Church's Texas Chicken Seed Oil Report Card
Based on our menu research, Church's Texas Chicken cooks with: soybean oil (estimated). Across the 67 menu items we analyzed, it averages 11.8g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of D (Very High Risk).
What oil does Church's Texas Chicken fry in? The full answer
Eating at Church's Texas Chicken soon? Build your order in the app and see its seed oil total before you pay.
Build my orderAsk Church's Texas Chicken to drop seed oils
2 people have asked so far.
One tap, anonymous, no signup. We keep each chain's total public so the demand is impossible to ignore.
Safest Orders at Church's Texas Chicken
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: Chicken Tenders (3 pc) + Southern Unsweet Tea, 4.5g total
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Chicken Tenders (3 pc) | 4.5g |
| Fried Chicken Leg | 4.9g |
| Fried Chicken Wing | 5.8g |
| Spicy Tender Wrap | 6.2g |
| Boneless Wings (6 pc) | 8.0g |
Build your Church's Texas Chicken order
Pick your meal, sides, sauces and drink in the app and see your seed oil total before you order. It logs to your day in one tap. Free on iPhone and Android.
Build my orderWhat to Avoid at Church's Texas Chicken
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| 12 Piece Chicken Family Meal | 60.0g |
| 12 Piece Tenders Family Meal | 60.0g |
| 8 Piece Classic Chicken Family Meal | 55.0g |
| 8 Piece Tenders Family Meal | 55.0g |
| 4 Piece Original Chicken Combo | 36.0g |
Around the world: Church's Texas Chicken
Fries Large has 8.0g of PUFA in Canada but 13.2g in the US. Same chain. Why not here?
We have Church's Texas Chicken in 4 countries. Here is what it cooks with in each one, and how the same menu items compare.
| Country | Cooks with | Fries Large | Honey-Butter Biscuit | Apple Pie | Spicy Chicken Sandwich | Ranch Sauce | Creamy Jalapeno Sauce |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. (this page) | soybean oil | 13.2g | 2.3g | 1.8g | 13.0g | 8.5g | 7.8g |
| Canada | canola oil | 8.0g | 2.0g | 4.0g | n/a | 7.0g | 6.0g |
| Puerto Rico | Not disclosed | n/a | 7.2g | 7.0g | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Not disclosed | n/a | n/a | n/a | 10.0g | n/a | n/a |
Items are matched by name, so portions and recipes can differ between countries. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item. Oil notes are as each country's chain discloses them.
Every Church's Texas Chicken item, ranked
All 67 items we have for Church's Texas Chicken, safest first. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Southern Sweet Tea | 0.0g |
| Southern Unsweet Tea | 0.0g |
| Fountain Drink | 0.0g |
| Minute Maid Lemonade | 0.0g |
| Hi-C Punch | 0.0g |
| Texas Pete Hot Sauce | 0.0g |
| Honey Sauce | 0.0g |
| Ketchup | 0.0g |
| Honey BBQ Sauce | 0.0g |
| Mashed Potatoes and Gravy Regular | 0.6g |
| Brown Gravy Regular | 0.6g |
| Brown Gravy Large | 0.6g |
| Buttered Corn Regular | 1.0g |
| Mashed Potatoes and Gravy Large | 1.6g |
| Apple Pie | 1.8g |
| Buttered Corn Large | 2.0g |
| Honey-Butter Biscuit | 2.3g |
| Mac & Cheese | 3.0g |
| Baked Mac and Cheese Regular | 3.0g |
| Jalapeno Cheese Bombers Regular | 3.4g |
| Coleslaw Regular | 3.6g |
| Chicken Tenders (3 pc) | 4.5g |
| Fried Chicken Leg | 4.9g |
| Jalapeño Cheese Bombers | 5.0g |
| Fries Regular | 5.0g |
| Lemon Cheesecake Fried Pie | 5.0g |
| Cajun Fries (regular) | 5.4g |
| Fried Chicken Wing | 5.8g |
| Sweet Potato Pie | 6.0g |
| Smoky Honey-Q Dipping Sauce | 6.0g |
