Bottom Line: This sandwich may be pricey and may not bring too much heat, but it delivers good Cajun spice and it is worth the money.
The chicken sandwich market has not cooled down just yet, with even more chains jumping into the fray including longtime bread-baker and sandwich-maker Panera. That restaurant, which puts its focus on all-natural ingredients, has introduced its Chef’s Chicken Sandwiches and they offer both a regular and spicy version. The “Spicy Take” on this sandwich includes a chicken breast filet, new garlic aioli sauce, spicy crispy pickle chips, and spicy Buffalo sauce on a brioche roll. The “Signature Take” uses parmesan crisps instead of the crispy pickle chips and adds lettuce.
To start out with, this is not a fried piece of chicken breast used for these sandwiches, though looking at it you may confuse it with one. It is heavily seasoned, which gives it the appearance of breading, but it starts off on a grill, not in a frier. The seasoning delivers a strong Cajun taste, and while the meat is not super-tender, it’s not tough either and works quite well in the sandwich. It’s about the best you would expect from a re-heated piece of chicken (more on that further below).
As you bite into the spicy version of this sammy, you are met with a nice tang along with plenty of creaminess as the Buffalo sauce and the garlic aioli jump right out. The crispy onions are rather sparse (not nearly as many as seen in the picture), but they add some crunch to the experience (not much extra in taste, though). The brioche bun is pillowy and soft and adds a bit of sweetness, though it does not stand out quite as much as you would expect from a place with “bread” in its name.
Heat-wise, this is mild at best. But despite the fact that it does not bring too much of a burn, it has really good taste. This delivers on the Cajun-style spice, so if you like that flavor (and certainly I do) you should enjoy the sandwich. Some jalapenos could kick this up to Medium heat (though sadly they don’t offer that as a topping option), or some spicy pickles might be a good addition for a future upgrade.
Now here’s the rub on this sandwich: that piece of chicken is not grilled in the kitchen of the restaurant you bought it from. Everything is prepared ahead of time and sent to the store pre-cooked to be reheated before it is served. But I don’t count that against them because today’s technology and quick food prep allow that to work. Panera, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and more are all serving pre-cooked food that they just heat up when you order it. But it is delivered to them fresh enough and cooked in fancy quick-heat ovens so that this system works.
And here’s one more rub on this sandwich: It’s going to set you back a few more dollars than you might like. The going price for one of these Chef Chicken sammies is $10.99 in my area, pretty high for a joint that is only a notch or two above your typical fast food joint. Sure, that includes a bag of chips, but that’s still getting pricey for this sort of item, especially if you are adding a drink to your order. A large part of the reason for the price is the fact that Panera puts it together with all-natural, “clean” ingredients, so you know you are getting good quality. And I liked this enough that I would get it again despite the fact that I am paying considerably more than I would for a spicy chicken sandwich at Popeye’s or Micky D’s.
Now you may think that you are doing your waistline a favor by ordering this grilled chicken sandwich from Panera instead of that fried filet from one of the fast food slingers, but hold on there. It comes in at 570 calories with a whopping 30 grams of fat (and 1260mg of sodium). That’s a little better than the Popeye’s Spicy Chicken which totals out to 700 calories and 42g of fat, but you are not gaining that much (especially since you know that you will be adding one of Panera’s tempting cookies to your order). Surprisingly, McDonald’s new spicy chik has a better tale of the tape with only 530 calories and 26 grams from fat. If you hold the garlic aioli from your Panera sandwich, that should cut the calories by at least a hundred, so you may consider that tweak to your order. And that might just bring out more heat as well without the counterbalance of the creamy sauce (I’m trying it next time I order).
Panera has not indicated that these chicken sandwiches are limited-time-only, so we will have to see how long they stick around. If sales are good, expect them to become a fixture on the menu. But if people balk at the $10.99 price, or the chicken sandwich boom turns to bust, expect them to disappear at some point. I will definitely be back for more, though I will be keeping my eye out for any promotions that will drop the price by a buck or two (and their rewards program can definitely help you with that).
Tale of the Tape:
Calories: 570
Fat: 30g (8g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 35g
Carbs: 40g
Sodium: 1260mg