- Chick-fil-A is a popular fast-food chain that serves breakfast until 10:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday.
- My least favorite item on the breakfast menu was the English muffin because I don't think it was filling enough for how much it cost.
- The best breakfast item I tried was the deliciously simple Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit.
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If you're looking for a tasty and protein-packed way to start the day, Chick-fil-A has you covered.
There's just one catch — you have to make it there before 10:30 a.m.
Determined to figure out which Chick-fil-A breakfast items were worth waking up early for, I decided to visit a few locations around California and eat my way through the menu.
Here is my ranking of every breakfast item from Chick-fil-A.
Note: prices listed are based on various northern California locations.
English muffin — $1.59
At $1.59, I feel the English muffin is overpriced for what it actually is — a whole-wheat muffin with no condiments, meats, or toppings.
I've purchased an entire sleeve of these muffins at the grocery store for only a few dollars more.
Still, the nice thing about ordering a plain muffin is that you can put whatever you want on top of it.
I squeezed the entirety of two honey packets on top of mine to give it some sweetness, but it was still a little bland and dry. After two bites, I gave up on it, and it landed the bottom spot on the list.
Sunflower multigrain bagel — $2.25
Allow me to begin this review by noting the location I visited didn't offer cream cheese as a condiment. As someone who believes any bagel is incomplete without it, I knew immediately this item wouldn't rank very high on my list.
Instead of cream cheese, I had a choice of strawberry jam or honey to pair with my multigrain bagel.
I decided to try both to see how they tasted and found that neither could make up for the creamy texture and flavor of cream cheese. It also didn't help that my bagel was slightly over-toasted and dry.
Although I appreciate Chick-fil-A for offering a fiber-rich carb, I think I'll stick to some of the tastier options on its breakfast menu.
Bacon, egg, and cheese muffin — $3.69
Out of all the breakfast sandwiches on the menu, this was my least favorite.
Sure, the scrambled egg was cooked perfectly and the melted American cheese tasted fine, but I thought the bacon was too chewy and lacked any real flavor. I actually forgot it was in the sandwich at all because all I could taste was the egg and cheese.
Still, this sandwich is a better value than the muffin on its own.
Chicken, egg, and cheese bagel — $4.29
I had high hopes for this sandwich because it sounded like a really hearty meal.
It's a fluffy, folded scrambled egg and a couple of American cheese slices piled on top of crispy chicken. The sandwich is stuffed between two halves of a toasted multigrain bagel.
From a visual standpoint, I'll admit, the sandwich looked pretty impressive. Props to Chick-fil-A for ensuring you get your money's worth when it comes to its chicken.
I suppose the use of a multigrain bagel is a nice way to add fiber to an otherwise heavy meal. However, I wasn't crazy about how the flavors came together. To me, the nutty, whole-wheat taste from the bagel distracted from the rest of the ingredients.
I also had trouble keeping everything inside the bagel, which made it quite messy.
Fruit cup — $3.65
This fruit cup deserves praise for being the only vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free option on the menu.
It also contains an impressive variety of fruits: Fresh-cut oranges, blueberries, strawberries, and two kinds of apples. I've been to some sit-down restaurants that only offer honeydew or oranges as a fruit side, so this was a nice surprise.
Overall, it provided a nice contrast to all of the greasier food I had been eating — but I don't think I would go out of my way to purchase it again, unless I was ordering it as a side.
Hash-brown-scramble bowl — $4.39
This bowl is a small, plastic container filled with the contents of the breakfast burrito sans tortilla wrap.
Chick-fil-A allows guests to choose from three protein options: grilled chicken, chicken nuggets, or sausage.
I decided to order mine with sausage because I had been consuming a ton of chicken, so I was looking to switch things up a little. Every order also comes packed with scrambled eggs, cheese, and hash browns (although they have a low-carb option without potatoes).
I also added some of Chick-fil-A's signature jalapeño salsa to mine to give it a slight kick.
On a positive note, everything in my bowl was served warm and cooked perfectly. The blend of melted cheddar and Monterey jack cheese paired beautifully with fluffy scrambled eggs, salty hash browns, and slightly sweet sausage.
Overall, I'd still rank this dish as just OK. The main issue I had was the ratio of the ingredients being slightly off — making the dish less visually appetizing — and it could also use a little more spice.
Buttered biscuit — $1.35
Warm, buttery, and slightly flaky, few things say comfort food like a classic biscuit.
Since Chick-fil-A prides itself on being a Georgia-born chain, I had pretty high expectations when I ordered its version of the Southern staple.
I'm happy to report that everything was as delectable as I hoped.
The biscuit was served warm and tasted as if it had been baked fresh that very morning. The dough had a slightly chewy bite to it with a light, fluffy inside.
Best of all, it came with a generous, golden coating of melted butter on both halves.
Although everything about this biscuit was delicious, I can't bring myself to rank it very high because I don't think it was filling enough to be considered a full meal.
Sausage, egg, and cheese muffin — $3.69
In my opinion, one of the most divine combinations in the breakfast world is sausage, egg, and American cheese on an English muffin.
