The Golden Dragon: A spicy, hand-breaded chicken filet with a fiery and sweet Golden Habanero Glaze; topped with coleslaw, tomato, cheese and Habanero-Honey Mayo on a toasted brioche bun
Credit: Raul Zavala, MCM Creative Agency
Church’s Texas Chicken Goes International
Church’s Texas Chicken / Texas Chicken | Based in Atlanta
Eric Stein
The Golden Dragon Burger from Church’s Texas Chicken is blazing a new trail for the brand in overseas markets. First tested in Asia and the Middle East in 2024, this boldly built chicken sandwich (called a burger outside the U.S.) combines sweet heat with cooling contrast in a craveable, premium handheld. The star is the Golden Habanero Glaze, a spicy, sweet and unapologetically fiery sauce featuring habanero, citrus, spices, tomato and honey.
Eric Stein, head of international culinary for this global fried chicken quick serve, uses the brand’s hallmarks—bold flavors and craveable chicken—as creative touchpoints for the Golden Dragon Series, which includes the Golden Dragon Burger, the Golden Dragon Monster Burger (with two chicken breasts) and the Golden Dragon Wrap.
“The Golden Dragon series went through development and customer taste testing in 2023, and we added it as an LTO in 2024 in a handful of markets in Asia and the Middle East,” says Stein. “Customers loved it so much that some global markets are considering making it a full-time menu item, and this year we are promoting and launching the Golden Dragon series simultaneously across most Church’s Texas Chicken and Texas Chicken markets around the world. This is a first for our brand. We are really excited for these promotions and to share this unique and signature flavor on such a large scale.”
About the Author
Katie Ayoub serves as managing editor of Flavor & The Menu and content strategist for the Flavor Experience, an annual conference geared toward chain operators. She is president of Katie Ayoub & Associates, serving up menu trends expertise, content creation and food & beverage consultancy. Based in Chicago, Katie has been working in foodservice publishing for more than 20 years and part of the Flavor team since 2006. katie.ayoub@gmail.comRead More Stories by Katie Ayoub
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