Back in May, FastFoodCritic reported news of Chick-fil-A making a few upgrades to their already awesome lineup. It’s a trait of CFA not shared by nearly enough other chains within the fast food industry. Constantly striving to improve tomorrow’s menu, even when today’s is very successful. Chick-fil-A recognizes there’s always room for improvement, and that speaks volumes for a restaurant that has, in my eyes, done most everything right. One item tweaked with an upgrade, the Chick-N-Strips.

As we told you previously, the new Chick-fil-A Chick-N-Strips are 50% larger than the chain’s former version. Made from what is arguably the best part of the breast, the tenderloin, freshly marinated, hand-breaded and pressure cooked in peanut oil. These strips are full of flavor and undoubtedly some of the most tender and juicy you’ll find in fast food land. The breading is light and slightly crisp in spots, but not crunchy. It’s like a thin skin. It compliments the chicken, showcases it, without intruding.

Some brands of strips and nuggets have thick breading helping to mask lower quality chicken meat. Suffice to say much of the flavor in those items comes from breading and not bird. CFA’s chicken is high quality, and there’s no need for a heavy coating. The focus here is on good chicken and the perfect balance of seasoning.

Whatever changes were made to the recipe itself are obviously very subtle. I’ve had the previous chicken strips and the new version doesn’t taste much different, but they are definitely bigger, and still just as delicious. You can purchase them as 3 or 4-piece entrees, and 1 or 2-piece servings as part of a kid’s meal. If you’re having a party you can order 3 sizes of “Trays” in advance, with enough strips to feed 25 people.

While these chicken strips are among the tastiest I’ve had, they are not perfect. They’re a little on the greasy side, and will leave your hands messy. You’ll notice evidence of their oily nature in the box they come in (see above). And since the breading is lighter than many other strips and nuggets, it has a tendency to slide off the chicken easier. I’m being persnickety there but it’s just a couple honest observations. With chicken this good, such minor issues are easy to ignore as you grab another napkin.

Along with the bigger strips, they have also introduced a new smoky mustard dipping sauce, simply called “Chick-fil-A Sauce”. Tasting it the first time I immediately noticed the mustard flavor, but it had a little extra something too. After reading the ingredients it appears to be a hybrid of honey mustard and barbecue. That would explain it. The combo works, and it’s very nice match for the chicken strips. If that new sauce doesn’t sound like something you’d like, no need to worry because CFA has a wide selection of dipping sauces, including Barbecue, Buttermilk Ranch, Buffalo and more.

There’s so many restaurants focusing on new creations and crazy flavor combinations to grab our attention, it’s nice to see a company aiming to make improvements to the standard favorites. In this case, bigger is better, when it’s more of the same great chicken we’re accustomed to. Making high quality fast food is something Chick-fil-A does better than most, and the Chick-N-Strips and Sauce continue the legacy.

Price: $3.89 (4 piece) / Website: Chick-fil-A.com

Fast Food Critic Score: A

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Nutrition Facts - Chick-fil-A, Chick-N-Strips (4 piece).

Calories - 470
Calories from Fat - 210
Total Fat - 23 grams
Carbs - 22 grams
Saturated Fat - 4.5 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 125 milligrams
Sodium - 1390 milligrams
Protein - 44 grams

A lot of things have changed in the world of fast food when it comes to chicken strips and nuggets. Gone are the depressing days when all we had to choose from were overly processed pieces of mystery meat that left us wondering exactly what part of the chicken we were eating. Today there’s quite a few solid choices available.

Even McDonald’s, the creator of those infamous MSM (mechanically separated meat) nuggets have introduced “Chicken Selects Premium“, strips cut from 100% breast filets. And while they may fall a bit short of greatness, they’re still pretty good, and most definitely a step-up from McNuggets. So who’s making the ‘great’ ones?

If you’re wondering about the fries in the photo, they’re awesome!

For one, Popeyes. In my opinion, the chicken strips from Popeyes are the most natural tasting on the market. That doesn’t necessarily make them the best, but it surely puts them near the top. Whenever I’m eating these strips, I almost feel like I’m enjoying regular bone-in pieces of fried chicken. From the crisp crackling crust, to the tender juicy meat, they have a wonderfully unprocessed texture and flavor about them.

They also vary widely in size and shape, with each strip looking different than the rest. While many fast food chicken strips are cut and shaped to appear part of a clone-like family, the strips from Popeyes look unique. It’s as if somebody back in the kitchen is pulling off hunks of meat from the bone, with no concern about appearance.

Popeyes offers two varieties of chicken strips — “Classic Mild” or “New Orleans Spicy”. Both are delicious, with the spicy version offering a little extra kick created by a layer of spices coating the meat, hidden underneath the batter. I’ve tried to capture of photo of that orangish ring of flavor. Look at the arrows in the shot below and you’ll see it.

