Chick-fil-A is one of America’s largest fast food restaurant chains. It is also known as the home of the Original Chicken Sandwich made with juicy chicken, two crunchy pickles, and a warm, soft bun. Chick-fil-A may not sound like a vegan-friendly restaurant, but surprisingly they offer quite a few vegan options. Most of their menu items are handcrafted in their restaurant kitchens so you won’t have to compromise too much. With a few simple modifications, you’ll be eating a delicious vegan meal in no time. It is fast food after all.
Chick-fil-A offers several options for vegans. Some are vegan already, and others just need a few simple modifications. Options include salads such as the Market salad and Kale Crunch side, Chick-fil-A waffle fries and hash browns, fruit cup and apple sauce, dressings and sauces such as Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette and Polynesian sauce, as well as many soft drinks.
If you are vegan and plan to visit Chick-fil-A, keep reading to find out tips and tricks for ordering vegan, which items on their menu to avoid and which to choose instead, as well as how to modify some menu items to make them vegan-friendly.
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Tips & Tricks for Ordering Vegan at Chick-fil-A
Many restaurants these days are happy to accommodate vegan lifestyles. Asking for help is a great place to start if you don’t visit Chick-fil-A very often and are not familiar with their menu. You can also use these tips and tricks for ordering vegan next time you visit Chick-fil-A.
- Ask for no cheese and no chicken. A lot of menu items at Chick-fil-A come with cheese and chicken, including the salads, so make sure to mention this no matter what you order.
- Avoid the Grilled Cool Wrap. This could have been a great vegan option if it wasn’t for the flaxseed flour flatbread. It contains l-cysteine, which is an amino acid that comes from animals.
- Avoid all the desserts and sweet treats. This includes milkshakes and frosted drinks. Chick-fil-A does not offer any vegan options of these at this time.
- Avoid iced coffee. The hot coffee is vegan, but the iced coffee contains dairy.
- Double up on certain items. You will most likely be ordering salads and sides at Chick-fil-A, as there are no vegan main dishes. For a more filling meal, don’t be afraid to order a double portion of something such as extra veggies, extra fruit, extra fries, or extra sauce.
Vegan Foods to Order at Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A makes it easy to order vegan because they have a lot of options to choose from. With a few modifications, here is a list of menu items that you can try next time you visit Chick-fil-A.
Salads
1. Spicy Southwest Salad (ask for no chicken, no cheese, and no tortilla strips; and substitute Creamy Salsa Dressing with Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette, Light Italian, or Balsamic Vinaigrette dressings)
Ingredients:
- Grilled spicy chicken breast (ask to remove this)
- Mixed greens
- Grape tomatoes
- Monterey and cheddar chesses (ask to remove this)
- Roasted corn
- Black beans
- Poblano chiles
- Red bell peppers
- Tortilla strips (ask to remove these)
- Chili lime pepitas
- Creamy Salsa dressing (ask to substitute with Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette, Light Italian, or Light Balsamic Vinaigrette dressings)
2. Market Salad (ask for no chicken and no cheese)
Ingredients:
- Grilled chicken breast (ask to remove this)
- Mixed greens
- Crumbled blue cheese (ask to remove this)
- Red and green apples
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Harvest Nut granola
- Roasted almonds
- Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette dressing or Light Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing
3. Side Salad (ask for no cheese and request either Fat Free Honey Mustard, Light Italian, or Light Balsamic Vinaigrette dressings
Ingredients:
- Mixed greens
- Grape tomatoes
- Shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses (ask to remove this)
- Charred tomato
- Crispy red bell peppers
- Choice of dressing (request either Fat Free Honey Mustard, Light Italian, or Light Balsamic Vinaigrette dressings)
Sides
1. Fruit Cup
Ingredients:
- Red and green apples
- Mandarin segments
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
2. Buddy Fruits Apple Sauce
Ingredients:
- Fresh apples
- Concentrated apple juice
- Cinnamon
3. Kale Crunch Side
Ingredients:
- Curly kale
- Green cabbage
- Apple Cider and Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette
- Salted and roasted almonds
4. Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries
Ingredients:
- Waffle-cut potatoes
- Canola oil
- Sea salt
5. Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Chips
Ingredients:
- Kettle-cooked waffle-cut potato chips
- Sea salt
6. Hash Browns
Ingredients:
- Potato medallions
- Canola oil
7. English Muffin
Ingredients:
- Toasted multigrain English muffin
Toppings
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Pickles
- Saltines
Dips, Dressings, and Sauces
According to the Chick-fil-A Allergen Guide, all these dips, dressings, and sauces are free from animal products such as dairy, egg, and fish, so they are safe for vegans.
