The chicken sandwich drama continues.
Days before McDonald’s releases its trio of chicken sandwiches on February 24, Burger King on Wednesday announced its own hand-breaded iteration of the now-ubiquitous menu item with a hyped-up message that its offering "will be worth the wait," and that Burger King didn’t want to "half-a-- the process."
The Miami-based chain said its take on the poultry sandwich has been in the works since 2019 — and in testing since Sept. 2020 — with a national rollout slated for "later this year."
The restaurant, however, has not officially confirmed a release date. Burger King's largest francisee, however, once said the sandwich would be available by May.
MCDONALD'S NEW CRISPY CHICKEN SANDWICHES HAVE AN OFFICIAL LAUNCH DATE
BK’s take will feature a thick-cut white meat chicken breast, breaded by hand "for a bite that is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside," the company writes. It's served on a toasted potato bun with pickles and a savory sauce. Customers can order the sandwich as-is or spicy, and layer on toppings like lettuce and tomato.
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"What if hand-breading were to chicken what flame-grilling is to burgers? That’s been our guiding filter to bring a delicious chicken sandwich to guests in a way only BK can," Ellie Doty, chief marketing officer for Burger King North America said in a statement. "We’ll take the time to get it right and our guests will definitely taste the difference."
The chain has already tested its chicken sandwich in markets such as Phoenix, Miami, and Huntsville, Alabama.
McDonald’s, meanwhile, confirmed to Reuters it will roll out three new chicken sandwiches featuring a fried chicken filet also served on a potato bun with butter and pickles, with options for both a "spicy" version and a "Deluxe" version, with lettuce, tomatoes and mayo. The sandwiches are launching nationwide after testing at restaurants in Knoxville, Tenn., and Houston, Texas.
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The "chicken sandwich wars" have been raging since August 2019, when Popeyes introduced a fried chicken sandwich to rival Chick-fil-A, Ever since, competitors including McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Wendy’s and Shake Shack have treaded into the chicken-sandwich territory.
Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report