The fast food giant is due to roll out three versions of a Crispy Chicken Sandwich in the United States on February 24th.

It will come in Spicy, Classic and Deluxe varieties.

All will contain a new crispy white meat chicken filet served with crinkle-cut pickles on a toasted, buttered potato roll.

The new strategy is founded in part on the long-term success of Chicken McNuggets.

McDonald's comparative U.S. sales in September 2020 were their highest in nearly a decade, due in part to a popular limited-edition spicy version of the chicken bites.

But the chain will need to overcome operational and structural hurdles.

One of those is a lack of pressure fryers.

It will also have to prove wrong skeptics who doubt it can match sandwiches made by pure poultry sellers.

Chicken sandwiches have raised the game for the fast-food industry in recent years.

A version made by McDonald's rival Popeyes in 2019 sold out quickly, which led other companies to follow its lead.

Chick-fil-A's growth in the Southern U.S. states also pressured McDonald's franchises there.

Another challenge is cost.

That will have to stay low to appeal to existing customers, and to compete with $4 sandwiches made by rivals.

McDonald's U.S. President Joe Erlinger made clear in November that chicken is high on the agenda for the company.

He said at an investor day the sandwich was a quote 'jumping off point' for an even broader 'chicken platform'.