Chili’s enters the chicken sandwich wars with new menu offerings

Chili’s is officially clucking its way deeper into the chicken sandwich wars with a new menu push built around its “Big Crispy” platform, going after fast-food giants like McDonald’s, while continuing to bet big on value.

The Tex-Mex and American chain is expanding the Big Crispy platform to six different versions, all built around a hand-breaded chicken breast on a brioche bun with pickles and mayo. There are both core and premium options, with the original Big Crispy and Spicy Big Crispy at the base level, and more indulgent versions like Honey-Chipotle, Nashville Hot, Buffalo and a Deluxe sandwich topped with bacon, cheese, lettuce and tomato. All of the sandwiches are part of Chili’s $10.99 “3 For Me” value meal, which bundles an entrée with fries, bottomless chips and salsa and an unlimited fountain drink.

The sandwiches are described as a larger, more substantial alternative to McDonald’s McCrispy. Chili’s is heavily focusing on portion size as a selling point, claiming its sandwiches deliver an “abundance and quality they actually deserve.”

To back up that claim, Chili’s cites a local study suggesting its average Big Crispy chicken filet is more than 80 percent larger than the average McCrispy breaded filet.

“Over the past few years, we’ve exposed the fast food shrinkflation by serving our massive burgers in the industry-leading $10.99 3 For Me meal for a value that can’t be found in the drive-thru,” George Felix, Chili’s Chief Marketing Officer, said in a statement. “Now, we’re setting our sights on fast food chicken sandwiches, offering our gigantic Big Crispy and Spicy Big Crispy chicken sandwiches in the same 3 For Me value meal. This is a shakeup to the chicken sandwich category that is long overdue, and one that our guests are going to love.”

Chili’s plans to spread the word about its new sandwich lineup with a TV ad campaign launching later this month, Mika Ware, the CFO of Brinker International, the chain’s parent company, previously said during a fiscal Q2 2026 earnings call.

The chain is also holding an experiential pop-up event Thursday in New York City called the “Big Crispy Food Court,” designed as a playful, courtroom-style showdown between the brand and fast food competitors. The one-day event will take place at 37 Union Square West in Manhattan, running from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The concept turns fast food into a mock trial,

Guests will take part in a mock trial in which they serve as a jury in the fictional Chili’s vs. Fast Food case, with the company arguing that it delivers stronger overall value. They will also get a Big Crispy 3 For Me meal and can share their “verdict,” in partnership with Court TV.