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[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] A Chicken Big Mac?

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Just about all of us have had a meal at McDonald’s at one point in our lives.  Everyone is equally familiar with their signature Big Mac sandwich.  Those two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onion, on a sesame seed bun.  The sandwich has gone unchanged for half a century, but now thanks to competition – another restaurant is trying to “one up” the Golden Arches, by replacing those beef patties – with chicken!

 

The McDonald's Big Mac

The McDonald’s Big Mac

The Big Mac was developed by a Pennsylvania McDonald’s franchisee in the 1950’s.  The special or secret sauce that makes up the sandwich is rarely used by McDonald’s on any other products.

 

In fact, it has happened only twice.

 

McDonald’s once sold a Mac Jr., which was a single cheeseburger, topped with the Mac sauce, lettuce, and pickles.  For a brief time in 2011, a Mac Snack wrap was also sold which featured half of a hamburger patty, the secret sauce, cheese, lettuce, pickles, and onion wrapped up in a flour tortilla.

 

This year, McDonald’s has expanded their Quarter Pounder sandwich line by offering a new Bacon Clubhouse burger which features a quarter pound beef patty, cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and the Big Mac secret sauce on a special Kaiser roll.  This is the first time the sauce has ever been used on different burger.  McDonalds also has a chicken option, where you can get chicken instead of beef, but with the secret sauce the taste, just isn’t very good.

 

The Big Mac is sold at most worldwide McDonald’s locations, but there are several variations, including versions that replace the beef with a chicken patty and more.  (read more about the international versions here).  But, none of these have ever been sold in the United States.

 

McDonald’s has been facing some stiff competition lately in a fast food burger war, by their greatest opponent – Burger King.

 

The Burger King Whopper sandwich.

The Burger King Whopper sandwich.

Burger King has its own signature sandwich, The Whopper.  But, they’ve fired a torpedo at the Golden Arches by creating their Big Mac knockoff – the Big King.

 

The Big King was first introduced back in the 1990’s, but was reformulated and only sold for a limited time.  However, it made a big return last year worldwide and is now once again assembled identically to a Big Mac.

 

For my money, the Big King just tastes better.  I like the flavor or BK’s flame broiled patties and I think their sauce is just a hint more subtle.  I think you can swap Big Mac sauce for regular tartar sauce and not know the difference.  BK’s sauce is more similar to Thousand Island salad dressing. (which, maybe it is?)

 

The Chicken Big King.

The Chicken Big King.

Burger King is going for round 2 in the burger war, by adding a chicken version to their menu.  Introduced a couple weeks ago, America can now feast on the Chicken Big King.

 

I decided to finally give one a try and Burger King is making it easy by offering two for $5 as a special, which really is a deal.  The sandwich uses two of the basic lightly spiced chicken patty BK uses on their value chicken sandwiches.

 

Once again though, I don’t think the special sauce works with chicken.  It tastes like a fish sandwich with tarter sauce.

 

That was the same issue I had with the chicken version of McDonald’s Chicken Clubhouse sandwich (which they gave me by mistake the time I ordered, but I tried it anyway.)  The special sauce just doesn’t work for chicken.  The taste reminds me of the Filet-O-Fish.

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But, for a limited time BK is selling these on their 2 for $5 promotional menu.  These items rotate on a regular basis, so if you are interested in trying one, I wouldn’t wait around that long.  The sandwich is sold for a limited time only.

 

But, thanks to the fast food war, Americans can now experience what diners in other countries have for years and that’s the chicken version of the Big Mac or Big King.

 

The Chicken Big King contains 660 calories and 37g fat.

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THE 411

 

Name: Chicken Big King

 

What: chicken version of McDonald’s Big Mac or Burger Kings Big King sandwiches

 

Where served: Burger King restaurants worldwide

 

Introduced: 2014

 

Availability: Limited Time Only

 

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

 

While I again applaud Burger King for trying and testing a new sandwich, I say skip this one.  You’re better off just going for the regular Big King.

 

Image credits – Don, Chandra Marsono

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