I tried Chili's crispy chicken sandwich, which is driving sales. It showed me why the chain is winning the value wars.

Chili's has a caller limb successful the warfare against accelerated food: its crispy chickenhearted sandwich.

While the chicken sandwich wars person faded successful caller years, the conflict for worth has only intensified.

Chili's has many times leaned into that competition, launching 3 campaigns successful the past fewer years that straight challenge fast-food staples pinch larger versions of those items, arguing that diners tin get much for their money astatine the casual-dining chain.

Earlier this year, Chili's launched a caller run for its $10.99 3-For-Me deal, featuring a revamped chickenhearted sandwich and 5 caller versions, from Buffalo to BLT-style, arsenic it looks to situation fast-food chains connected sensation and value.

The stake connected chickenhearted sandwiches is paying off.

On its genitor company's Q4 net telephone connected Wednesday, CEO Kevin Hochman credited the chickenhearted sandwich push pinch helping boost same-store sales. He said regular chickenhearted sandwich orders connected the guidelines paper jumped 175%, and said the point was "designed to thrust traffic."

I tried the caller chickenhearted sandwich to spot why it's go specified a deed for Chili's.

Chili's crispy chickenhearted sandwich instantly impressed maine pinch its size

In summation to its classical version, the chickenhearted sandwich comes successful 5 variations, including honey-chipotle, Buffalo, spicy mayo, and a deluxe type topped pinch bacon, lettuce, and tomato.

It's besides featured successful Chili's nationwide $10.99 3-For-Me deal, which includes fries, bottomless chips and salsa, crockery aliases a broadside salad, and unlimited fountain drinks.

For comparison, astatine my section McDonald's, a McCrispy chickenhearted sandwich meal, which includes a sandwich, fries, and a drink, costs $10.59, excluding tax.

The chickenhearted sandwich comes topped pinch mayonnaise and thick-cut, crunchy pickles

The sandwich was overmuch thicker than immoderate fast-food chickenhearted sandwich I've had, and that's intentional.

Chili's said a section study recovered its chickenhearted sandwich fillet is much than 80% larger than the mean McDonald's McCrispy breaded fillet.

"If we tin person a superior merchandise that tastes awesome and is simply a awesome value, group are going to come," CEO Kevin Hochman told Business Insider. "And past if we tin execute it, they're going to travel back."

Chili's besides hand-breads its chickenhearted fillets in-house, alternatively than re-frying them from frozen, which Hochman said is portion of the chain's ngo to attraction connected paper improvements, not conscionable innovation.

I tin spot why the chickenhearted sandwich is helping to boost sales

Each wound was a satisfying operation of salty, briny, and savory flavors, pinch the tangy pickles cutting done the richness of the chicken.

However, the texture is what yet gives the Chili's sandwich the separator complete fast-food chickenhearted sandwiches. The coating stayed crunchy from the first wound to the last, making this a sandwich that lives up to its "crispy" name.

The worth proposition was conscionable arsenic convincing. For $10.99, my repast came pinch fries, bottomless chips and salsa, and an unlimited fountain drink.

With this meal, Chili's outperforms fast-food restaurants connected some sensation and value, moreover if it can't compete pinch the velocity and convenience of a drive-thru.