The Chicken Strips from Popeyes are excellent. Tasty, moist and tender chicken pieces coated with a flaky crunchy shell. Great alone, and terrific with Popeyes’ Cajun gravy or your favorite dipping sauce. I’m not ready to proclaim them the best in the industry, but they certainly rank high on the list. If you’re a fan of Popeyes’ regular fried chicken, you’re going to like these too. If you’ve never eaten there before, this is a good time to venture out and find the nearest location. You won’t be disappointed.

Price: $4.49 (3 strips and regular side) / Website: Popeyes.com

Fast Food Critic Score: A

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Nutrition Facts - Popeyes, 3 chicken strips (spicy).

Calories - 405
Calories from Fat - N/A
Total Fat - 16 grams
Carbs - 31 grams
Saturated Fat - 6.75 grams
Trans Fat - 0.75 grams
Cholesterol - 82 milligrams
Sodium - 2145 milligrams
Protein - 33 grams

The “Chick-fil-A College Kickoff” will take place on Saturday, August 30th at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, and will be nationally televised on the ABC network. The game features the University of Alabama versus Clemson University. On the following Monday, September 1st, the company will give away a Free 3-piece order of their new-improved chicken strips to any customer that shows up wearing attire with a team logo. It doesn’t have to be a college team. It can be any team from a pee-wee league, all the way up to the NFL. Just show up at any Chick-fil-A location wearing a jersey, hat, t-shirt or other accessory with a team logo, and claim your free food.

As I reported back in May, the new strips are bigger than the previous version, and the company has also released a new smokey mustard dipping sauce to compliment them. What I didn’t know back then, is the recipe itself has also been changed, using a marinade that’s said to resemble a mesquite-type flavoring. You can expect a full review of the chicken strips and dipping sauce here at FFC in the near future.

Sometimes you find the best food where you least expect it. The onion rings from Popeyes are one example. The chicken strips from Whataburger are another. In my opinion, they’re as tasty and flavorful as the similar items from any of the fast food chicken restaurants. They just happen to come from one of the best burger places.

The chicken is consistently juicy and tastes wonderfully natural. Pieces are thick and meaty, cut from whole breasts. The breading is crisp, flaky, golden brown and dotted with black pepper. Forget about little packets of dipping sauces. Whataburger gives you a nice warm cup of freshly made creamy white gravy on the side. It’s thick and rich, turning a typical dunking experience into a more substantial, satisfying meal.

Don’t get me wrong, the chicken tastes great with other sauces, especially the BBQ, but there’s a beautiful thing going on with the cream gravy you should not miss.

Also included with 2-piece and 3-piece combos is a nice buttery slice of Texas toast. It’s always cooked golden brown (take note Sonic) and serves as a perfect way to soak up the extra gravy after finishing the chicken. Sometimes I order an extra piece of toast, place my 3 strips between them with the gravy poured on top, making myself a sandwich. Granted, I normally drip gravy all over my shirt doing that, but when I’m eating good food I don’t care. That’s what napkins and laundry detergent are for.

The Chicken Strips from Whataburger are delicious. Good chicken, good breading, good gravy and good toast. Good Lord, what are you waiting for? Get some!

Price: $4.49 / Website: Whataburger.com

Fast Food Critic Score: A

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Nutrition Facts - Whataburger Chicken Strips, 3-pieces.

Calories - 580
Calories from Fat - 320
Total Fat - 37 grams
Carbs - 34 grams
Saturated Fat - 6 grams
Trans Fat - 1.5 grams
Cholesterol - 46 milligrams
Sodium - 1077 milligrams
Protein - 28 grams

Nutrition Facts - Whataburger Gravy, white peppered, 3 oz.

Calories - 60
Calories from Fat - 45
Total Fat - 5 grams
Carbs - 8 grams
Saturated Fat - 1 grams
Trans Fat - 2.5 grams
Cholesterol - 0 milligrams
Sodium - 421 milligrams
Protein - 0 grams

Nutrition Facts - Whataburger Texas Toast, 1 piece.

Calories - 150
Calories from Fat - 60
Total Fat - 7 grams
Carbs - 20 grams
Saturated Fat - 1 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 0 milligrams
Sodium - 170 milligrams
Protein - 3 grams

Chick-Fil-A has just announced a list of new menu additions and updates to current products, and I think fans of the chain are going to be excited. Something that caught my eye immediately was the major size increase to their Chick-n-Strips. I’ve eaten the current CFA strips many times, and I feel they are acceptably sized and there’s plenty of tender meaty goodness already, so this new BIGGER version is a terrific surprise for me personally. All I can say is get the dipping sauce ready. Speaking of sauce, they are introducing a new Smokey Mustard flavor to compliment the strips.

Press releases can be tedious to sort thru, especially the large ones, so I’ve taken the information and created an easy to follow post for FFC readers.

New Salad — Chick-fil-A is adding a new choice to its line of entrée salads, a Chargrilled Chicken and Fruit Salad served with Harvest Nut Granola Topping and a complementary Berry Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing.

