Bottom Line: Wendy’s kicks up its usually good spicy chicken to the next level with the Ghost Pepper Ranch version and throws in some blazing fries as well.
Well, it had to happen. I’m back to chicken. I have been avoiding the bird the last few weeks to get some reviews of other foods on the site, but the fact is that the restaurant industry loves to spice up its poultry. And that’s not a bad thing because I really enjoy chicken sandwiches and spicy wings and even the good old bird with the bone. So when Wendy’s put out its new Ghost Pepper Ranch Chicken Sandwich, I knew I had to give it a try. And at least they are throwing in some Ghost Pepper Fries as well for a little bit of variety.
Here is what Wendy’s is putting into its newest spicy sammy: They start with their signature Spicy Chicken and then add ghost pepper infused American cheese, ghost pepper and ranch seasoned crispy onions, lettuce, tomato, and a creamy ghost pepper ranch sauce that is made with fresh herbs. That sure sounds like a lot of ghost pepper!
This is the same breast filet used in their regular spicy sandwich, and the breading on the chicken is not too heavy, but it has a good peppery taste if not much crunch. The cut of meat is not too thick and it is a bit on the dry side (I have experienced this before with Wendy’s chicken sandwiches), but it still delivers good taste. The crispy onions add some crunch but not much else and they are somewhat of a nuisance because they fall out with each bite (but when eaten by themselves they are pretty tasty).
There is some creaminess to the ghost pepper Ranch, but it does not add much in the way of taste other than a bit of tang. It does bring some heat, though. The lettuce and tomato offer a counterpoint to that, but not to the point that they dilute the burn. There was supposed to be a slice of ghost pepper American cheese, but my sandwich did not have that. I can’t say I missed it, though. The bun is fairly standard and holds everything together well enough.
As far as the heat, you get a kick from this sandwich right away and it keeps on building. It went beyond the Hot level on my scale which is quite good for the drive thru. With the ghost pepper cheese, it might even have reached the fiery level or beyond and I will have to get this again to check out how much that raises the heat. Overall, the sandwich works pretty well despite the nitpicks that I mentioned above, and this is something that lovers of spicy food should seek out.
As far as those Ghost Pepper fries, they start with Wendy’s standard natural cut fries and have an herby coating to them. But I’m not sure if that is part of the “spicy fry sauce” or if that is an additional seasoning. The sauce has a tanginess and a bit of sweetness along with a some Ranch-like taste. It also brings a strong buttery flavor, and it works well enough with the potatoes that you don’t need to add ketchup or any other sauce.
Heat-wise, these get to the Hot level on my scale if not a little bit above. They are also pretty messy so they are best eaten with that fork they include in the bag. And the tray they put my fries into had a hole on the side, so the entire bottom of the bag was covered in sauce (and yet there was still plenty in the tray, so give them credit for being generous with it).
If you eat the fries together with the Ghost Pepper sandwich, you will have a pretty spicy meal and will probably want a Frosty on the side to cool your mouth down. But if you do order these together, you will definitely be edging up the scale next time you stand on it. The sandwich itself is 690 calories (I guess I saved a few since they forgot the cheese) and those fries add another 450 cals. (And the combined sodium level is so intense it may burn your eyes if you look at it too long.) If you get that Frosty, it better be the junior size (190 cals) and you are still going to need to log several extra hours in the gym afterward.
As always, these two new items are on loan from Limited-Time-Only-Ville. The sandwich runs $6.89 in my area which is not bad these days for a premium selection. The fries run $3.49 and you can work out a combo deal if you want a drink. A lot of fast food places have proven disappointing with their “spicy selections”, so I will give Wendy’s credit for really kicking things up with their “Ghost Pepper Menu”. So give the sandwich and fries a try while they are around and maybe these guys will learn that people like it when the heat is really amped up.
Nutrition Info:
Ghost Pepper Ranch Chicken Sandwich
Calories: 690
Fat: 35g (8g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 32g
Carbs: 61g
Sodium: 1650mg
Ghost Pepper Fries
Calories: 450
Fat: 29g (5g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 5g
Carbs: 45g
Sodium: 830mg
I just had it today, I started with the fries and to me they seemed hotter than the sandwich itself. They also reminded me of cheddar and sour cream chips. The sandwich did have kick to it, I did enjoy the taste. Overall a good meal!
Ghost pepper ranch chicken sandwich is hot but not very hot as reseaons not very hot as Ghost pepper is mix with ranch as ranch has calcium in it as you know milk has calcium as calcium kills the heat of spicy foods like peppers. Ghost pepper sauce made only ghost pepper be very hot on sandwich and not many people be not eating sandwich then as to me ghost pepper ranch chicken sandwich is good hot as give it 8 out 10 just right of hot for a sandwich..