Most people go to Chick-fil-A for the classics—sandwich, fries, nuggets—but a new order making the rounds shows the menu has more range than you’d expect. By mixing strips, salad, and sauce, you get a high-protein bowl that feels like it belongs on the menu.
The idea started with a TikTok post from @smallersam_pcos, who showed how she turns Chick-fil-A’s Kale Crunch Side into a full meal by topping it with chicken strips and a honey-hot sauce mix. The hack lands at 530 calories and 33 grams of protein (not 40 like the video mentions), giving you more fuel than the usual combo.
@smallersam_pcos NEW CHICK-FIL-A HACK🐓 (530cals + 40g protein) Here’s how to order: -3 count chicken strip meal with a kale crunch salad instead of fries + 2 honey packets and 2 Texas Pete hot sauces. #fastfood #hack #caloriedeficit #protein #honey #hot #sauce #chickfila #menu #kale #salad #healthy #balance #pcos #real #mealprep #easyrecipe #chicken #beforeandafter
The Hot Honey Chicken Salad Hack
Order a three-count Chick-n-Strips entrée. Skip the fries and grab the Kale Crunch Side Salad, which comes with kale, cabbage, almonds, and a light vinaigrette. For sauce, ask for two honeys and two Texas Pete hot sauces. Coat the strips, shake them in the box, chop them up, and toss everything into the salad.
This creates a sweet-and-spicy chicken salad that amps up the protein levels. The greens add crunch and balance, the almonds bring texture, and the sauced-up chicken is flavorful. Without the fries, you’re upgrading the meal into something that fills you up without slowing you down.
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What Fans Are Mixing Up
Once the hot honey chicken salad hack hit TikTok, fans wasted no time putting their own spin on it. Some built heavier bowls, mixing grilled nuggets into mac and cheese for close to 50 grams of protein under 500 calories. Others kept the Kale Crunch but swapped sauces, pairing it with honey and sriracha or Buffalo and ranch.
Even employees have noticed the trend, saying it’s one of the most common off-menu orders they see. One commenter added that you can ask to have the strips chopped ahead of time to save yourself the extra step.
Make the Hack Your Own
Calories and macros aside, this hack can be customized. Swap the honey and hot sauce for Buffalo and ranch if you want heat and creaminess. Polynesian with Chick-fil-A sauce leans sweet and smoky. If you want to go leaner, grilled nuggets do the job, or go spicier with a Spicy Deluxe cut up over the top.
And if you’re not in the mood for kale, that’s fine too. You can try the loaded fry bowl instead, chopping the strips over waffle fries with sauce on top. Whether you want a tasty post-workout option or just a different way to eat your favorite tenders, this hack can be made your way.
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