Bottom Line: The Kings Hawaiian Sweet Heat Chicken Sandwich and the Sweet Heat Loaded Fries from Arby’s offer a nice twist on regular menu items with a kick of heat.
Chicken is back on the menu! I have been steering clear of the bird the last few weeks because I have had more than enough poultry of late, but I decided to give in and swing by the drive thru to get the chicken version or Arby’s new Sweet Heat sandwiches. I tried the Beef ‘n Brisket version a couple of weeks ago (you can read my review here) and rather enjoyed it so I figured the chicken sammy should be worth a try. I also grabbed the Sweet Heat Loaded Fried while I was there.
The sandwich includes a crispy chicken fillet topped with natural cheddar cheese, crispy onions, sweet garlic and dill pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and their Sweet Heat sauce on a toasted King’s Hawaiian® bun. The load fries include warm cheddar cheese sauce, diced chicken nuggets, chopped bacon, and the Sweet Heat sauce. You can get crinkle cut or curly fries, but I prefer the former in this case because they are better for picking up the toppings.
To start out with, the sandwich is big. The chicken breast is the standard filet from Arby’s which is very good and tender with a crunchy crust. The sauce delivers a nice sweetness along with some creaminess and a kick of heat. The veggies are fresh, though they may have gone overboard on the lettuce with shreds falling out after each bite. (But with the sauce acting like a dressing, it’s like you have a side salad after finishing the sandwich!) The pickles add a nice tang and a hint of garlic, though like with the Beef ‘n Brisket version the sandwich could use more of those. Neither the cheese nor the crispy onions add much, but they don’t detract either. The King’s Hawaiian bun does not really stand out, but it adds a little more sweet to counter the savory and holds everything together well. And be warned that this is a messy sandwich.
The heat is above the Mild level on my scale but not quite to Medium. The combination of non-hot ingredients seem to temper the heat from the sauce and the sandwich does not bring as much burn as with the Beef ‘n Brisket version. But this is still a pretty good entry among the premium chicken sandwiches, and it has a nice kick.
For the loaded fries, the chicken pieces (which look like cut-up tenders) are well-seasoned but actually not too crunchy. Pairing those with the fries is a little odd, but it works well for an all-in-one meal. The crinkle-cut fries are best for capturing the toppings, though it would have been better if they were more generous with the cheese and sauce (and distributed them more evenly). The sauce brings that sweetness and tang so that you don’t miss ketchup. The bacon does not stand out too much, but it adds some smokiness and a bacony kick.
These make it to the Medium heat level, but that may vary depending on how generous they are with the sauce. As mentioned, they were a bit stingy with my order, so I wonder if a little more might have kicked this up to the hot level. And given a choice, I might prefer jalapenos to the chicken pieces to bring even more heat.
Nutrition-wise, I don’t advise getting both of these together (which is exactly what I did). At 696 cals for the sandwich and 720 for the fries, that is over 1400 for one meal! And you are at over 3000mg on the sodium which will cause your doctor to go into fits. As mentioned above, those fries are pretty much a meal on their own with those chicken pieces included, so no sandwich is needed when you order them. I got both together to double up on the review, but these are sacrifices I must make for my loyal readers. I will spend a few extra hours on the treadmill this week to make up for it!
As with the Sweet Heat Beef ‘n Brisket sandwich, the chicken sammy and the loaded fries will be heading back to Limited-Time-Only-Ville at some point (probably sooner rather than later). Of the three, I preferred the Beef ‘n Brisket, but any of them are worth getting. As I mentioned in my prior review, be choosy about the Arby’s you go to because that chain has issues with consistency. But the Sweet Heat selections are worth checking out, so if you have a good Arby’s near you, give one or more of them a try while still available.
Nutrition Info:
King’s Hawaiian Sweet Heat Chicken Sandwich
Calories: 696
Fat: 33g (11g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 31g
Carbs: 70g
Sodium: 1635mg
Sweet Heat Loaded Fries
Calories: 720
Fat: 38g (7g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 23g
Carbs: 64g
Sodium: 1576mg