8. White Castle

The Crispy Chicken Slider from White Castle was the least expensive (and the smallest) chicken sandwich on our list. These no-frills sliders consisted of a bun, a breaded chicken patty and a slice of cheese—no sauce, lettuce or pickles.

The slider-sized sandwich was fun to eat and is a perfect snack-sized option to order along with White Castle's iconic burger slider. Unfortunately, this was our least favorite chicken sandwich of the bunch. The chicken tasted like a processed patty rather than a battered fresh piece of chicken.

We ordered the Crispy Chicken Slider, but White Castle also offers a Chicken Ring Slider and a Chicken and Waffles Slider for those who want to experience other chicken sandwich options.

Bottom Line: Sliders are always fun, but the White Castle chicken sandwich needs improvement to compete with others on this list.

3. Chick-fil-A

While we tested and ranked a total of eight chicken sandwiches, the fast-food chicken sandwich race really comes down to our top three contenders. They are truly head and shoulders above the rest! It was difficult to decide which sandwiches would take the top two slots.

Coming in third place for the best fast-food chicken sandwich is Chick-fil-A's Original Chicken Sandwich. It comes with pickles and without mayonnaise, served on a perfectly buttered and toasted bun. For those who crave sauce, Chick-fil-A offers several options.

Of all the sandwiches sampled, only Chick-fil-A had chicken that was moist, flavorful and perfectly seasoned. Each bite had a great crunch and the toasted, buttered bun kept the sandwich moist and satisfying.

In addition to the original chicken sandwich we sampled, Chick-fil-A also sells a deluxe chicken sandwich, spicy chicken, spicy deluxe, grilled chicken and grilled chicken club.

Bottom Line: In the end, the best fast-food chicken sandwich is a matter of preference. For us, there were two chains with a slight edge over Chick-fil-A.

1. Popeyes

In our top spot for the best fast-food chicken sandwich: the Classic Chicken Sandwich from Popeyes.

Even before taking that first bite, this sandwich immediately won the award for the most visually beautiful of the bunch. The pieces of battered chicken were large and the bun had a lovely sheen. This delicious sandwich was topped with mayonnaise and the most impressive pickles of all the sandwiches sampled.

Early on, we decided that pickles were an essential component of a perfect chicken sandwich. They provide texture, crunch and a tangy balance to the fried chicken. We loved the huge slices of pickles on the Popeyes sandwich that covered the whole surface of the bun, ensuring the perfect amount of pickle in every bite. On this sandwich, the fried chicken pieces were large, well-battered and offered outstanding crunch.

Besides this Classic Chicken Sandwich, Popeyes also sells a spicy version and a golden barbecue chicken sandwich.

Bottom Line: The incredible crunch from the battered chicken as well as the impressive pickles and beautiful bun made Popeyes the overall best fast-food chicken sandwich.