Wendy’s Cajun Crunch Chicken Sandwich Is A Delicious Upgrade To An Already Tasty Sandwich — Our Review

It’s been a great year for chicken sandwich fans. We’re not even halfway through the year, and we’ve already gotten Popeyes’ excellent Pickle Glaze sandwich, as well as Chick-fil-A’s delicious (and slightly healthy) Grilled Spicy Deluxe and the decadent and indulgent Smokehouse BBQ Bacon sandwich, each one delicious enough to be somebody’s favorite. Now, Wendy’s is stepping up to the plate with a potential home run with its new Cajun Crunch Spicy Chicken Sandwich.

Just on name alone, that sandwich is delivering us three of our personal favorite things: crunch, heat, and flavorful spices, so we were pretty hyped on this sandwich before we even tried it. With fast food more expensive than ever, it’s important to spend your money on the food that is truly worth it, and new menu items are always a gamble. So we took the risk for you!

Here are our thoughts on the Cajun Crunch Chicken Sandwich, and whether or not it’s worth your time and money. Let’s eat.

Cajun Crunch Chicken Sandwich

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

The Cajun Crunch Chicken sandwich features Wendy’s spicy filet, pepper jack cheese, Cajun-seasoned fried onions, pickles, a spicy mustard spread and a leaf of romaine lettuce (spine intact), so aside from the sauce and fried onions, there isn’t much new about this sandwich.

But that sauce and onion combo makes a big difference in flavor. This sandwich features multiple layers of spice — first, you’re hit with a black pepper and cayenne pepper combo, before a sharp and tangy heat takes over, joined by notes of floral and smoky paprika that leave the palate with a light sizzle between bites. It’s a nice journey through nuanced spicy tones, rather than the blunt and direct flavor of the typical spicy Wendy’s chicken sandwich.

The mustard has a lot of depth, and really makes this sandwich come across as a lot more savory than we expected, while the onions add a nice audible crunch to every bite. The onions are battered and further seasoned with black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, which add extra layers of savoriness to the already savory fried onion. It’s like an elevated take on onion rings — if Wendy’s wanted to sell these as a side item on their own, we’d gladly add them to every order! It’s hard to think of something on the Wendy’s menu that wouldn’t be improved by these little fried onions. Baked potatoes, burgers, chili — the possibilities are endless! All together, it’s incredibly satisfying to eat.

The Bottom Line:

Wendy’s Cajun Crunch Chicken Sandwich isn’t so delicious that it’s essential. It doesn’t warrant an immediate trip to Wendy’s, but it’s a delicious elevation of the brand’s regular spicy chicken sandwich, and is worth straying from your go-to order to experience.