Burger King and Wendy's are trying to start the chicken wrap wars. But their messy meals made us yearn for the return of McDonald's iconic snack wraps.
Nancy Luna, Insider restaurants correspondent, reviews Burger King and Wendy's chicken wraps.
Nancy Luna/Burger King
McDonald's removed snack wraps from the menu in 2016 because they were too complicated to make.
Wendy's and Burger King launched this year copycats of the iconic McDonald's chicken wraps.
I tried the four new wraps. Wendy's was the best, but it fell apart as did the Burger King wraps.
McDonald's restaurants in the US ditched snack wraps in 2016. Seven years later, the burger chain's arch rivals, Burger King and Wendy's, are filling the chicken wrap gap with their own versions.
Burger King debuted three snack-wrap-style chicken wraps in August, while Wendy's debuted a grilled chicken ranch wrap in March. Both chains poked at McDonald's when Insider asked about their motivation for debuting the wraps.
Burger King told Insider its BK Royal Crispy Wraps provide menu options that customers "can't get anywhere else."
Wendy's was less subtle. "We're always listening to our fans, and we knew our fans were looking for lighter and more portable menu items that were anything but McBland."
I set out to see if these wraps would fill the void left by the McDonald's snack wrap. Here's what I discovered.
Beating the McDonald's snack wrap is a big challenge. The wrap was developed by McDonald's chef Dan Coudreaut, a fine-dining chef who trained at the Culinary Institute of America.
McDonald's chef Dan Coudreaut in 2016, the year McDonald's cut the snack wrap from the menu.
Associated Press
Chef Dan Coudreaut created the snack wrap by accident, he told me when I interviewed him in 2006 while working for the Orange County Register.
Coudreaut said he was testing new ways of using Chicken Selects, or chicken strips. He tried to put the chicken tenders in a quesadilla, but consumers didn't like it, he said.
"But when we simply (took) chicken and added ranch dressing, lettuce, cheese and wrapped it, people gravitated to it," said Coudreaut, who no longer works at McDonald's.
The portable wrap, geared for young consumers looking for healthier choices on the go, was introduced in 2006. It was credited at the time for boosting sales at McDonald's.
After 10 years in the US, McDonald's discontinued snack wraps from the menu because they were too complicated to make.
Heidi Klum promotes snack wraps.
Getty Images
Snack wraps required workers to steam tortillas and roll the ingredients tightly to fit into slim packaging. Some McDonald's franchisees complained about how inefficient they were to make and demanded their removal as they strived to maintain speedy service times.
Wendy's and Burger King introduced chicken wraps this year. Burger King said its wraps, shown here, meet consumer desire for more snackable menu choices.
Burger King's wraps
Burger King
Burger King's BK Royal Crispy Wraps come in three flavors: classic, spicy, and honey mustard.
Cost: $2.99.
"We know that there is a growing interest in more snackable options, and our new Royal Crispy Wraps aim to meet this need," the chain told Insider.
As I picked up each wrap, they unraveled. They were cold to the touch and looked nothing like the photo.
The paper wrapper was the only thing holding the wraps together.
Nancy Luna/Insider
I've been covering the fast-food industry for 18 years. I understand that "beauty shots" seen on TV and marketing promos don't always match the real thing. But these pathetic-looking wraps looked nothing like the ones being promoted by Burger King.
The wraps were loosely folded and wrapped in standard food wrapping paper. Once you removed the paper wrapping, the tortilla flopped open because the paper was the only thing holding it together.
Each wrap had a piece of fried chicken that looked like it had been smashed and cut in half.
The inside of the wrap.
Nancy Luna/Insider
The chicken seemed like an afterthought here. It looked like they sliced the same chicken breast used for the chain's BK Royal Crispy Chicken sandwich.
The classic chicken wrap was bland. Nothing special.
Burger King's classic chicken wrap.
Nancy Luna/Insider
I tried the classic wrap first, which was stuffed with a tiny piece of tomato and iceberg lettuce. The chicken, while unappetizing at first glimpse, actually had a nice flavor. The breading and white chicken is the same flavor profile as the BK Royal Crispy Chicken sandwich. Still, the chicken was overcooked and dry.
The wrap needed more sauce.
The honey mustard wrap was drowning in dressing.
While the classic wrap needed more sauce, the honey mustard wrap was drowning in dressing.
Nancy Luna/Insider
The honey mustard gave this wrap a nice flavor compared to the classic wrap. But, it was slathered in sauce, making it impossible to taste the fried chicken.
The spicy wrap slowly burned my palate. Still, it was the best of the three.
The spicy wrap
Nancy Luna/Insider
The spicy dressing paired well with the fried chicken.
This is no mild sauce. The heat kicked in after two bites, forcing me to guzzle a glass of water.
Overall, all three Burger King wraps were a big fail. Burger King isn't really trying hard to beat anyone with this wrap. There's no innovation here. I would not recommend eating these while driving. The tortillas fall apart, causing the ingredients to spill out.
From what I recall, McDonald's snack wrap was easy to eat on the go. The wraps came in specially designed packaging, making them easy to eat while driving. That was its genius, but also one of the reasons why McDonald's gave it the boot.
I didn't like them. But Burger King said the chain is receiving positive feedback from customers who enjoy the small size and "great value" of the wraps. More wraps might be on the way.
I would not recommend eating these while driving.
Nancy Luna/Insider
"Guests have been extremely receptive toward the new Royal Crispy Wraps and consumer demand so far has exceeded our expectations," the chain told Insider.
If Burger King continues to hear positive feedback, Burger King said its "culinary team will explore new and exciting ways to build on this platform."
Next stop Wendy's, which debuted the grilled chicken ranch wrap in March. I was immediately shocked by its size. It looked like a burrito, not a portable snack.
The wrap was huge.
Nancy Luna/Insider
The Wendy's grilled chicken ranch wrap also fell apart as I removed it from the foil wrapping. The tortilla was cold and warm, depending on which side you touched. That's not a good first impression.
But, as soon as I took the first bite, my palate took a step back in time. The flavors were identical to the McDonald's snack wrap.
The flavors of Wendy's wrap are identical to the McDonald's wrap.
Nancy Luna/Insider
The wrap is stuffed with a hefty portion of seasoned diced chicken, shredded cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce, and ranch dressing.
The flavors are identical to the McDonald's wrap. But it is much bigger than the Burger King wraps and McDonald's snack wrap.
I would call this a meal, not a snack.
It's not cheap, either. It cost $6.69 at Wendy's in Santa Ana, California.
I doubt McDonald's has any plans to resurrect the snack wraps. But they might consider it because they would beat Wendy's and Burger King in any chicken wrap battle.
The long-lost McDonald's wrap
Getty
The McDonald's snack wrap would win on flavor, value, and portability. It was an innovative snack item.
If you miss the snack wraps, fans can still find them sold in international locations. In India, two of the most popular items are the Big Spicy Paneer and the Big Spicy Chicken wraps.
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