| Spicy Tender Wrap | 6.2g |
| Coleslaw | 6.6g |
| Jalapeno Cheese Bombers Large | 6.7g |
| Coleslaw Large | 7.2g |
| Honey Mustard Sauce | 7.8g |
| Creamy Jalapeno Sauce | 7.8g |
| Fried Okra | 8.0g |
| Boneless Wings (6 pc) | 8.0g |
| Jalapeño Cheese Bomber Wrap | 8.2g |
| Fried Okra Regular | 8.3g |
| Ranch Sauce | 8.5g |
| Fried Chicken Thigh | 9.0g |
| Original Tender Wrap | 9.0g |
| Fried Chicken Breast | 9.3g |
| Original Chicken Sandwich | 9.3g |
| Baked Mac and Cheese Large | 9.9g |
| Kids Tenders Meal | 12.0g |
| Spicy Chicken Sandwich | 13.0g |
| Fish Sandwich | 13.0g |
| Fries Large | 13.2g |
| Honey-Butter Biscuits (6 Biscuits) | 13.9g |
| Kids Chicken Meal | 14.0g |
| 2 Piece Original Chicken Combo | 20.0g |
| 2 Piece Spicy Chicken Combo | 20.0g |
| Butterfly Shrimp Combo | 20.0g |
| 3 Piece Tender Strips Combo | 22.0g |
| 5 Piece Wings Combo | 22.0g |
| Fried Okra Large | 22.6g |
| 3 Piece Original Chicken Combo | 28.0g |
| 3 Piece Spicy Chicken Combo | 28.0g |
| Surf N Turf Combo | 28.0g |
| 5 Piece Tender Strips Combo | 34.0g |
| 4 Piece Original Chicken Combo | 36.0g |
| 8 Piece Classic Chicken Family Meal | 55.0g |
| 8 Piece Tenders Family Meal | 55.0g |
| 12 Piece Chicken Family Meal | 60.0g |
| 12 Piece Tenders Family Meal | 60.0g |
Fry Oil History at Church's Texas Chicken
In May 2007 Church's told the Center for Science in the Public Interest it planned to move to trans fat free ingredients by the end of that year or early 2008. CSPI reported in September 2013 that the chainwide change still had not happened, and that trans fat free oil was only being used in places like California and New York City where the law required it. Source
Every documented oil switch across the industry lives on the Oil History timeline.
Frequently asked
Does Church's Texas Chicken use seed oils?
Based on our menu research, Church's Texas Chicken cooks with: soybean oil (estimated). Across the 67 menu items we analyzed, it averages 11.8g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of D (Very High Risk).
What oil does Church's Texas Chicken cook with?
Our research indicates: Hydrogenated soybean oil blend, scored as such (PUFA fraction ~0.55) but not named by the chain: its own allergen guide (effective January 2025) points to highly refined soy oil, and its FAQ says 'No, we do not use peanut oil in any of our restaurants' (read 2026-10-22). Preparation can vary by location, so treat PUFA numbers as estimates.
Does Church's Texas Chicken use beef tallow?
No. Our research indicates Church's Texas Chicken cooks with soybean oil (estimated), not beef tallow. For chains that fry in tallow or other real fats, see Tallow Watch.
Is Church's Texas Chicken seed oil free?
No. Our research indicates Church's Texas Chicken cooks with soybean oil (estimated), which includes seed oils. See the lower-PUFA orders above for the cleanest picks.
What is the safest thing to order at Church's Texas Chicken?
Chicken Tenders (3 pc) is the lowest-PUFA item we analyzed at Church's Texas Chicken, at an estimated 4.5g PUFA. See the Safest Orders list on this page for more options.
What should I avoid at Church's Texas Chicken?
12 Piece Chicken Family Meal is the highest-PUFA item we analyzed at Church's Texas Chicken, at an estimated 60.0g 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
Chick-fil-A · KFC · Popeyes · Raising Cane's · Wingstop · Zaxby's
See where Church's Texas Chicken 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.