Nearly every restaurant that serves food before 10 a.m. offers its own version of this classic sandwich.
As you can probably tell by now, I'm not a fan of whole-wheat English muffins. However, this sandwich deserves some praise because the sausage patty it comes with is quite tasty.
Hash-brown-scramble burrito — $3.59
This was one of the first things I tried from the breakfast menu because I was eager to see that Chick-fil-A had tortillas. I'm also a sucker for a breakfast burrito in the morning, so I had pretty high expectations.
Let's start with the good: This burrito is humongous. I could easily share it with at least one other person and still feel full after eating it. The burrito also comes with a side of its signature jalapeno salsa which gave it a nice kick.
Given that it's one of the more expensive items on the menu, I took these factors into consideration when adding it to my ranking.
To be honest, I wasn't blown away by how everything tasted. Between the breaded-chicken chunks, egg, cheese, and hash browns, I felt there was too much going on the inside.
I also found that the chicken chunks were a little dry and that their flavor was easily buried underneath the abundance of eggs and potatoes. I think it could have used some onions or spices.
The Egg White Grill — $4.49
I expected this sandwich to taste rubbery and flavorless, but I quickly learned that when it comes to chicken in any form, you have to trust that Chick-fil-A knows what's good.
The grilled-chicken fillet on my sandwich was surprisingly juicy and well-seasoned with a subtle citrus flavor to it.
Although the egg white didn't really add much flavor, I didn't mind that it was used in place of a regular scrambled egg. There was enough warm, melted American cheese sticking out the sides to make me forget that there weren't any yolks involved.
Sure, it's not as tasty as breaded chicken — but I'm ranking it high on this list because it has half the calories of the majority of the breakfast items and still tastes pretty good.
Plus, with a light squeeze of ketchup or salsa, it's just as delicious as most of the other items on the menu.
Bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit — $3.49
Swapping out the dry, whole-wheat English muffin for a buttery biscuit improved the bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich tenfold.
But I still don't believe this sandwich tastes as good as the sausage one.
Sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit — $3.49
The sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit looks exactly how I think a proper breakfast sandwich should: A thick layer of perfectly cooked pork and scrambled egg packed between a scrumptious, buttery carb.
When compared to the sausage sandwich that uses an English muffin, this version was superior, but it did seem a bit heavy for a breakfast.
Chick-n-Minis — $4.09
What's better than a tasty chicken sandwich for breakfast? Four bite-sized ones served in a cute red box.
Unlike its larger counterpart, the Chick-n-Minis consist of individual chicken nuggets stuffed inside miniature rolls. Every order comes with four of these petite sandwiches, which means they're great for sharing with a friend as a light breakfast snack.
These minis were one of my favorite things I've ever ordered from Chick-fil-A.
I was particularly impressed by how the buns had a soft, pillowy center without feeling soggy. There was also a honey-like sweetness to them that gave the savory chicken flavor a nice balance.
I'm not ashamed to admit I could have eaten an entire box of the buns by myself.
Greek yogurt parfait — $4.29
Fast-food yogurts often turn out to be sugar bombs, but Chick-fil-A deserves credit for being selective with its ingredients here.
The base consists of a delicious vanilla Greek yogurt, which gives every bite a delicate sweetness that's only elevated by the addition of fresh sliced strawberries and blueberries.
Every order also comes with your choice of cookie crumbles or a harvest-nut granola mix. I personally believe the yogurt tastes yummy enough on its own, but I enjoyed how the granola mixture added a crunch.
The portion size was just enough to keep me satisfied without giving me that sluggish, heavy feeling throughout the day. I've found that achieving this is rare when eating fast-food breakfasts, so this parfait became one of my instant favorites.
Hash browns — $1.39
Rather than offering customers a single, oval-shaped potato cake, Chick-fil-A hash browns consist of a vibrant, red box filled to the brim with bite-sized discs.
I say this as someone who has had her share of fast-food breakfasts: These hash browns are really good. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, every disc tastes like a tiny piece of fried-food heaven.
It's worth noting that Chick-fil-A uses peanut oil in its fryers, which I think is what allows for the crispy, flavorful food sans greasy aftertaste. I personally believe that's what made these stand out. The hash browns had a slightly salty flavor but didn't feel overly heavy or soggy.
I'm also giving these extra points because they're one of the few items you can share with your vegetarian friends.
Chicken biscuit — $3.19
With only two ingredients, this signature dish doesn't seem like anything special, but it's precisely that simplicity that allows the chain's two best recipes (its fresh-baked biscuit and signature chicken) to shine.
Without the distraction of cheese or other toppings, the meat and biscuit form a delectable union between the savory and rich buttery flavors.
To me, it tasted like something you would order from a sit-down restaurant rather than a fast-food place. The breading on the fillet was extra crispy, and the chicken meat was tender and juicy.
I also found that pairing this item with the signature Chick-fil-A sauce elevated an already great sandwich to the next level.
This sandwich is worth waking up early for.
Read more:
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- I tried every chicken dish at McDonald's and ranked them from worst to best
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