A chicken sandwich is a

sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...

that typically consists of boneless, skinless

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

breast or thigh, served between slices of bread. Variations on the "chicken sandwich" include chicken on a bun, chicken on a Kaiser, hot chicken, or chicken salad sandwich.

Composition

In the United States, the chicken sandwich usually consists of a chicken filet or patty, toppings and bread. The chicken meat can be deep fried,

grilled Grilling is a form of cooking that involves heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat and v ...

, roasted or boiled, served hot or cold, and white or dark meat chicken can be used. Shredded chicken in one form or another, such as chicken salad, can also be used in chicken sandwiches. Another form is made with cold cuts. Wrap versions of the sandwich can also be made, in which the ingredients are rolled up inside a flatbread, such as a tortilla. Open-faced versions of the chicken sandwich, which feature hot chicken served with gravy on top of bread, are also common variations.

Popularity

The ongoing competition for market share in the United States in

fried chicken Fried chicken, also called Southern fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or ...

sandwiches has demonstrably impacted the fast casual and quick-service restaurant industry. This competition has coincided with a significant rise in the prevalence of fried chicken sandwiches on menus nationwide. As of 2024, 47% of restaurant menus feature fried chicken sandwiches, compared to 41% for burgers. This represents a 10% increase for chicken sandwiches from 2020 to 2021. While burgers may still hold the overall popularity edge, the increasing presence of fried chicken sandwiches on menus suggests a growing consumer demand.

Regional varieties

Ireland

In Ireland, the popular chicken fillet roll is a baguette filled with a spicy or plain Southern-fried breaded chicken fillet and a mayonnaise and/or butter spread.

Japan

The Katsu-sando is a sandwich that consists of two slices of milk bread with a Japanese-style cutlet in between; while most commonly made with

tonkatsu is a Japanese dish that consists of a breaded, Deep frying, deep-fried pork cutlet. It involves coating slices of pork with Bread crumbs#Panko, panko (bread crumbs), and then frying them in oil. The two main types are fillet and loin. Tonkatsu ...

(pork cutlet), it may also be made with chicken cutlet.

Canada

The hot chicken sandwich or simply "hot chicken" is a chicken sandwich covered with

gravy Gravy is a sauce made from the juices of meats and vegetables that run naturally during cooking and often thickened with thickeners for added texture. The gravy may be further coloured and flavoured with gravy salt (a mix of salt and caramel food ...

eaten with utensils. The sandwich is sometimes served with green peas. It is especially popular in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

and is often considered one of the province's staple dishes. Since it is so commonly found in eateries of Quebec ( Rôtisserie St-Hubert, Valentine, e.g.) and less seen outside the province, many Québécois regard it as a part of Quebec cuisine and believe it to have originated in the province. This combination of chicken, gravy, and peas is known by its own term: ''galvaude'', seen in '' poutine galvaude''. The sandwich is also found in small diners in the Canadian Maritimes and throughout the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...

. The sandwich was a working-class dish already common and well established in North American cuisine by the early 1900s and featured on the food menus of pharmacists and druggists of the time. Due to its ease of preparation and its minimal costs, the sandwich was also widely served in the mess halls and cafeterias of the mid-1900s. This style of sandwich often makes use of leftovers from a previous meal. Substituting

turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

for the chicken would make a ''hot turkey sandwich'' and substituting

roast beef Roast beef is a dish of beef that is roasted, generally served as the main dish of meal. In the Anglosphere, roast beef is one of the meats often served at Sunday lunch or dinner. Yorkshire pudding is a standard side dish. Sliced roast beef ...

makes a variety of the

roast beef sandwich The roast beef sandwich is a sandwich that is made out of sliced roast beef or sometimes meatloaf, beef loaf. It is sold at many diners in the United States, as well as fast food chains, such as Arby's, Rax Roast Beef, and Roy Rogers Restaurants. ...

Latin America

The pepito is a sandwich that is prepared with chicken or beef, beans or refried beans and a roll or bun as primary ingredients. It is a common

street food Street food is food sold by a Hawker (trade), hawker or vendor on a street or at another public place, such as a market, fair, or park. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...

in Mexico and Venezuela.

United States

Ohio

Found in

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

is the ''shredded chicken sandwich''. The sandwich is also referred to as a ''hot chicken sandwich'' in rural Ohio. The sandwich consists of shredded chicken, one or more types of condensed soup, seasoning and crushed crackers to help thicken and bind the sauce. This dish can be heated on a stove top or

slow cooker A slow cooker, (also known as a crock-pot after a trademark owned by Sunbeam Products, but sometimes used generically in the English-speaking world), is a countertop electrical cooking appliance used to simmer at a lower temperature than ...

. Invented as a way to use leftover chicken, these sandwiches became popular for covered dish dinners, potlucks, church dinners and tailgate parties. They are also sold in small-town restaurants, drive-ins and bars.

Massachusetts

The chicken barb is a sandwich made from pulled chicken, lettuce, and mayonnaise, popular in the cities of Lawrence and Methuen in

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

References

External links

* {{Sandwiches Sandwiches Chicken dishes American chicken dishes