How to create a chicken sandwich?

29 Apr 2026

The chicken sandwich fillet is an attractive product for poultry processors worldwide. Its popularity is growing, driven by major QSR brands such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Popeyes, and Chick-fil-A. These brands want to increase their global market share, and chicken breast remains the primary protein source for sandwiches, strips, and nuggets.

Mccrispy Black
Robooptimizer I Cut122

JBT Marel supports the validated production of whole muscle QSR products

Different QSR brands have different definitions. McDonald’s wants a teardrop shape for its McCrispy. Wendy’s focuses on full bun coverage— every bite you take must contain meat. 

I Cut 122 Trimsort Infeed Big Fillets2

Unprocessed

Today’s modern consumers prefer a more natural or a less processed product. They are looking for a clean alternative. Whole muscle chicken fits this trend. Its growth in popularity is also driven by suppliers promoting poultry—particularly whole muscle products—over beef because it is cheaper. Global demand for whole muscle chicken is expected to grow 6.5% over the next ten years. When choosing food, people care about price, health, and fat. Chicken sandwiches are seen as healthier. The coating is accepted, as long as the fillet itself is real chicken meat. Many QSRs highlight this on their menus: “all white meat, no artificial flavors, no preservatives.” These claims help set them apart from formed meat products.

What to do with big fillets?

Meanwhile, broilers are getting larger. This creates big breast fillets that must be used smartly. If only one sandwich fillet can be cut per breast, processors must handle many fillets to meet demand. The offcuts also need value — not just sold as cheap product. This is where JBT Marel helps. With intelligent portioning, it’s possible to cut two or even three sandwich fillets from one large breast. This allows high yield and high capacity.

QSR chains only validate repeatable processes. As JBT Marel, we can ensure that processors meet these standards.

Morten D

Morten Dalqvist 
JBT Marel Product Specialist

Two out of one

JBT Marel Product Specialist Morten Dalqvist explains: “It’s all about maximizing yield through higher levels of automation, while still creating a product that matches the shape, size, and weight required by QSR brands. Our RoboOptimizer positions the large, raw fillets perfectly so that the sandwich fillets, portioned by the I-Cut 122, fit the bun. This ensures the same consumer experience every time. Depending on requirements, we can even create three fillets from one.” 

Strips and Sandwiches Portioning Line

“We developed our QSR line for high-volume production of whole muscle products which gives consistent results,” says Morten Dalqvist. “It’s not just about programming machines. It’s about mastering the entire process: placing, trimming, cutting, and splitting intelligently every time. Whether the fillet is 250g or 350g, the result must always be uniform and reliable. That’s what makes our Strips and Sandwiches Portioning Line unique — high output, low labor, and consistent product quality. We can provide a lot of benefit and gain to fulfill the growing demand in this market.”

Sandwich Fillets2400
Left: two sandwich fillets cut from a large fillet. Right: three sandwich fillets cut from a thick fillet.

The chicken sandwich war

In 2019, Popeyes launched its chicken sandwich. It quickly became a hit and sold out within weeks. This success provoked a reaction across the fast-food industry. Almost every brand introduced or updated its own crispy chicken sandwich. By 2021, all major chains had one. The hype on social media has now faded, but chicken sandwiches remain popular. Restaurants continue to compete on taste, size, and ingredients. Some added spicy versions or used brioche buns and pickles. The sandwich war showed that chicken could compete with beef burgers. While the public battles are over, QSRs still compete in this area. 

What is a sandwich fillet?

Unlike a patty, which is ground, formed, and includes flour, glue, and additives, a sandwich fillet is a whole muscle product, cut from natural meat but all looking the same.

A validated process

So far, most processors supply QSRs with fillets with-membrane. Growing demand and raw material availability are driving them to cut more sandwich fillets from one raw fillet—which means one with membrane and one without. Fillets without the membrane absorb marinade faster and may seem more fragile. “However, treating them differently is a no-go, because processors want a uniform process and QSR chains only validate repeatable processes. As JBT Marel, we can ensure that processors meet these standards, even when cutting two sandwich fillets from one large raw fillet. Once the second sandwich fillet passes validation, it will be easier to get the third approved as well,” concludes Morten Dalqvist. 

Chicken Sandwiches

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