Menu Inspiration to Help Build Standout Sandwiches
Consumers consider the protein on a sandwich to be the most important component of the build.1 With that opportunity in mind, we’ve crafted 10 unique, trend-forward recipes featuring a variety of unique flavors and popular proteins.
Top Reasons Operators Serve Sandwiches 1
Chicken
Bay Area Chicken Pesto Sandwich
Sliced focaccia bread with a generous spread of basil pesto mayo and a juicy grilled chicken breast filet layered with thick-sliced bacon, fresh mozzarella cheese, baby arugula and tomato relish.
FEATURING:
Tyson True® Tenderpressed® IF Unbreaded Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Filets
Wright® Brand Naturally Hickory Smoked Thick Sliced Bulk Bacon
CHEF'S TIP:
For green and vibrant pesto that maintains its color, blanch the basil and chop by hand before mixing with the other ingredients.
Cold Hoisin Chicken Bao
Tender pulled chicken tossed in a sweet and savory hoisin sauce then evenly distributed on three small bao buns along with pickled carrots, daikon and a sprinkle of sesame seeds for a global twist on American sliders.
FEATURING:
Tyson® Fully Cooked All Natural* Low Sodium Pulled Chicken, Reverse Blend
Shawarma Chicken Wrap
Seasoned, grilled chicken strips tossed in Mediterranean lemon sauce and wrapped inside a flatbread with pickled turnips, diced cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, hummus and shawarma sauce.
FEATURING:
Tyson Red Label® Fully Cooked Unbreaded Grilled Chicken Breast Strips, Large
MENU INSIGHTS:
83% of operators currently offer or plan to offer wraps on their menus. 1
Mac ‘N Cheese Breaded Chicken Sandwich
This sandwich is stacked with a crispy, homestyle-seasoned chicken breast, creamy mac ‘n cheese and bacon crumbles inside a soft brioche bun. Garnished with sliced dill pickles.
FEATURING:
Tyson Red Label® Uncooked Homestyle Select Cut Chicken Breast Filet Fritter
Hillshire Farm® Bakin' Bacon™ Heat-N-Serve Pizza Topping, 1/2 Inch x 1/2 Inch Diced
CONSUMER SCORE:
With an overall rating of 89/100, this innovative recipe scored a five-star rating for its uniqueness.†
French Onion Crispy Chicken Melt
A seasoned, breaded chicken breast smothered in Gruyere cheese and caramelized onions. Served on a toasted pretzel roll with Dijon mustard.
FEATURING:
Tyson® Uncooked Homestyle Pepper Chicken Breast Filet Fritter
SUPERSTAR SCORE:
Datassential scored this menu concept a 97/100 based on consumer feedback.†
Big Pickle Wrap
A flour tortilla stuffed with honey-infused breaded chicken tenderloins, applewood-smoked bacon, Pepper Jack cheese, dill pickle spears, fresh shredded lettuce and dill “pickle” de gallo sauce.
FEATURING:
Tyson® Honey Stung® Fully Cooked Lightly Breaded Original Honey Chicken Tenderloins
Wright® Brand Naturally Applewood Smoked Regular Sliced Flat-Pack® Bacon
MENU INSIGHT:
30% of consumers say the last sandwich they ordered with a protein included bacon.1
SLICED STEAK
Chimichurri Steak Wrap
Juicy, seasoned sliced beef, roasted red peppers and a tangy herb chimichurri wrapped snuggly inside a sundried tomato flour tortilla.
FEATURING:
Original Philly® Fully Cooked Seasoned Sliced Beef
Barbacoa Steak Sliders
Marinated sliced beef tossed in a rich and tangy barbacoa sauce, layered with charred peppers, onions, zesty pickles and jalapeños on toasted slider buns. Garnished with fresh cilantro and paired with a velvety queso for dipping.
FEATURING:
Steak-EZE® Redi Steak® Fully Cooked Seasoned Sliced Beef
CONSUMER SCORE:
Datassential scored this menu concept a 94/100 based on consumer feedback.†
BACON
Fiery Bacon & Pimento Cheese Sandwich
Sliced focaccia bread layered with fresh baby arugula and a healthy helping of tangy pimento cheese blended with smoky Calabrian chili peppers and crispy, diced bacon pieces.
FEATURING:
Hillshire Farm® Bakin’ Bacon™ Heat-N-Serve Pizza Topping
MENU INSIGHT:
With 8.6% growth in the last year and more than 50% growth over the last four, Calabrian menu mentions are expected to increase another 31% in the next four years.2
Fried Green Tomato BLT
Savory, thick-sliced bacon, breaded fried green tomatoes, fresh arugula and zesty oregano pesto on a toasted whole wheat bun.
FEATURING:
Wright® Brand Naturally Hickory Smoked Extra Thick Flat-Pack® Sliced Bacon
CHEF'S TIP:
When prepping green tomatoes, slice them to about ¼-inch thickness so they cook through and retain more of the breading as they fry.
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1 Datassential Sandwich Keynote Report, May 2026
2 Datassential, Menu Trends, May 2026
*No artificial ingredients. Minimally processed.
†For consumer insight scores, we partnered with Datassential to test our menu concepts with more than 300 consumers. Datassential Launches & Ratings tracks Limited Time Offers & New Menu Items from over 200 top chains each month; the database contains ratings on over 50,000 menu items. Items are tested online with a general population consumer sample of n=350 consumers on average. Menu items are individually rated by consumers on key performance measures including purchase intent, uniqueness, frequency, and draw, and then items are compared against one another and ranked based on performance with consumers. The menu items featured on this page were tested using the same methodology and benchmarked against existing LTOs from top chains.
