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KFC vs Chick-fil-A: which is better for your macros?
The top protein play at KFC is the Double Original Recipe Chicken Breast (78g protein, 780 cal); Chick-fil-A answers with the 30pc Nuggets (100g, 950 cal). Below, all 34 meals we track at both chains go head-to-head on protein, calories, low-carb and vegetarian options — from each brand's official nutrition data, not AI guesses — with a verdict for cutting, bulking and keto.
The tale of the tape
KFC vs Chick-fil-A, by the numbers
| Head-to-head | KFC | Chick-fil-A |
|---|---|---|
| Highest-protein meal | 78g Double Original Recipe Chicken Breast | 100g 30pc Nuggets |
| Leanest meal | 305 cal Original Recipe Thigh, Green Beans & Diet Coke | 270 cal Greek Yogurt Parfait w/ Granola |
| Avg protein per meal | 37g | 35g |
| Avg calories per meal | 577 cal | 435 cal |
| Meals at 425 cal or less | 4 | 11 |
| Low-carb / keto meals | 5 | 5 |
| Vegetarian meals | 3 | 2 |
| Meals tracked | 18 | 16 |
✓ marks the stronger number for that row (more protein, fewer calories, or more options). Computed from the 34 meals we track — not the chains' full menus.
Top 5, ranked by protein
The highest-protein meals, side by side
🍗 KFC
| # | Meal | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Double Original Recipe Chicken Breast Two bone-in Original Recipe breast pieces, skin and breading on — the highest-protein clean order off the KFC bone-in menu. Component macros: breast 390/39P/11C/21F each ×2 | 78g | 780 |
| 2 | Extra Crispy Tenders (8 pc) Eight extra-crispy breaded white-meat chicken tender strips, no sauce; the large tenders box on the KFC menu. Derived from the 3-piece (410/29P/24C/22F) scaled to 8 strips | 77g | 1090 |
| 3 | 3-Piece Original Recipe Chicken (Breast, Thigh & Drumstick) One bone-in Original Recipe breast + one thigh + one drumstick — a protein-forward all-chicken variety plate, no sides. Component macros: breast 390/39P/11C/21F, thigh 280/19P/8C/19F, drumstick 130/12P/4C/8F | 70g | 800 |
| 4 | Extra Crispy Tenders (5 pc) Five extra-crispy breaded chicken tender strips, no sauce; available as a 5-piece box on the KFC menu | 50g | 700 |
| 5 | Original Recipe Breast, Corn on the Cob & Unsweetened Iced Tea One bone-in Original Recipe breast + 5.5-inch corn on the cob side + unsweetened iced tea (0 cal); a complete classic KFC meal. Component macros: breast 390/39P/11C/21F, corn 140/4P/33C/1F | 43g | 530 |
🍗 Chick-fil-A
| # | Meal | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30pc Nuggets 30-count classic breaded chicken nuggets — shareable tray, dipping sauce not included | 100g | 950 |
| 2 | Chick-fil-A Cool Wrap Sliced grilled chicken, Monterey Jack/Cheddar blend, lettuce, flaxseed flatbread, avocado lime ranch dressing INCLUDED | 43g | 660 |
| 3 | 12pc Grilled Nuggets, Kale Crunch Side & Diet Lemonade 12-count grilled chicken nuggets (200 cal) + Kale Crunch side (170 cal) + Diet Lemonade (0 cal) — a real lean plate, not a bare protein | 42g | 370 |
| 4 | 12pc Nuggets 12-count classic breaded chicken nuggets | 40g | 380 |
| 5 | Cobb Salad w/ Grilled Nuggets Grilled nuggets on Cobb salad with bacon, hard-boiled egg, cheese — official 400 cal is AS SERVED with dressing included (avocado lime ranch); no extra dressing needed | 39g | 400 |
MacroBite scores these against your daily protein & calorie targets and logs them in one tap. Get the app →
The verdict
Which is better for your goal?
Cutting
Chick-fil-A takes it. Its leanest high-protein pick, the 12pc Grilled Nuggets, Kale Crunch Side & Diet Lemonade, packs 42g of protein into 370 calories — 11.4g per 100 cal, ahead of KFC's best (Double Original Recipe Chicken Breast, 78g for 780 cal, 10.0g per 100 cal). Chick-fil-A lists 11 meals at 425 calories or less; KFC has 4.
Bulking
Chick-fil-A wins on raw protein. The 30pc Nuggets tops out at 100g (950 cal), beating KFC's biggest hitter, the Double Original Recipe Chicken Breast, at 78g. For repeat trips, Chick-fil-A has 9 meals with 30g+ protein vs 11 at KFC.
Keto
Even on options: both chains have 5 low-carb meals. Head-to-head on the best pick, KFC's 3-Piece Original Recipe (Drumstick, Thigh & Wing), Green Beans & Diet Coke brings 42g protein at 19g carbs, while Chick-fil-A's 12pc Grilled Nuggets, Kale Crunch Side & Diet Lemonade brings 42g at 15g carbs.
How we score it: cutting = most protein per calorie (25g protein floor) · bulking = highest absolute protein · keto = low-carb meals (20g carbs or less, or flagged low-carb in the official data). General nutrition info, not medical advice.
Dig deeper: full KFC menu → · full Chick-fil-A menu → · all chains ranked →
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Settle KFC vs Chick-fil-A with your own macros.
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