A staple in American fast-food cuisine, Chick-fil-A got its start in 1967. Founded by S. Truett Cathy in Atlanta, the popular chicken chain has locations spanning the country in 47 states and counting. The popular chain is known for its chicken, of course, boasting only real breast meat free of fillers, steroids, hormones, antibiotics, and artificial preservatives. Chick-fil-A has garnered a cult following, and customers can get heated when debating the best entrée on the menu.
Some fans swear by the spicy chicken sandwich, while others argue that the regular chicken sandwich is iconic for good reason. The chain releases its most popular entrée item ordered each year, and in 2023, the classic chicken sandwich took the top spot for the second year running.
But just because it’s the most popular doesn’t mean it’s the best thing on the menu. I decided to take one for the team—what a struggle!—and try every entrée to determine which deserves the most praise. While there were no losers to be found, some were certainly better than others. Ultimately, the items that took top accolades were the most simple, beloved classics the chain is known for.
Here’s how it panned out, with each item ranked in descending order from my least favorite to the absolute best.
Southwest Veggie Wrap
Nutrition (Per Wrap):
Calories: 630
Fat: 47 g (Saturated Fat: 11 g)
Carbs: 36 g (Fiber: 15 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 27 g
The only meatless option on the menu, Chick-fil-A’s Southwest Veggie Wrap is made with tomatoes, poblano chilies, red bell peppers, corn, black beans, lettuce, and cheese, all rolled up in a flaxseed flatbread. It costs $10.25 at my local Chick-fil-A in New York City.
The look: This wrap is bursting with ingredients and an eyeful of color. It looks like a delicious salad in wrap form. This is one of the most colorful and fresh-looking wraps I’ve seen served at a fast-food chain.
The taste: Sincerest apologies to the veggie wrap, but compared to all the other items on the menu, this one doesn’t compete with the toothsome chicken the chain is known for. While it’s not bad, it would be 100% better if some chicken were thrown in the mix (sorry, vegetarians). The wrap comes with spicy salsa dressing, which adds some needed flavor to the wrap, as well as a bit of heat. However, even with the extra condiment, the wrap is still on the dry side.
Grilled Nuggets
Nutrition (Per 8-Piece Order):
Calories: 130
Fat: 3 g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 440 mg
Carbs: 1 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 25 g
In addition to its popular breaded nuggets, Chick-fil-A also serves bite-sized chicken pieces that are marinated and grilled. An order of eight pieces costs $7.99.
The look: If you’re not comparing these to other menu items, they look like well-seasoned pieces of grilled chicken with thick grill marks. On the other hand, if you’re comparing these to their competition, they look a bit boring and bland.
The taste: There is nothing wrong with the flavor of these grilled nuggets. They are seasoned well, have tons of flavor, and are not overcooked. They don’t excite me as much as other dishes on the menu, but I would stock up on these to have on hand at home to add to rice dishes or salads.
Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich
Nutrition (Per Sandwich):
Calories: 520
Fat: 22 g (8 Saturated Fat)
Sodium: 1,130 mg
Carbs: 45 g (Fiber: 12 g, Sugar: 3 g)
Protein: 38 g
One of six different sandwiches on the menu board, the Grilled Chicken Club features a marinated chicken breast, and topped with bacon, cheese, lettuce, and tomato, and served on a multigrain bun. Priced at $11.09, this sandwich is the most expensive entrée at my local Chick-fil-A.
The look: This sandwich has many layers, each separate from one another and not messy. Every layer looks bright and fresh and makes me want to dig in.
The taste: It’s not grilled chicken’s fault that it’s not as tasty as its fried and breaded counterpart. But alas, it’s not as exciting. Here, you get a sandwich that is very reminiscent of a traditional club sandwich, with nothing surprising in the flavor. This comes with honey-roasted barbecue sauce, which adds sweetness to the mix. However, I’d love this to come in a non-grilled chicken version for that extra wow factor.
Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Nutrition (Per Sandwich):
Calories: 450
Fat: 19 g (Saturated Fat: 4 g)
Sodium: 1,730 mg
Carbs: 45 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 6 g)
Protein: 28 g
The Spicy Chicken Sandwich is basically Chick-fil-A’s classic breaded-chicken handheld—only the meat comes seasoned with “a spicy blend of peppers,” according to the chain. This sandwich costs $7.39.
The look: This looks like a nice, simple sandwich with a plain bun. It looks identical to the regular chicken sandwich, with a healthy helping of fried chicken sticking out from underneath the bun.
The taste: There is a great textural balance between the soft bun and crispy chicken. I love that the chicken doesn’t taste soggy and holds up its crunch. This sandwich has a nice kick for fans of spice. The heat level isn’t overwhelming and doesn’t overpower the other seasonings found in the chicken.
Chick-n-Strips
Nutrition (Per Order):
Calories: 310
Fat: 14 g (2.5 Saturated Fat)
Sodium: 870 mg
Carbs: 16 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 29 g)
Protein: 29 g
Chick-fil-A’s Chick-n-Strips are simply boneless chicken tenders that are breaded and cooked in peanut oil like many other items on the menu. An order of three pieces costs $7.39.
