Wendy’s is turning up the heat on its menu and the ongoing fast-food chicken war. On Wednesday, the beloved fast-food chain announced two new menu items would be dropping this week. The mouth-watering Jalapeño Popper Chicken Sandwich and the Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad are “exploding with gigabytes of flavor,” and both are headed to menus on Thursday. Announcing the new menu items, Carl Loredo, Chief Marketing Officer for The Wendy’s Company, took aim at fast-food competitors, stating that Wendy’s is “listening and bringing exciting flavors and bold ingredients forward to help fans avoid the McStake of settling for the same boring chicken sandwiches from other fast-food joints.”
According to the beloved fast-food chain, which knows more than just a thing or two about chicken sandwiches, the Jalapeno Popper Chicken Sandwich boasts the chain’s iconic spicy chicken fillet, which is topped with creamy jalapeño cream cheese, three slices of Applewood smoked bacon, and a warm cheddar cheese sauce. The sandwich dials up the heat with the addition of jalapeño slices and pepper jack cheese. All of this is delicately placed between a premium bun, with Wendy’s warning fast food lovers that the sandwich is “embedded from top to bottom with powerful new tastebud enactors – meaning it’s really, really good.”
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Next up on the menu is the Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad, which can easily act as the perfect side to the new chicken sandwich. The salad features a bed and the restaurant’s mixed lettuce blend – a romaine and spring mix – with spicy chicken, Applewood smoked bacon, and diced tomatoes. Just like the Jalapeño Popper Chicken Sandwich, the Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad adds a few items to bring that spicy kick. Mixed into the salad are slices of jalapeños and shredded pepper jack, jalapeño ranch dressing, and crispy jalapeño cheddar croutons.
“Inspired by classic jalapeño poppers fans know and love, my culinary team took the familiar flavors of the beloved appetizer and gave it a unique Wendy’s twist only we can deliver,” John Li, Vice President of Culinary Innovation for The Wendy’s Company said. “The new Jalapeño Popper Chicken Sandwich and Salad brings Wendy’s fans a bold, innovative flavor they can’t get anywhere else. Each bite is graced by the perfect balance of creamy, cheesy goodness and a crispy crunch, topped with an unbeatable kick from the jalapeños that will have your taste buds thanking us.”
Making the new additions even hotter is how Wendy’s is celebrating them. To celebrate the launch, the chain is issuing a call for “beta tasters.” To make sure they receive plenty of feedback, Wendy’s is offering up a super deal, allowing customers to try the new Jalapeño Popper Chicken Sandwich FREE through Grubhub, with a $0 delivery fee on orders $15 or more, from Thursday, Feb. 18 until Sunday, Feb. 21.
