Applebee's Big Cluckin Chicken Sandwich Review: A Killer Value For A Solid Sandwich

Many of its fiercest battles may be in the rearview mirror, but the chicken sandwich wars aren't over until Applebee's says they're over. Well after Eggo Waffles became an unlikely chicken sandwich wars entrant in 2023, long-running, budget-oriented restaurant chain Applebee's debuted a menu item called the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich in November 2024. This isn't the first chicken sandwich on Applebee's menu — Applebee's had already secured second place in a Mashed poll determining the best sit-down chain sandwiches after all. Rather, the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich is distinctly simpler in composition than its predecessors. By all appearances, Applebee's is aiming to provide chicken sandwich lovers with something similar to the industry standard, but at a better value than the competition.

Soon after it debuted on the Applebee's menu, I tried the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich myself. Here's a rundown of just what the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich is and what makes it special, followed by a personal review of the item. Is this big-value chicken sandwich the spark that ignites the chicken sandwich wars anew or is this a mere footnote in its history? Read on for my thoughts.

Technically, there are two versions of Applebee's Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich — one with crispy fried chicken as its protein and one built around a more health-oriented piece of grilled chicken. I tried the crispy version and, unless otherwise stated, will refer to that one as the default. Both are sandwiched in a brioche bun with a tried-and-true combination of lettuce, pickles, tomato, and mayo, like pretty much every entrant on the Mashed ranking of 20 fast food fried chicken sandwiches.

More than anything else, what makes the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich unique is its role in a limited-time promotion called the Really Big Meal Deal. For $9.99, customers get a Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich or what the chain is calling its Big Classic Bacon Cheeseburger accompanied by fries and a drink. In fact, as of its debut at least, the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich is unavailable à la carte, so Applebee's appears to be emphasizing the sandwich's value as opposed to positioning its chicken sandwich recipe as an industry game-changer. For what it's worth, that's not necessarily an indictment of the sandwich's quality, but perhaps a strategy to get new customers to try yet another version of the same chicken sandwich they've seen pop up at chain restaurants for years. The deal, notably, is what sets it apart.

Since it's only available as a part of the Really Big Meal Deal, the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich effectively costs $9.99 and always comes with fries and a drink. That said, all three of the chicken sandwiches on Applebee's menu prior to the advent of the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich cost more. Cheapest is the Sweet & Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich at $12.99, whereas both other options are $14.59 at my local Applebee's in Las Vegas. They all come with fries but no drink.

It's worth noting that the crispy Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich is listed at 830 calories whereas the Sweet & Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich is 1340 calories — altogether, it's one of the most unhealthy chicken sandwiches at a major chain restaurant. The other non-Cluckin' chicken sandwiches are also more than 1000 calories. The lower price point, then, appears to reflect a smaller quantity of food. Nevertheless, the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich is the cheapest chicken sandwich option at Applebee's all the same, even if the "big" in its name doesn't necessarily mean that it's more caloric than the other chicken sandwiches on the menu.

The Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich first appeared on Applebee's menu as a part of the Really Big Meal Deal on November 12. The Really Big Meal Deal is a limited-time promotion with no end date announced ahead of time. Furthermore, it's unclear whether or not the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich will stick around after the Really Big Meal Deal ends — whereas language in a press release announcing the deal implies that they're intrinsically linked, Applebee's social media posts about the sandwich don't mention the deal, perhaps implying that it's here to stay. It's possible too that the chain hasn't yet decided, and is using its place in the Really Big Meal Deal as a test run.

One aspect of the promotion with a confirmed time frame, from November 12 to November 19, is a game of sorts that Applebee's is calling its Big Guarantee. Customers who bring in a chicken sandwich from another national chain and order the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich can ask their server to determine which one is bigger. If the outside sandwich wins, Applebee's will throw in a bonus chicken breast for free. So, anyone who wants to take up Applebee's on this challenge has a short window to do so. Merely trying the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich, however, should still be possible for at least a little while after the Big Guarantee is over.

Prior to the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich's addition to Applebee's menu, the chain offered three chicken sandwich options, each with its own bespoke twist on a traditional interpretation of the dish. Applebee's unveiled all three of those sandwiches in June 2024 and claimed they would be available for a limited time, but they all ended up sticking around at least through the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich's debut in November.

Just like the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich, two of those three previous chicken sandwiches are identical, save for incorporating either a fried or grilled chicken breast. As their names partially indicate, each Bacon Ranch Chicken Sandwich is topped with bacon, ranch, lettuce, and pickles and served on a brioche bun — typically more expensive than standard sandwich bread. So, while they use the same protein, bread, and lettuce as the Big Cluckin', they substitute tomato for bacon and mayo for ranch. Meanwhile, the Sweet & Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich entails a fried chicken breast coated in a Sweet Asian Chile sauce with just cole slaw inside its brioche bun. Applebee's effectively worked backwards, then — all three prior options were more distinct in some way than the comparatively generic Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich.

My first reaction after biting into my Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich was a pleasant surprise. As advertised, my sandwich was bigger than what's served at chains like Popeyes and Chick-fil-A, and it tasted pretty good too. Then, once I started breaking down what made the sandwich tick, my esteem dropped just slightly, albeit without changing the fact that it's a great value.

What I wasn't expecting was a significant amount of the sandwich's flavor coming not from the chicken but its brioche bun. On its own, the chicken isn't super flavorful. In fact, in bites lacking mayo and pickle, it ended up tasting a bit dry. The brioche, however, is buttered and toasted, ending up just about as flavorful as relatively plain bread can be. To the chicken's credit, it is genuine chicken breast rather than reconstituted chicken, and its coating was satisfyingly crispy. My best bites of the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich combined that crispy chicken with an above-average bun, baseline vegetables, and the combined flavor of mayo and pickles. A couple of bites lacking some of those elements weren't terrible, but they weren't stellar. With that said, $10 for a good sandwich, great fries, and a drink is a pretty genuinely excellent value. So, even if the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich doesn't succeed on its quality alone, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a cheap and tasty meal.

A rep for Applebee's arranged for my Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich Really Big Meal Deal to be delivered to my home from a nearby Applebee's in the suburbs of Las Vegas, Nevada. Nothing further was expected of me, so all analyses and opinions are my own. I ate everything shortly after it arrived. The only outside experience I factored into my breakdown is how I remember the sizes of chicken sandwiches from competing fast food chains, since the size of the Big Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich is so fundamental. Otherwise, my review is based solely on my experience eating my Really Big Meal Deal meal.