The look: These small chicken strips are dark, fried, and crispy looking. They aren’t as big as some competitor fast-food strips, but you can order them in multiple sizes (two, three, or four strips) depending on your hunger level.
The taste: These aren’t quite as crispy as they look and as I would’ve liked, but the flavor is on point. I don’t know what kind of seasoning is included in the breading of these strips, but I find it complex and delicious. Plus, there wasn’t a dry strip in the bunch!
Cool Wrap
Nutrition (Per Wrap):
Calories: 660
Fat: 45 g (9 Saturated Fat)
Sodium: 1,420 mg
Carbs: 32 g (Fiber: 14 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 43 g
The second wrap on the Chick-fil-A menu is a “cool” mix of grilled chicken, lettuce, and cheese, all rolled up in a flaxseed flatbread. The wrap costs $10.79.
The look: This looks like your everyday standard chicken wrap, with a light tortilla wrap, fresh, bright lettuce, and sliced grilled chicken.
The taste: This wrap has a very herb-forward flavor profile and you can really taste each and every ingredient—from the cheese and lettuce to the juicy chicken. The wrap comes with avocado lime ranch, and the addition makes the wrap that much tastier. You can taste a bit of garlic and onion undertones in the dressing. The flavors in this wrap give me garden party vibes.
Nuggets
Nutrition (Per 8-Piece Order):
Calories: 250
Fat: 11 g (2.5 Saturated Fat)
Sodium: 1,210 mg
Carbs: 11 g (Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 27 g
One of Chick-fil-A’s most popular menu items, the breaded nuggets are sold in five-, eight-, 12- and 30-count boxes. An order of eight costs $7.09 locally.
The look: These small nuggets look a lot different than the Chick-n-Strips. They seem to be a lot less crispy and much more lightly coated with breading.
The taste: I was surprised at how different these taste from the chicken strips. The seasoning is different, which I like because it gives customers more variety. These little bites are worth stopping in for, with a little tang and a bit less zesty than the strips.
Chicken Sandwich
Nutrition (Per Sandwich):
Calories: 420
Fat: 18 g (3.5 Saturated Fat)
Sodium: 1,460 mg
Carbs: 41 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 6 g)
Protein: 29 g
The most famous of all Chick-fil-A items, the original recipe Chicken Sandwich includes a breaded chicken breast topped with pickles on a squishy bun. The sandwich costs $6.99.
The look: Glistening! That shiny bun almost looked too perfect to eat. Like the spicy version, it had a big piece of fried chicken and looked nearly identical.
The taste: The soft bun had a bit of sweetness, much like a Hawaiian bun. Both the bun and the chicken are delicious, and the pickle on the sandwich gives it a little more complexity than an otherwise plain sandwich. It comes with honey-roasted barbecue sauce, which adds a nice sweetness to the meal, but it’s equally as tasty without adding the sauce.
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Nutrition (Per Sandwich):
Calories: 390
Fat: 12 g (Saturated Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 770 mg
Carbs: 44 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 12 g)
Protein: 28 g
Chick-fil-A’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich features a lemon-and-herb-marinated chicken breast with lettuce and tomato on a multigrain bun. It costs $8.49 locally.
The look: Overall, this sandwich looks plain and sparse, even though the bun looks fresh.
The taste: Even though the chicken on this sandwich is grilled and not fried, it is juicy, tender, and piquant. It has a noticeably grilled taste with subtle hints of smokiness. Even without condiments, there isn’t any dryness, and it packs a surprising wallop of flavor, especially for a healthier option.
Spicy Deluxe Sandwich
Nutrition (Per Sandwich):
Calories: 520
Fat: 25 g (Saturated Fat: 7 g)
Sodium: 1,790 mg
Carbs: 46 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 31 g
One of two “deluxe” sandwiches on the menu, this one features a spicy-seasoned breaded chicken breast with Pepper Jack cheese, pickles, lettuce, and tomato. It costs $8.29 locally.
The look: Although similar to the regular deluxe sandwich, it’s easy to tell the two apart. This one isn’t as eye-catching as its brother, and it looks like the restaurant might have gone a little overboard when melting the cheese.
The taste: This tastes similar to the deluxe but with an added kick. Aside from that extra heat, the main difference between the two is that my version was missing pickles, making the tomatoes stand out a bit more on the palate. This could have taken the top spot if I had the whole experience, but because I loved how the pickles shined, this had to come down to second place. Plus, it could have used some more cheese.
Deluxe Sandwich
Nutrition (Per Sandwich):
Calories: 490
Fat: 22 g (Saturated Fat: 6 g)
Sodium: 1,700 mg
Carbs: 43 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 32 g
Chick-fil-A’s regular Deluxe Sandwich features the chain’s classic breaded chicken breast with a slice of American cheese, pickles, lettuce, and tomato. It costs $7.89 locally.
The look: This looks like a perfectly cooked sandwich with TV-worthy melted cheese. It seemed so flawless that it almost looked fake.
The taste: This reminds me of a Big Mac in all the best ways, but even better … and with chicken, of course. The crispy chicken was idyllic—a nice crunch and bursting with an array of spices and seasonings. The pickles added a nice contrasting flavor to the mix, and the cheese gave it some needed fat. It’s a perfect sandwich and one I will be coming back for time and again.
