Chick-fil-A is a Georgia-born, family-owned, Christian-led fast food organization that we all know well by now – if not for its famous chicken sandwiches or Sunday closings, then definitely for those cows all over the billboards telling you to “Eat Mor Chikin”. But what if you’re vegan or vegetarian, and you don’t want to “eat mor chikin”?
Understandably, Chick-fil-A might not be the first place you rush to if you’re vegan…it’s a chicken joint, after all. But fast food and quick-service chains (like Chipotle and Starbucks) are slowly making progress in terms of their vegan offerings, and Chick-fil-A does have a fair amount of vegan items and vegan-friendly modifications on the menu. So if you follow a vegan diet and find yourself in their drive-thru line, you’re in luck! (As long as it’s not a Sunday…otherwise you’re out of luck).
Here’s the complete list of food and drink items on the Chick-fil-A menu that you can order for a vegan-friendly bite that won’t harm any chickens (or cows).
Vegan food and drinks available on the Chick-fil-A menu
It’s no surprise that the Chick-fil-A menu is full of chicken; unfortunately since the chain doesn’t offer any vegetarian protein or plant-based meat options, that means pretty much all entrees are no-gos. The company is currently testing a plant-based cauliflower sandwich in select locations across the US, but unfortunately the item is not vegan-friendly since the cauliflower is dipped in egg wash and the bun contains dairy.
But while you won’t find a vegan sandwich, the chain does have two things going for it that some other fast food chains don’t (McDonald’s, we’re looking at you).
The first is that they include a few salads on their menu, both entrees and sides, which opens up some possibilities for modifications that make for vegan-friendly meals. The second is that their fries (and most of their dipping sauces) are vegan! Chick-fil-A uses canola oil as their frying oil, which is free from any animal byproducts and means that their fried items like the hash browns and waffle fries are vegan-safe.
The Grilled Cool Wrap, once the cheese and chicken are removed, is a solid vegan wrap option – however the wrap itself does contain L-Cysteine. This is a controversial ingredient derived from animal feathers that some consider vegan and others do not, so order at your discretion depending on what you’re personally comfortable with.
As far as drinks on Chick-fil-A menu, obviously the milkshakes contain dairy, and so does the iced coffee. Without any alternative plant-based milks available, these items aren’t modifiable. However, there are several juices and teas to choose from that are vegan, like Chick-fil-A house-made lemonade and seasonal watermelon beverages.
Unfortunately none of the sweets or desserts at Chick-fil-A are vegan-friendly, as they all contain dairy (this includes the Frosted Lemonades and Frosted Coffee as well).
If you’re looking to grab a quick bite at Chick-fil-A on a vegan diet, here’s everything you can order on the menu along with any necessary modifications.
| Breakfast Items | Necessary Modifications |
| Hash Browns | |
| English Muffin | |
| Entree + Salad Items | Necessary Modifications |
| Spicy Southwest Salad | No chicken No cheese Sub vegan-friendly dressing |
| Market Salad | No chicken No cheese |
| Grilled Cool Wrap | No chicken No cheese Sub vegan-friendly dressing *Contains L-Cysteine |
| Snacks + Sides | Necessary Modifications |
| Waffle Fries | |
| Side Salad | No cheese |
| Kale Crunch Salad | |
| Fruit Cup | |
| Waffle Potato Chips | |
| Buddy Fruits Apple Sauce | |
| Sauces + Dressings | Necessary Modifications |
| Ketchup | |
| Mustard | |
| Barbeque Sauce | |
| Polynesian Sauce | |
| Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Sauce | |
| Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing | |
| Light Italian Dressing | |
| Chili Lime Vinaigrette Dressing | |
| Beverages | Necessary Modifications |
| Sodas | |
| Coffee | *Hot only |
| Freshly-Brewed Iced Tea (Sweetened + Unsweetened) | |
| Lemonade (Regular + Diet) | |
| Sunjoy (Regular + Diet) | |
| Seasonal Watermelon Mint Beverages | |
| Honest Kids Apple Juice | |
| Simply Orange |
No, Chick-fil-a’s signature Chick-fil-a Sauce is made with eggs, so it is not a vegan-friendly dipping sauce.
Unfortunately, there are no vegan-friendly sandwiches on the current Chick-fil-a menu. All sandwiches feature chicken, and all of their buns are made with dairy. Without any plant-based meat or vegetarian protein options, none of the sandwiches can be customized to be vegan-friendly.
Yes! Chick-fil-A fries their waffle fries in canola oil, and the item itself doesn’t contain any animal products so the waffle fries are vegan-friendly. The same is true for their hash browns.
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