Already the world’s most popular poultry, chicken has perched itself atop the fast-food food chain in recent years. First, Popeye’s pecked a fight with Chick Fil A, igniting the Chicken Sandwich Wars that sent every eatery with a drive-thru scurrying to invent a fried-chicken sandwich; then pizza places started their own avian arms race, stockpiling boneless wings. Last year, even Taco Bell puffed their feathers by introducing chicken nuggets. This bird has flown a long way from being cooped up in the Colonel’s bucket.
So maybe it’s finally time for the chicken salad sandwich to strut its stuff.
When it comes to sandwiches on the go, tuna salad has typically reigned supreme among mayo-based meat salads. That’s probably because the canned tuna base is cheap and easy, and the brackish dish provides a seemingly healthier fish-based option to the menu. Plus, if you have chicken, there are a lot of other ways to prepare and serve it.
Enter Jersey Mike’s, which kicked off 2025 by introducing an all-new chicken breast option, which formed the base of its Roasted Chicken Breast Sub, Spicy Chicken Italian Sub, and Mike’s Hot Honey Chicken Cheesesteak. But now, for a limited time, Jersey Mike’s is also offering its slow-roasted white meat in a classic Chicken Salad Sub.
I took the occasion to round up other chicken salad sandwiches from popular fast food chains and see which one is truly the best.
How I Tested the Chicken Salad Sandwiches
I tried to stick to each sandwich as it was presented on the menu, and if extra toppings were in play, I chatted up the experts behind the counter to see what they recommended and what others had been ordering. And as with all my other sandwich rankings, I considered overall flavor and texture, the bread, and how well the whole stack held together. But my focus was on the centerpiece protein: How good was the chicken salad itself, and how well was it showcased in the overall sandwich?
I found five excellent examples of the chicken salad sandwich, each distinctive. Here they are ranked, including the one I’ll crow about to my flock of friends.
Popular Fast Food Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Ranked
5th Place: Panera Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad Sandwich
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
The name is a mouthful, and so is the sandwich. Served between two soft pieces of sourdough, the berry chewiness and the walnut crunch are present in each bite of cold salad, which somehow manages to still be meaty. But for all the ingredients, there’s not a lot of flavor in Panera’s offering—no cranberry tart, no nuttiness, no mayo tanginess, and worst of all, no savory bird.
4th Place: Potbelly Chicken Salad
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
Rather than mayo, Potbelly’s menu says this salad of white meat and celery is tied together with a “secret sauce.” The secret? I found the sauce a bit thin and bland, offering none of the creaminess or tanginess you need to complement the meat. Fortunately, I ordered a side of Potbelly’s famously fiery Hot Peppers, which can salvage any sandwich.
3rd Place: Subway Homestyle Chicken Salad
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
The beauty of this chicken salad is its simplicity—just chunks of chicken mixed with the right dose of creamy mayo on the housemade pillowy Artisan Italian bread. But Subway uses its rotisserie-style chicken, and the salty, briny goodness of the roasted meat really comes through.
2nd Place: Jersey Mike’s Chicken Salad Sub
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
The special that occasioned this ranking did not disappoint. I had this one served “Mike’s Way,” of course, which entails lettuce, tomato, and onion, with a healthy dash of “The Juice,” a tangy blend of olive oil and red wine vinegar, and a sprinkling of seasoning. Even all that flavor couldn’t outshine the combo of slow-roasted chicken, diced celery, mayo, and black pepper, with each element at once distinguishable and yet an integral part of the delicious whole. Hard to believe Jersey Mike’s hasn’t been making it forever—harder to accept it won’t be making it for long.
1st Place Winner: Chicken Salad Chick Chicken Salad Melt
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
You would assume a franchise named after chicken salad would have a pretty good namesake dish. I ordered it as it appeared on the menu: Chicken salad and a melted slice of provolone on a toasted croissant. That’s it. And while the flaky croissant had trouble holding things together, the Classic Carol—Chicken Salad Chick’s signature salad of shredded white meat, finely minced celery, mayo, and a secret seasoning—was a meaty, creamy, crunchy, and slightly peppery treat that seemed to melt in my mouth. This is what chicken salad should be.
