Dave's Hot Chicken Seed Oil Report Card
Based on our menu research, Dave's Hot Chicken cooks with: soybean oil. Across the 61 menu items we analyzed, it averages 19.6g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of F (Extreme Risk).
What oil does Dave's Hot Chicken fry in? The full answer
Eating at Dave's Hot Chicken soon? Build your order in the app and see its seed oil total before you pay.
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Safest Orders at Dave's Hot 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: Cauli Tender + Bottled Water, 16.8g total
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Cauli Tender | 16.8g |
| Single Tender | 19.3g |
| Cheese Slider | 20.0g |
| Cauli Slider | 22.2g |
| 10 pc. Cauli Tender Bites | 22.2g |
Build your Dave's Hot 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 Dave's Hot Chicken
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Hot Box Dave's Bites | 149.0g |
| Hot Box Tenders | 55.0g |
| Large Top Loaded Fries | 52.8g |
| Hot Box Sliders | 50.0g |
| #2 Two Sliders w/ Fries | 47.8g |
Around the world: Dave's Hot Chicken
Kale Slaw has 4.5g of PUFA in the UK but 15.6g in the US. Same chain. Why not here?
We have Dave's Hot Chicken in 2 countries. Here is what it cooks with in each one, and how the same menu items compare.
| Country | Cooks with | Cheese Fries | Hot Box Sliders | Hot Box Tenders | Kale Slaw | Chocolate Shake Large | Strawberry Shake Large |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. (this page) | soybean oil | 12.0g | 50.0g | 55.0g | 15.6g | 4.7g | 4.7g |
| UK | rapeseed oil | 11.7g | 117.6g | 63.5g | 4.5g | 8.1g | 8.1g |
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 Dave's Hot Chicken item, ranked
All 61 items we have for Dave's Hot Chicken, safest first. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Fountain Drink | 0.0g |
| Frozen Hi-C Flashin' Fruit Punch Slusher | 0.0g |
| Frozen Hi-C Orange LavaBurst Slusher | 0.0g |
| Frozen Minute Maid Strawberry Lemonade Slusher | 0.0g |
| Mike's Hot Honey Sauce | 0.0g |
| Spicy BBQ Sauce | 0.0g |
| Cheese Sauce | 0.8g |
| Orange Creme Slusher | 0.8g |
| Strawberries and Creme Slusher | 0.8g |
| Buffalo Sauce | 1.8g |
| Chocolate Shake Small | 2.5g |
| Strawberry Shake Small | 2.5g |
| Vanilla Shake Small | 2.5g |
| Fruity Pebbles Top Loaded Shake | 3.0g |
| M&M Top Loaded Shake | 3.0g |
| Oreo Top Loaded Shake | 3.0g |
| Chocolate Shake Regular | 3.1g |
| Strawberry Shake Regular | 3.1g |
| Vanilla Shake Regular | 3.1g |
| Mac & Cheese | 3.2g |
| Chocolate Shake Large | 4.7g |
| Strawberry Shake Large | 4.7g |
| Vanilla Shake Large | 4.7g |
| Honey Mustard | 5.0g |
| Ranch Sauce | 9.0g |
| Dave's Sauce | 10.0g |
| French Fries | 12.0g |
| Cheese Fries | 12.0g |
| Reaper Sauce | 12.0g |
| Ranch | 12.6g |
| Reaper Ranch Sauce | 13.2g |
| Kale Slaw | 15.6g |
| Cauli Tender | 16.8g |
| Side of Dave's Sauce | 16.8g |
| Single Tender | 19.3g |
| Cheese Slider | 20.0g |
| Cauli Slider | 22.2g |
| 10 pc. Cauli Tender Bites | 22.2g |
| Single Slider | 22.3g |
| Small Top Loaded Fries | 23.4g |
| 10 Saucy Bites with Mike's Hot Honey | 24.0g |
| 10 Saucy Bites with Spicy BBQ | 24.0g |
| 10 pc. Dave's Bites | 24.2g |
| Dave's Hot Mozz (1 pc) | 26.0g |
| Dave's Hot Mozz Slider | 26.4g |
| 10 Saucy Bites with Buffalo Sauce | 26.4g |
| Single Tender w/ Fries | 30.4g |
| 10 pc. Cauli Tender Bites with Fries | 34.2g |
| #4 Single Slider w/ Fries | 34.3g |
| 2 Cauli Tenders with Fries | 34.8g |
| 10 pc. Dave's Bites with Fries | 36.2g |
| Top-Loaded Buffalo Mac (Small) | 39.2g |
| #1 Two Tenders w/ Fries | 39.5g |
| #3 Slider & Tender w/ Fries | 42.5g |
| Regular Top Loaded Fries | 44.4g |
| 2 Cauli Sliders with Fries | 45.0g |
| #2 Two Sliders w/ Fries | 47.8g |
| Hot Box Sliders | 50.0g |
| Large Top Loaded Fries | 52.8g |
| Hot Box Tenders | 55.0g |
| Hot Box Dave's Bites | 149.0g |
Frequently asked
Does Dave's Hot Chicken use seed oils?
Based on our menu research, Dave's Hot Chicken cooks with: soybean oil. Across the 61 menu items we analyzed, it averages 19.6g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of F (Extreme Risk).
What oil does Dave's Hot Chicken cook with?
Our research indicates: Fries in a soybean-type seed oil blend (basis: 1 tender = 10g PUFA); Dave's sauce, kale slaw and ranch are soybean-mayo based and stack on top. Preparation can vary by location, so treat PUFA numbers as estimates.
Does Dave's Hot Chicken use beef tallow?
No. Our research indicates Dave's Hot Chicken cooks with soybean oil, not beef tallow. For chains that fry in tallow or other real fats, see Tallow Watch.
Is Dave's Hot Chicken seed oil free?
No. Our research indicates Dave's Hot Chicken cooks with soybean oil, which includes seed oils. See the lower-PUFA orders above for the cleanest picks.
What is the safest thing to order at Dave's Hot Chicken?
Hot Box Tenders is the lowest-PUFA item we analyzed at Dave's Hot Chicken, at an estimated 55.0g PUFA. See the Safest Orders list on this page for more options.
What should I avoid at Dave's Hot Chicken?
Hot Box Dave's Bites is the highest-PUFA item we analyzed at Dave's Hot Chicken, at an estimated 149.0g 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.
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See where Dave's Hot 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.