- Polynesian Sauce
- Honey Mustard Sauce
- BBQ Sauce
- Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Sauce
- Fat Free Honey Mustard Dressing
- Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- Light Italian Dressing
- Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing
Drinks
1. Dasani Water
Ingredients:
- Water
- Magnesium sulfate
- Potassium chloride
- Salt
2. Coke
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Caramel color
- Phosphoric acid
- Natural flavors
- Caffeine
3. Diet Coke
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- Caramel color
- Phosphoric and citric acid
- Aspartame (contains phenylalanine)
- Flavor
- Sodium benzoate
- Caffeine
- Acesulfame-potassium
4. Sprite
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- Sugar
- Citric acid
- Sweeteners (acesulfame K, aspartame)
- Acidity regulator (sodium citrate)
- Natural lemon and lime flavorings
5. Dr. Pepper
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Caramel color
- Phosphoric acid
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Sodium benzoate (preservative)
- Caffeine
6. Freshly Brewed Iced Tea (available sweetened or unsweetened)
Ingredients:
- Blend of tea leaves
- Real cane sugar
7. Chick-fil-A Lemonade or Diet Lemonade
Ingredients:
- Real lemon juice (not from concentrate)
- Cane sugar or Splenda
- Water
8. Sunjoy Regular or Diet (1/2 sweet tea, ½ lemonade, available sweetened or unsweetened)
Ingredients:
- Water
- Sugar or Splenda
- Lemon juice
- Tea
9. Honest Kids Apple Juice
Ingredients:
- Filtered water
- Organic apple juice from concentrate
- Natural flavor
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
- Organic natural flavor
- Citric acid (provides tartness)
10. Simply Orange Juice
Ingredients:
- 100% orange juice
11. Coffee
Ingredients:
- THRIVE Farmers coffee grounds
- Water
Non-Vegan Foods to Avoid at Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A offers vegan options in their restaurant with some modifications; however, here is a list of menu items to avoid, as they cannot be easily modified to make them vegan-friendly.
Entrees to Avoid
- All the chicken sandwiches – regular, deluxe, spicy, grilled
- All the Chick-fil-A nuggets and chick-n-strips
- Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit
- Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Minis
- Egg white grill
- Hash brown scramble burrito
- Hash brown scramble bowl
- Bacon, egg & cheese biscuit
- Sausage, egg & cheese biscuit
- Bacon, egg & cheese muffin
- Sausage, egg & cheese muffin
- Grilled Cool Wrap (flaxseed flour flatbread contains l-cysteine which comes from animals)
- Cobb salad
Desserts and Drinks to Avoid
- All sweet treats – chocolate chunk cookie, chocolate fudge brownie, Icedream cone, Icedream cup
- All milkshakes – cookies & cream, chocolate, strawberry, vanilla
- Frosted coffee
- Frosted lemonade
- Iced coffee – contains dairy
- Milk and chocolate milk
Dips, Dressings, and Sauces to Avoid
- Garden Herb Ranch Sauce
- Chick-fil-A Sauce
- Zesty Buffalo Sauce
- Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce
- Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing
- Creamy Salsa Dressing
Salad and Sandwich Toppings to Avoid
- Bacon
- American cheese
- Colby Jack cheese
- Pepper Jack cheese
- Blue cheese
- Shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses
- Seasoned tortilla strips
Sides to Avoid
- Mac & Cheese
- Chicken noodle soup
- Chicken tortilla soup
- Greek yogurt parfait
- Buttered biscuit
Find a Chick-fil-A Near You
There are more than 2804 Chick-fil-A restaurants in 47 states and the District of Columbia. Click here to find a location near you.
Click here if you would like to see Chick-fil-A’s allergen and nutrition information.
Similar Restaurants to Chick-fil-A
If you don’t have a Chick-fil-A in your area or are looking for similar restaurants that also offer vegan options, check out the following restaurants.
The following restaurants may not seem like they are vegan-friendly restaurant options, but I am happy to say that all three of them started offering vegan meat at their restaurants.
KFC started using vegan meat to make their fried chicken, A&W launched vegan chicken nuggets, and Burger King added their Impossible Whopper to their menu that includes a plant-based patty. Maybe Chick-fil-A will soon follow and offer plant-based sandwiches as well.
Related Questions
Does Chick-fil-A offer any vegan meat?
No, Chick-fil-A does not offer any vegan meat at this time. However, a lot of restaurants have started to include vegan meat in their menus, so that could change at Chick-fil-A in the future with the high demand in more vegan options at restaurants.
Are the buns at Chick-fil-A vegan?
Only the English muffins are vegan-friendly at Chick-fil-A. The buns and brioche are not vegan-friendly, as they contain dairy and eggs. The flaxseed flour flatbread is not vegan-friendly either, as it contains l-cysteine which comes from animals.
Can you make a complete vegan meal at Chick-fil-A?
Yes, you can make a complete vegan meal at Chick-fil-A. Even though they may not offer any main dishes, they offer a great selection of sides, salads, and drinks. You could order a Market Salad with no cheese or chicken and request Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette or Light Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. You could order a side of waffle fries or chips with some BBQ sauce to munch on with your salad. For dessert, you could get a fruit cup or some apple sauce. To wash it all down, you could order some freshly brewed iced tea or lemonade made from real lemon juice.