This New "Scorchin' Hot" Chicken Sandwich Is Already Selling Out

They called for peace and unity, but in truth, they came to dominate. Smashburger introduced their Scorchin' Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich last month, rolling it out with a marketing campaign that called for the end of the "chicken sandwich wars" among fast-food restaurants. They gave sandwiches away for free to fast-food workers and ran a BOGO deal for everyone else.

But it's easy to make a peace offering with such a powerful weapon in hand. Smashburger's newest menu item is flying off the shelves (or, perhaps more accurately, out of industrial ovens). The sandwich is made with famed Nashville hot crispy chicken, spicy red pepper mayo, pickles, and served on a classic toasted bun. And Smashburger locations cannot keep enough of it in stock.

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The Scorchin' Hot creation has already sold out at 35 of the chain's 200+ locations, according to a spokesperson for the brand. In just over two weeks after it launched, the new chicken sandwich has become Smashburger's second most popular menu offering. The sammy was meant to be on the menus until June 15, but there's a chance your local Smashburger has already run out of their supply.

The popularity of the Scorchin' Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich underscores what all fast-food chains seemingly realized at the same time: chicken is the fast-food of the moment. Especially when you add the words "spicy" or "crispy" (in McDonald's case, both) to the name, the popularity of a fast-food chicken sandwich is unmatched in 2021.

Smashburger in particular says that the new poultry promotion has contributed to a 30% traffic increase since its launch. The chain recently redid their logo and their online presence, made plans to open 40 more locations, and launched this incredibly popular item—who says you can't be productive in a pandemic?

For more, check out We Tried Popular Spicy Fast-Food Items and This Is the Best One, and don't forget to sign up for our newsletter to get the latest restaurant news delivered straight to your inbox.