McDonald's McChicken Vs McCrispy: What's The Difference?

The iconic McDonald's menu is currently sporting two different types of chicken sandwiches, and while the repetitive "Mc" naming process of the fast food establishment's menu items is a staple of the restaurant, the difference between the two sandwiches may get a little confusing for those who don't visit McDonald's often. Especially in a fast-paced drive-thru during the lunch rush, carefully reading the ingredients of a McChicken and a McCrispy is probably not on a customer's radar. Instead, they will most likely go with whatever sounds more familiar.

Some passive McDonald's eaters may also wonder how different a McChicken can be from a McCrispy, given that they both look like average chicken sandwiches upon inspection of the menu's photos. Well, the two chicken entrées actually don't share any ingredients (besides chicken, of course). Despite sporting a similar name, the two sandwiches are unique and made fresh for very different taste buds for a cheap price.

The McChicken, a certified McDonald's classic, is a fairly simple chicken sandwich. The McChicken is prepared by placing a McChicken patty on a regular McDonald's bun, along with some shredded lettuce and mayonnaise.

The McChicken was not a popular choice with diners when it first debuted in 1980. Because of its wavering support, it left the McDonald's menu and returned multiple times (while also going through a name change in 2001 from its original title: the Cajun-style McChicken). Today, it's one of the most popular items on the menu. Some McDonald's locations also feature variants of the McChicken, including the Hot 'n Spicy McChicken and the McChicken Deluxe. Original takes on the McChicken also exist all over the globe, including the Chicken Maharaja Mac in India, which is essentially a Big Mac with chicken instead of beef patties. For a limited time in the 1990s, there was also a McChicken Cordon Bleu (featuring ham, garlic cheese, and bacon-flavored sauce) sold as a promotional item for Disney's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" movie.

After its removal in early 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, McDonald's decided to introduce a new chicken sandwich competitor.

In 2021, McDonald's introduced the McCrispy (then called the Crispy Chicken Sandwich) in order to combat other fast food competitors' successful chicken sandwiches. In fact, some claim that the McCrispy was nearly indistinguishable from the Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich. The McCrispy is a similarly simple chicken sandwich. However, instead of using a chicken patty, the McCrispy sports a crispy chicken filet on a potato roll bun. In place of lettuce and mayonnaise, the McCrispy is donned with crinkle cut pickles and topped with salted butter.

As of 2025, the McCrispy currently has four permanent variants on the McDonald's menu: the McCrispy, the Deluxe McCrispy, the Spicy McCrispy, and the Spicy Deluxe McCrispy. The McChicken has also made its return and sits next to the McCrispy under the menu's chicken sandwich sub-group.

While the two do have a chicken patty in common, they are very distinctive sandwiches that both deserve their own time in the spotlight.