Chicken Sandwiches, Burgers, And Patties: What's The Difference?

When it comes to convenience, few options beat the sandwich. The textural delight of contrasting bread and chicken are easy to understand, hence the food's widespread popularity. It's no surprise consumers come up with (flawed) fried chicken sandwich rankings across fast food chains.

What's confusing, though, is the naming convention — in that there doesn't appear to be a convention. You'll see the terms "chicken sandwich," "chicken burger," and "chicken patty" tossed around in parallel. And without images on the menu, you may not know exactly what you're going to get unless you understand the real differences.

Generally, a chicken sandwich is the broadest term (any piece of chicken between sliced bread), while the chicken burger is designed to mimic the beef burger and a chicken patty is a formed meat patty similar to a crab cake. (It can also be a Caribbean pastry stuffed with chicken, but not in this context.)

The chicken sandwich is the most well-known and widespread of the three foods. You often see renditions of the dish on fast food menus, at breweries, or casual restaurants. The food follows a loosely defined form. As long as poultry's encased between two pieces of bread, it's a sandwich. Filling-wise, everything from chicken salad to chicken patties to grilled chicken are welcome in the mix. That said, the most common filling is a breaded and fried chicken fillet. Crunchy on the exterior, meaty inside, and perfect as a delivery mechanism for sauce and toppings, it's no surprise this version shines.

One version of the modern fried chicken sandwich's origin story comes by way of the South. The story goes that in 1946, Atlanta entrepreneur S. Truett Cathy invented the fast food classic. If that name sounds familiar, that's because he went on to open the first Chick-fil-A in 1967. Today, the brand's version with pickles on a buttered bun still offers a taste of the original. But thanks to fried chicken's dual Scottish-African American ancestry, deep-fried chicken flavored with a buttermilk marinade and spices is the default American chicken sandwich today.

Nowadays, you see chicken sandwiches absorbing a wide range of local influences. Famed renditions like the spicy Nashville hot chicken or Buffalo-style chicken sandwich are well known across the nation. But other nations have takes too: Japan's chicken katsu contrasts crispy chicken with milk bread, while Korean chicken sandwiches employ their famed take on crispy fried poultry (starch in the breading). Malleable yet dependably delicious, the chicken sandwich's iconic nature is easy to understand.

A chicken burger, at least in the United States, strongly mirrors the beef classic; it's simply a poultry-based swap. It consists of a large round patty formed from ground chicken stuffed in between two buns with fixings like lettuce, tomato, onions, mayo, and the like. However, the patty comes together a little differently due to the practicalities of ground chicken meat. Since the protein is less firm, it requires additional binders — eggs and breadcrumbs are popular candidates. Furthermore, the meat is fragile, so pan or deep-frying is more common than grilling. Such preparation techniques blur the lines between chicken sandwich and burger.

Occasionally, you also see offerings with grilled chicken breast or thigh (with the thigh meat being superior to breast) referred to as a chicken burger, particularly in English-speaking European countries, where they also call breaded chicken fillets between bread a chicken burger. With such regional predispositions, the indeterminate distinction between sandwich and burger is showcased.

More commonly, a chicken patty refers to a formed meat cutlet. It's reminiscent of a chicken nugget but typically large enough to cover the whole bun or slice. To enhance the texture, homemade versions come together with binders like eggs, mayonnaise, flour, breadcrumbs, and sometimes cheese. Additionally, a range of flavorings like herbs and spices are often mixed in. It's a similar creation to a chicken burger (sometimes used interchangeably). However, patties are often a more crab cake-like creation as opposed to the more meat-focused chicken burger composition. And most people would assume you were referring to a store-bought frozen food item like the kind you used to get from Yelloh (formerly Schwan's).

It should also be noted that in addition to the poultry-based creation likely to be confused for a chicken burger, chicken patties can also refer to a Caribbean baked good. Especially popular in Jamaica, this pastry resembles an empanada and comes filled with a range of meats. The chicken version is especially common and comes filled with ground chicken meat or pulled chicken breast and seasoned with a vibrant curry blend.