Arby’s turns up the 🔥 on the chicken-sandwich wars

Arby’s has the meats…and the spices, apparently. The fast-food chain this week introduced a new player in the chicken-sandwich wars: the Diablo Dare, which Arby’s claims is the “spiciest sandwich on the market,” according to CNN.

The sandwich comes with a vanilla milkshake to make its five fiery ingredients—including ghost-pepper jack cheese and fire-roasted jalapeños—more tolerable. Those who don’t want chicken can opt for brisket instead.

That brings us back to the chicken-sandwich wars, the fast-food phenomenon that Popeyes kickstarted in 2019.

Need a recap? Following Popeyes, chains like Burger King, McDonald’s, and Wendy’s have upped their chicken-sandwich game, introducing new and revamped versions—some spicy, some not.

• Last year, KFC came out swinging with a campaign calling out its chicken-sandwich competitors.
• Taco Bell joined the fray with its own crispy chicken sandwich…or was it a taco?
• And things really got out of hand when Airheads—yes, the candy brand—briefly served a chicken sandwich on a bun made from Airheads Xtremes Belts.

Arby’s has been a relatively low-key player in the chicken-sandwich wars, although it did some…odd marketing stunts in 2021. Remember its meat-themed clothing line and fry-flavored vodka?

Now, after asking people to wear and drink its menu, Arby’s is challenging customers to “a true test of how much heat you can handle,” said CMO Patrick Schwing in a statement.

Vids or it didn’t happen: How will those who can take the heat prove it? On TikTok, of course. Starting January 18, Arby’s is telling customers to use the hashtag #ArbysDiabloDare on the app to show just how much of the sandwich they can stand before grabbing the milkshake.—AM