This week I reached out for an Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich from our No. 1 burger slinger, McDonald’s, with 14,000 restaurants in the U.S.

McDonald’s is cleaning up its act when it comes to this chicken sandwich. Gone are those dry, stringy chicken patties laced with additives and preservatives that you’ll only find in drive-thrus and spelling bees. The Artisan Grilled Sandwich delivers a 100 percent breast seasoned with salt, garlic and parsley — and that’s it. No funny stuff. No added anything.

Here’s the blueprint: white-meat chicken breast, crisp lettuce, a slice of tomato and a splash of vinaigrette on a toasty artisan roll.

Total calories: 360. Fat grams: 6. Sodium: 930 mg. Carbs: 43 g. Dietary fiber: 3 g. Protein: 32 g. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: $4.59.

This new and, for a change, actually improved chicken sandwich from McDonald’s is more than just a product upgrade. It reflects the way McDonald’s is looking at its menu. Improving quality is the way to improve sales. So, good on McDonald’s. McDonald’s sears its new chicken breasts in olive oil and canola oil. The old version, the Grilled Chicken Deluxe, was cooked in liquid margarine.

McDonald’s is proud of its new breasts … and it didn’t run to a Beverly Hills surgeon to have them done. The old breasts were a little greasy and a lot salty. The new breasts are moist, with a whiff of herbs and garlic.

A big, big improvement is the vinaigrette on the Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich. It’s lightweight and subtle, replacing the restaurant’s lame, lazy habit of glopping fatty mayo on chicken sandwiches. Mayo is the black sheep of the condiment world, pounding on pounds and rendering sandwiches a squirty, unhealthy mess. If you’re looking to cut some fat out of your diet without making your life miserable, the easy trick is “hold the mayo.”

Holding the mayo is a big reason the Artisan Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich comes in at 360 calories and only 6 fat grams. That’s salad territory. Replace mayo with a light dressing or low-sugar ketchup, and you won’t feel too guilty about that big ol’ burger you had for lunch. Or ride your burger bareback, no condiments. “Just meat and bread” … that’s how you order it.

The artisan bun is shiny on top. It’s otherwise nothing special, but it does the job. The lettuce and tomato are crisp; McDonald’s is always good about that.

Bottom line: Yes, the Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich is a commendable step forward for McDonald’s. This is a better, simpler, more honest product. The problem is, it’s still a grilled chicken breast sandwich.

Chicken breast sandwiches, no matter how much you doctor them, will never match the show-stopping flavor and soulful power of a thick, juicy burger. Nobody ever has to unbuckle their belt after a chicken breast sandwich.

You know what’s the best thing to happen to the burger business in the past 10 years? Chicken breast sandwiches.