks in the front offices of Chick-fil-A or Popeyes probably won't be shaking in their collective boots, still, this dependable and solid handheld entrée delivers the goods one would expect in a modern fried chicken sandwich. And how can you go wrong with a crunchy and juicy piece of fried chicken, softened up between a fluffy bun, and then decked out with a dash of mayo and sour pickle slices?

Best of all, the Crispy Chicken Sandwich is also a part of Chili's 3 For Me meal deal. The 3 For Me deal is actually one of the best going at any casual restaurant these days, especially if one is unable to take advantage of the Happy Hour at Chili's.