Chick-fil-A Seed Oil Report Card
Based on our menu research, Chick-fil-A cooks with: 100% refined peanut oil (fried chicken); canola oil in dedicated fryers (waffle fries, hash browns). Across the 88 menu items we analyzed, it averages 5.7g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of B (Medium Risk).
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Safest Orders at Chick-fil-A
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
Cleanest full order: Grilled Nuggets 12 Ct + Fruit Cup + Freshly-Brewed Iced Tea Sweetened, 1.2g total
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Grilled Nuggets 12 Ct | 1.2g |
| Egg White Grill | 1.6g |
| Mac & Cheese | 1.6g |
| Grilled Nuggets 8 Ct | 1.7g |
| Chicken Noodle Soup | 2.0g |
What to Avoid at Chick-fil-A
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Cobb Salad | 29.8g |
| Spicy Southwest Salad | 26.1g |
| Grilled Cool Wrap | 25.9g |
| Chick-fil-A Cool Wrap | 25.9g |
| Side Salad | 24.7g |
Every Chick-fil-A item, ranked
All 88 items we have for Chick-fil-A, safest first. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Fruit Cup | 0.0g |
| Buddy Fruits Apple Sauce | 0.0g |
| Sunjoy | 0.0g |
| Simply Orange | 0.0g |
| Fountain Drink | 0.0g |
| Honey Mustard Sauce | 0.0g |
| Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Sauce | 0.0g |
| Barbeque Sauce | 0.0g |
| 1% Milk | 0.1g |
| 1% Chocolate Milk | 0.1g |
| Icedream Cone | 0.2g |
| Icedream Cup | 0.2g |
| Frosted Sodas | 0.4g |
| Peach Frosted Lemonade | 0.4g |
| Pineapple Dragonfruit Frosted Lemonade | 0.4g |
| Frosted Coffee | 0.4g |
| Frosted Lemonade | 0.4g |
| Floats | 0.4g |
| Iced Coffee | 0.5g |
| Peach Milkshake | 1.0g |
| Strawberry Milkshake | 1.0g |
| 5 Ct Grilled Nuggets Kids Meal | 1.0g |
| Chocolate Milkshake | 1.2g |
| Grilled Nuggets 12 Ct | 1.2g |
| Vanilla Milkshake | 1.2g |
| Zesty Buffalo Sauce | 1.5g |
| Egg White Grill | 1.6g |
| Mac & Cheese (side) | 1.6g |
| Mac & Cheese Kids Meal | 1.6g |
| Mac & Cheese | 1.6g |
| Grilled Nuggets 8 Ct | 1.7g |
| Chicken Noodle Soup | 2.0g |
| Cookies & Cream Milkshake | 2.1g |
| 5 Ct Nuggets Kids Meal | 2.1g |
| Bacon Egg & Cheese Muffin | 2.1g |
| 2 Ct Chick-n-Strips Kids Meal | 2.7g |
| Chocolate Chunk Cookie | 2.7g |
| Berry Parfait | 3.0g |
| Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce | 3.0g |
| Chick-n-Minis 4 Ct | 3.2g |
| 8pc Nuggets (fried) | 3.3g |
| Chick-fil-A Nuggets 8 Ct | 3.3g |
| Polynesian Sauce | 3.5g |
| Chicken Egg & Cheese Muffin | 4.2g |
| 3pc Chicken Strips | 4.6g |
| Chick-n-Strips 3 Ct | 4.6g |
| Grilled Chicken Sandwich | 4.7g |
| Bacon Egg & Cheese Biscuit | 4.9g |
| Kale Crunch Side | 5.5g |
| 12pc Nuggets (fried) | 5.6g |
| Chick-fil-A Nuggets 12 Ct | 5.6g |
| Original Chicken Sandwich | 5.7g |
| Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich | 5.7g |
| Hash Browns | 5.8g |
| Spicy Chicken Sandwich | 5.9g |
| Deluxe Chicken Sandwich | 5.9g |
| Chick-fil-A Deluxe Sandwich | 5.9g |
| Chocolate Fudge Brownie | 6.0g |
| Waffle Potato Fries Small | 6.1g |
| Garden Herb Ranch Sauce | 6.2g |
| Hash Brown Scramble Bowl | 6.3g |
| Chicken Strips (4 pc) | 6.3g |
| Chick-n-Strips 4 Ct | 6.3g |
| Sausage Egg & Cheese Muffin | 6.4g |
| Spicy Deluxe Sandwich | 6.4g |
| Waffle Potato Chips Chick-fil-A Sauce Flavor | 7.0g |
| Honey Pepper Pimento Grilled Sandwich | 7.5g |
| Waffle Potato Chips Original | 7.5g |
| Waffle Potato Fries Medium | 7.7g |
| Chick-fil-A Sauce | 7.8g |
| Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich | 7.9g |
| Hash Brown Scramble Burrito | 8.4g |
| Sausage Egg & Cheese Biscuit | 8.8g |
| Spicy Chicken Biscuit | 11.0g |
| Large Waffle Fries | 11.2g |
| Waffle Potato Fries Large | 11.2g |
| Chicken Biscuit | 11.5g |
| Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit | 11.5g |
| Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich | 13.0g |
| Honey Pepper Pimento Spicy Sandwich | 13.0g |
| Chicken Egg & Cheese Biscuit | 14.0g |
| Chick-fil-A Nuggets 30 Ct | 14.2g |
| Market Salad | 17.1g |
| Side Salad | 24.7g |
| Grilled Cool Wrap | 25.9g |
| Chick-fil-A Cool Wrap | 25.9g |
| Spicy Southwest Salad | 26.1g |
| Cobb Salad | 29.8g |
Fry Oil History at Chick-fil-A
Cooking in peanut oil since 1964.
Chick-fil-A announced on October 9, 2008 that its entire menu was free of artificial trans fat, after two years of reworking the waffle fries, biscuits, desserts and sauces. The chicken itself was already pressure cooked in peanut oil, and the fries run in their own fryer. Source
Truett Cathy launched the original Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich in 1964 and pressure cooked it in peanut oil because he thought it did not overpower the taste of the chicken. The company still says it has cooked its hand breaded chicken in fully refined peanut oil ever since. Source
Every documented oil switch across the industry lives on the Oil History timeline.
Frequently asked
Does Chick-fil-A use seed oils?
Based on our menu research, Chick-fil-A cooks with: 100% refined peanut oil (fried chicken); canola oil in dedicated fryers (waffle fries, hash browns). Across the 88 menu items we analyzed, it averages 5.7g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of B (Medium Risk).
What oil does Chick-fil-A cook with?
Our research indicates: 100% refined peanut oil (fried chicken); canola oil in dedicated fryers (waffle fries, hash browns). Preparation can vary by location, so treat PUFA numbers as estimates.
Does Chick-fil-A use beef tallow?
No. Our research indicates Chick-fil-A cooks with 100% refined peanut oil (fried chicken); canola oil in dedicated fryers (waffle fries, hash browns), not beef tallow. For chains that fry in tallow or other real fats, see Tallow Watch.
Is Chick-fil-A seed oil free?
No. Our research indicates Chick-fil-A cooks with 100% refined peanut oil (fried chicken); canola oil in dedicated fryers (waffle fries, hash browns), which includes seed oils. See the lower-PUFA orders above for the cleanest picks.
What is the safest thing to order at Chick-fil-A?
Grilled Nuggets 12 Ct is the lowest-PUFA item we analyzed at Chick-fil-A, at an estimated 1.2g PUFA. See the Safest Orders list on this page for more options.
What should I avoid at Chick-fil-A?
Cobb Salad is the highest-PUFA item we analyzed at Chick-fil-A, at an estimated 29.8g PUFA. Fried items and creamy, mayo-based sauces are usually the heaviest.
What are seed oils?
Seed oils — canola, soybean, sunflower, corn, and similar vegetable oils — are extracted from seeds using high heat and chemical solvents. They are very high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), which are unstable at cooking temperatures and can oxidize easily. Many health-conscious eaters choose to minimize seed oils and prefer foods cooked in beef tallow, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil instead. This page shows estimated PUFA grams per menu item to help you make more informed choices. These are estimates — actual values vary by preparation and location. New to the topic? Start with what seed oils are and the complete list, or read the evidence on why people avoid them.
Compare other chains
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See where Chick-fil-A lands on the full Seed Oil Index, or check which chains cook in real fats on Tallow Watch. Wondering about a specific dish instead? The Is It Seed Oil food guide answers it for 200+ everyday foods, and the distributor oils page covers what independent restaurants fry in.