Review: Wendy's - Spicy Jalapeno Popper Chicken Sandwich

Wendy's Spicy Jalapeno Popper Chicken Sandwich features a crispy-fried spicy chicken filet, new jalapeno cream cheese, six slices of jalapenos, three strips of applewood-smoked bacon, warm cheddar cheese sauce, and shredded pepper jack cheese on a toasted premium bun.

I went and bought one for $6.49.

My particular sandwich came with the widest chicken filet that I've ever gotten from Wendy's. It was pounded quite flat and definitely covered the bun from end to end and then some. It was nice and crispy throughout but a overly thin and a little dry in some parts. There's a nice amount of heat and flavor to it.

The new jalapeno cream cheese was surprisingly spicy with definite creamy and tangy notes that didn't mellow out the heat by much.

The jalapeno slices added a watery crunch and the requisite heat and flavor as well as a bit of tanginess.

The warm cheddar cheese sauce was a bit too mild to make much of an impact. It occasionally popped up with a mild creaminess.

The shredded pepper jack cheese didn't really show up for me. I couldn't really pick out the taste or texture of it from the other cheese components.

The bacon accented the other ingredients quite well with a salty smokiness and crispness, while the soft and squishy bun did its job in holding it all together.

Taken together, Wendy's Spicy Jalapeno Popper Chicken Sandwich came out quite well. The crispy shell of the chicken, the jalapeno cream cheese, and the jalapeno slices did a good job in delivering the taste and feel of jalapeno poppers. The crunch, the bite, the heat, and the oozy cheese were all there in a slightly deconstructed form and it was good. As all three were spicy to some extent, the sandwich as a whole was quite spicy but not to the detriment of the other flavors.

Nutritional Info - Wendy's Spicy Jalapeno Popper Chicken Sandwich
Calories - 600 (from Fat - 230)
Fat - 26g (Saturated Fat - 9g)
Sodium - 1660mg
Carbs - 54g (Sugar - 6g)
Protein - 37g