Is The Spicy Fish Sandwich at Arby’s Spicy?

The spicy chicken world is oversaturated, so it’s time to move to spicy fish sandwiches.

If you agree, Arby’s is here to help! With their Diablo Sandwiches in the rearview, Arby’s turns its meaty paws toward the pescatarian market with this spicy sando.

As any self-respecting heatseeker would, we asked the question “Is the spicy fish sandwich at Arby’s spicy,” and went to investigate.

Spicy Fish Sandwich Ingredients

From a high-level, the Spicy Fish Sandwich at Arby’s is “a spicy seasoned crispy fish fillet topped with diced fire-roasted jalapenos, shredded lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce on a toasted sesame bun.” That spicy seasoning is the same “Fiery Seasoning” used on their Diablo line of sandwiches. Outside of the fire-roasted jalapeños, the fiery seasoning is the only spicy ingredient on the spicy fish sandwich. So let’s dive deeper.

Arby’s Fiery Seasoning is the following mixture of: Salt, Garlic (dehydrated), Onion (dehydrated), Chili Pepper, Spices, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Sugar, Maltodextrin, Dehydrated Cayenne Pepper Sauce (aged cayenne red peppers, vinegar, salt, garlic), Extractives Of Paprika (color), Citric Acid, Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate, Natural Flavor, Contains less than 2% of the following: Silicon Dioxide and Sunflower Oil (processing aids).

The chili pepper and dehydrated cayenne pepper sauce in Arby’s Fiery Seasoning are the two core components of what makes the fish in the Spicy Fish Sandwich spicy. Unfortunately, those two ingredients are hidden behind Salt, Garlic, and Onion, leaving the heat at a dull glub from this Spicy Fish Sandwich from Arby’s.

Fire-roasted jalapeños are becoming an Arby’s staple, getting added to pretty much any of their “spicy” food offerings. It’s a nice change from the typically pickled jalapeñps other fast food chains use, and is likely to add just a bit of heat.

Now that you know the ingredients that go into making the Spicy Fish Sandwich at Arby’s spicy, how does it do from a spiciness perspective when eaten.

Spicy Fish Sandwich Taste Test

Picking up the sandwich, some of the fiery seasoning was left on the paper wrapper, but the filet itself wasn’t heavily coated. The spiciness was severely lacking on the first few bites, making me question if the fire-roasted jalapeños were left off.

Opening the sandwich I was relieved to see they were clumped together, waving at me to let me know they’d be joining the rest of the sandwich shortly.

The bites containing the jalapeños definitely add some heat, but the Spicy Fish Sandwich at Arby’s stayed consistently mild. From a taste perspective, this is a weaker spicy offering than the Diablo line, and also less spicy than the many spicy chicken offerings across the fast-food world.

So, Is Arby’s Spicy Fish Sandwich Spicy?

Short answer, no.

If you’re worried about the spiciness of table sauces like Tabasco or Cholula, this sandwich is likely going to be spicy for you. If you’re in the sea of folks looking for something that makes your cheeks warm, you will likely not view the Arby’s Spicy Fish Sandwich as spicy at all. The fiery seasoning brings little to no heat, leaving the burden of the “spicy fish sandwich” name to the fire-roasted jalapeños.

It may be worth slapping on some of their Three Pepper Sauce, though that will only kick it up a little bit, still below other common spicy fast-food sandwiches.

Other Spicy Fast Food:

• Chick-Fil-A Grilled Spicy Deluxe
• McDonald’s Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich
• McDonald’s Spicy McNuggets and Mighty Hot Sauce
• Arby’s Diablo Sandwiches

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