Salad Packaging Upgrade — All 4 entrée salads will now be served in a larger, deeper salad bowl that is easier to eat out of and easily transported. Chick-fil-A will continue to intentionally cluster salad ingredients and offer individually packaged toppings (e.g. sunflower seeds, croutons, dressings, etc.), so ingredients and toppings can be easily removed or avoided for nutritional and/or taste preferences.

Chicken Salad Sandwich Makeover — While the recipe and flavor profile of the Chick-fil-A Chicken Salad will not change, the sandwich will now be served on a premium Wheatberry bread with Green Leaf lettuce. Starting at $6.05, the chain is now offering the Chicken Salad Sandwich as a Chick-fil-A Meal for the first time. The sandwich is priced individually at $3.65, and will be packaged in a clear clamshell rather than a foil bag, resembling packaging more typical of a high-end deli than a fast-food restaurant.

Cool Wraps Upgrade — Chick-fil-A will begin serving its three Cool Wrap offerings in a new, higher-quality multigrain flatbread recipe with Green Leaf lettuce. Previously served in a foil wrapper, Chick-fil-A Cool Wraps will now be served in a new clamshell packaging, much like the Chicken Salad Sandwich.

New BIGGER Chick-n-Strips — Perhaps the most significant change to the Chick-fil-A menu will be the introduction of a new Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips product that is 50 percent larger than the chain’s current strip offering (45 gram tender versus 30 grams). The Chick-n-Strips, which are served as part of the Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strip Salad, will be added to the menu on May 19 along with Chick-fil-A’s cold entrée improvements, but the chain will not aggressively promote the new Chick-n-Strips as an entrée until August. Chick-n-Strips will be offered as a 3- or 4-count entrée for adults and in 1- and 2-counts for Chick-fil-A Kid’s Meals.

New Dipping Sauce — To complement the new Chick-n-Strips, Chick-fil-A has developed a new proprietary dipping sauce, a smokey mustard recipe inspired by a veteran Chick-fil-A restaurant franchisee in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

New Side Options — Chick-fil-A is giving customers a choice of side options as part of its Chick-fil-A Meals. Five additional side item choices will be available for customers to substitute for Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries. A small Cole Slaw or Carrot and Raisin Salad can be substituted for free, or customers can choose a small bowl of Chicken Soup, medium Fruit Cup or Side Salad for nominal upcharge.

NOTE: These new products launch nationwide Today, May 19th.

Like many people, I liked Chicken McNuggets as a kid, but eventually developed a taste for a better piece of chicken. McDonald’s realizes this of course, and their menu includes chicken ’strips’ for people like us. They even use the words “Select” and “Premium” in the product name, to indicate superiority over their little nugget brothers. But are they really better? The short answer is yes, but there’s more to the story.

From the thick crunchy coating and seasoning outside, to the chicken breast meat inside, it’s obvious these are not the same old nuggets. The strips are big. When first opening the box they looked like one large piece of chicken. They are crispy on the outside, with a breading that reminds me of shake-n-bake fried chicken. It’s nothing like the smooth breading on the McNuggets. It’s rough and bumpy, and crumbs fall off when you bite into it. You can see large specs of black pepper dotting the crust.

The meat inside is nice and tender, though it’s a bit dry. The strips appear to be cut from real breast meat. I detected some stringy rib meat too, but that’s not unusual since rib-meat is attached to the breast area. Despite the claims of many companies who say they use 100% breast filet, the fact is lots of those products include the rib-meat. That’s a technicality, and I suppose it’s why so many restaurants can say it.

I ate my first strip plain, to appreciate the taste on it’s own, and then I used sauce for dipping the rest. They tasted pretty good overall, but there’s not as much flavor as I would like. I wouldn’t call them outright bland, but they took the conservative approach when seasoning the meat. The Barbecue sauce helped, but it usually does. Aside from my own opinion, I know these must be decent chicken strips because after my buddy took his first bite, he quickly ate all 3 of his strips without pausing to use either of the two different types of sauces. That’s always a positive sign when eating with him, because this guy puts Barbecue or Sweet-N-Sour sauce on everything.

I’m going to review a lot of chicken strips (and nuggets) over the coming weeks and months, so these strips from McDonald’s will serve as a measuring stick for those others. I am a Chick-Fil-A man myself, but I think McDonald’s has a solid product here, and I look forward to seeing how the competition stacks up.

Chicken Selects Premium Chicken Strips from McDonald’s are pretty darn good. They’re crisper than I expected, and bigger too. They have a good flavor overall, but the scale does tip towards the bland side. A little Barbecue sauce definitely improves the experience. They would have probably rated even higher if they had a bit more flavor, or a bit less dryness. That aside, I enjoyed them and found them satisfying.

Price: $3.39 (3 piece) / Website: McDonalds.com

Fast Food Critic Score: B

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Nutrition Facts - McDonald’s Chicken Selects Premium Strips, 3 piece.

Calories - 400
Calories from Fat - 210
Total Fat - 23 grams
Carbs - 25 grams
Saturated Fat - 4 grams
Trans Fat - 2 grams
Cholesterol - 50 milligrams
Sodium - 1000 milligrams