Chick-fil-A grilled vs regular nuggets
Grilled, breaded or strips: how much does the breading cost you?
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Grilled or breaded is the most common Chick-fil-A protein question. We compared the 8-count Grilled Nuggets, the regular 8-count Nuggets and Chick-n-Strips using Chick-fil-A's published numbers.
Verdict: Grilled wins by a mile: 19.2 vs 10.8 for the breaded nuggets. You give up 2 g of protein and save 120 calories.
Side by side
| Per serving | Grilled Nuggets (8 ct) | Nuggets (8 ct, breaded) | Chick-n-Strips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serving | 1 item (as listed) | 1 item (as listed) | 1 item (as listed) |
| Protein | 25 g | 27 g | 29 g |
| Calories | 130 | 250 | 310 |
| Protein / 100 cal | 19.2 | 10.8 | 9.4 |
| Calories per 10 g protein | 52 | 93 | 107 |
| Leaderboard rank | #11 of 143 | #85 of 143 | #103 of 143 |
| Price / serving | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| $ / 10 g protein | — | — | — |
| Flavors tracked | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Source | label | label | label |
What the numbers say
The breading adds 120 calories and 2 g of protein. Grilled Nuggets are 25 g for 130 calories; breaded are 27 g for 250. That makes grilled 1.8 times as protein-efficient: almost the same protein for about half the calories.
Strips have the most protein but the lowest score. Chick-n-Strips list 29 g for 310 calories (9.4): 4 g more than the grilled nuggets for 180 more calories.
Grilled Nuggets are the best restaurant item we track anywhere. They rank #11 of 143 on our leaderboard, among bottled shakes and yogurt drinks. The breaded nuggets rank #85 and the strips #103.
Which one should you pick?
- Calories are your budget: Grilled Nuggets (8 ct) (19.2 g protein per 100 calories).
- Most protein in one serving: Chick-n-Strips (29 g).
- Price: we haven't confirmed prices for any of these yet, so this comparison says nothing about value for money.
- Taste: check the shared 👍/👎 votes next to each product on The Hoard Board. They never change the rank, but they make a good tiebreaker.
Caveats
Portions are as Chick-fil-A lists them; dipping sauces aren't included and can add a lot of calories. Restaurant numbers are for the standard U.S. recipe as each chain lists it, without sauces, sides or customization, and menus vary by location. We don't have restaurant prices. All nutrition numbers come from the published sources linked in the table, checked between 2026-10-26. We rank by grams of protein per 100 calories only; we don't track sugar, fat, sodium, ingredients or allergens. This is general information, not dietary advice.
See every product side by side on The Hoard Board, our full leaderboard, or read how we rank.
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Disclaimer: All numbers come from manufacturer labels, brand websites and restaurant nutrition pages on the dates shown on the leaderboard. They can change without notice, vary by location, flavor or customization, or differ from the product in your hand. Always check the current label. This article is general information only and is not medical, dietary or health advice.