McDonald's Introduces New Spicy BBQ Chicken Sandwich Following Nationwide Popeyes Sell Out

While Popeyes' chicken sandwich continues to be a rarity across the country, McDonald's launched its own chicken sandwich, one with an extra kick. McDonald's new Spicy BBQ chicken Sandwich is available for a limited time, alongside Spicy BBQ Glazed Tenders. The sandwich will have to do until Popeyes finally gets their chickens all in a row.

McDonald's announced the new menu items last week. The sandwich features the "classic" McDonald's buttermilk crispy fillet made will all-white-meat on a sesame seed bun with onions, pickles and "smokey, sweet, with medium heat Spicy BBQ glaze."

The tenders feature the same sauce, just without the bun and toppings.

"The excitement that spicy flavors bring is something we know our customers have always loved," Todd Manisco, manager of Menu Innovation at McDonald's, said in a statement. "And we're thrilled to now be offering up that excitement nationwide with a tasty kick to our chicken menu."

According to Yahoo Finance, the four-piece chicken tender order costs $4.59, while a six-piece order is $6.79. The chicken sandwich will set you back $4.89.

While the menu items' re-launch seems like a move to capitalize on Popeyes' sandwich going out of stock, McDonald's franchise owner-operator Cliff Johnson II told the Dallas Morning-News it was just a coincidence.

"The timing is completely coincidental," Johnson said. "But the timing couldn't be any better. Like everybody else, we're definitely riding the chicken wave."

Last month, Popeyes launched a chicken sandwich war among the fast=food chains by launching its own sandwich that some say tastes better than Chick-fil-A's famous sandwich. That kicked off a frenzy across the country, as people rushed to Popeyes to try the sandwich. On Aug. 27, Popeyes announced that the sandwich was sold out, and it has been that way ever since.

"We have seen an extraordinary demand for the new Popeyes Chicken Sandwich following our nationwide launch on August 12," a Popeyes spokesperson said. "It has been amazing to see our guests share their love for our brand and for the new Chicken Sandwich on social media and beyond, and we are truly humbled and grateful for their support."

The company continued, "The demand for the new Chicken Sandwich in the first few weeks following launch far exceeded our very optimistic expectations... In fact, Popeyes aggressively forecasted demand through the end of September and has already sold through that inventory."

"As a result, Popeyes restaurants across the country are expected to sell out of the Chicken Sandwich by the end of this week," the spokesperson concluded. "We, along with our suppliers, are working tirelessly to bring the new sandwich back to guests as soon as possible."

McDonald's is not the only chain getting involved in the chicken sandwich war. Last week, Wendy's released its own Spicy Bacon Jalapeno Chicken Sandwich in Canada.

Photo credit: McDonald's