Here's How Chick-Fil-A's Chicken Sandwich Was Invented
Chicken nuggets, waffle fries, fresh-squeezed lemonade and let's not forget the milkshakes — there are plenty of delicious things to order the next time you're at the Chick-fil-A drive-thru. But perhaps one of the most beloved is the OG chicken sandwich. A juicy breaded chicken patty on a fluffy toasted bun with two tangy dill pickle slices layered inside. Perfection. It might be simple but it works, as proven by the fact that it was the second-most ordered entree of 2020. Not only that, but as of 2014, Chick-fil-A had sold over three billion chicken sandwiches since it was first added to the menu, Food Beast reports. And that number has likely only grown significantly over the last seven years.
While many people know exactly how tasty the Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich is, many don't know how it came to be. First invented in 1964, the iconic sandwich got its start in a very unique way. Here's how it came to be at the popular chain.
Chick-fil-A's chicken sandwich was originally meant to be airplane food
The Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich was actually created by accident. It was never a planned menu item but rather one that came out of a mistake by a local poultry supplier. In the early 1960's, Cathy Truett was operating The Dwarf Grill (the original Chick-fil-A restaurant) when he was contacted by said supplier. Apparently, the chicken company had been asked by an airline to provide boneless, skinless chicken breasts that could fit in the trays used to serve meals in-flight. Unfortunately, some of the pieces were too large or misshapen, so the supplier asked Truett if he could take them off their hands.
He agreed and started experimenting with new ways to cook the chicken in a way that was tasty and efficient. He landed on pressure cooking and then began testing different seasonings and recipes with his customers at The Dwarf Grill. Soon enough, he landed on the final recipe (which has been kept a secret for over 50 years) and thus, the Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich was born.