If you love Whataburger chicken strips as many do, you may be wondering how good they are for your health. The truth? Not very good at all! Let’s dive into what makes Whataburger Whatachick’n strips a not-so-healthy option when dining out.
Table of Contents
- Does Whataburger Have Chicken Strips?
- Whataburger Whatachick’n Nutrition Facts
- Whataburger Whatachick’n Strips Allergens
- Whataburger Whatachick’n Strips Ingredients
- Whataburger Whatachick’n Strips Weight Watchers Points
- Whataburger Chicken Strips Recipe
- Whataburger Chicken Strips Aren’t Healthy: But They Do Taste Good!
- Whataburger Chicken Strips FAQs
Does Whataburger Have Chicken Strips?
Yes, Whataburger has chicken strips and they are delicious!
Whataburger chicken strips were coined Whatachick’n strips and have garnered almost as much popularity as Whataburger’s juicy hamburgers. They’re breaded and then deep-fried to juicy perfection, which keeps with the southern theme of this formerly Texan enterprise.
Whataburger Whatachick’n Nutrition Facts
Now that you know that Whataburger restaurants do offer Whataburger chicken strips, you may be wondering how they’ll affect your health.
Let’s be clear. Like most chicken tenders from fast food restaurants, these chicken strips are not diet food! They are, however, a yummy treat to have on occasion.
Let’s look a little closer at the nutrition facts for Whataburger Whatachick’n strips.
How Many Calories Is a 3 Piece Chicken Strip at Whataburger?
How many calories are in Whataburger chicken strips? Whataburger chicken strips calories run about 460 calories for 3 pieces.
How Much Sodium Is in a Whataburger Chicken Strips?
Whataburger Whatachick’n strips are very salty. They contain about 1020mg of sodium in a 3-piece order. Yikes!
How Many Carbs in Whataburger Chicken Strips?
Whataburger Whatachick’n strips, like most chicken tenders at restaurants, aren’t keto-friendly. Expect them to run about 30 carbs for a single serving of three strips.
How Much Protein in Whataburger Chicken Strips?
Whataburger chicken strips protein comes in at 24 g of protein per 3-piece chicken.
Whataburger Whatachick’n Strips Allergens
Because Whataburger chicken strips are breaded, they’ll naturally contain gluten. This makes them unsuitable for those with gluten allergies.
Also, because the chicken has been deep-fried in oil that other foods are deep-fried in, those with allergies run the risk of coming in contact with dairy, egg, soybean, and fish while consuming Whataburger chicken strips.
Whataburger Whatachick’n Strips Ingredients
The popular Whataburger chicken strips contain the following ingredients:
Southern style chicken fritter strips containing up to 12% of a solution of water, isolated soy protein, salt, sodium phosphates. Battered with: water, bleached wheat flour, salt, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), spices, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, garlic powder, onion powder, extractives of black pepper. Pre-dusted and breaded with: bleached wheat flour, salt, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate, and monocalcium phosphate), spices, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, garlic powder, onion powder, extractives of black pepper. Breading set in vegetable oil.“
Whataburger Whatachick’n Strips Weight Watchers Points
If you are currently trying Weight Watchers and want to know how many points you’ll incur by consuming Whatachick’n strips, I’ve got you covered.
Whataburger Whatachick’n strips bolster 57 Weight Watcher Freestyle points, 57 Weight Watchers SmartPoints, and 42 Weight Watchers PointsPlus.
Whataburger Chicken Strips Recipe
After reviewing exactly what’s in Whataburger chicken strips, you may be having second thoughts. If you’d rather make your own version of these delicious chicken strips at home, give the following copycat recipe for Whataburger Whatachick’n strips a try instead:
How to Make Whataburger Chicken Strips
- 1½ pounds chicken tenderloins
- 2½ cups buttermilk (or regular milk with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- oil for frying
Directions
- Before cooking, soak your chicken tenderloins in the buttermilk for two hours (or overnight). Do not discard buttermilk after use!
- Once soaked, mix your flour with the salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic salt. Make sure that the flour mixture and spices are well incorporated.
- Use ½ cup of your reserved buttermilk to add to the flour mixture. Stir together to form a batter coating for your chicken strips.
- Coat your chicken tenderloins with the batter and place them on a wire rack to dry. Note: If you don’t allow the batter to dry on your chicken, the batter may fall off.
- Heat oil up to 350 degrees F. Throw away any remaining buttermilk.
- Place 3 or 4 chicken strips into the hot oil and cook until golden brown. Be careful not to crowd your pan with too many chicken strips. This will cause them to become soggy and they won’t be as crisp.
- Drain the fried chicken strips on a rack on top of a paper towel.
- Repeat until all chicken strips are fried.
- Enjoy with honey mustard, gravy, or your choice of dip.
Whataburger Chicken Strips Aren’t Healthy: But They Do Taste Good!
As is the case with most fast food restaurant chains, Whataburger chicken strips aren’t going to do any favors for your waistline. On top of this, they’re loaded with sodium, fat, and calories, making them a food choice you should only grab once in a blue moon.
Still, you can avoid much of the processed ingredients by whipping up your own batch of chicken tenders at home. Just know that the calorie and fat count won’t come down much. By cooking them at home, you’re able to skip processed ingredients and unhealthy additives which means a lot in terms of staying healthy long-term.
I hope this helps!
Whataburger Chicken Strips FAQs
Are Whataburger chicken strips good?
Yes. What people tend to love most about Whatachick’n strips is that they are so tender on the inside yet very crispy on the outside. Pair them with a (very) large Whataburger drink and it’s a match made in heaven!
What happened to Whataburger chicken strips?
They’re still around! But just know that menu items are always subject to change. Some locations may not carry Whataburger Chick’n strips so be sure to ask before assuming your local Whataburger carries them.
How much is Whataburger chicken strips?
The cost of Whataburger chicken strips varies based on location. They usually aren’t more than a few dollars when ordered ala carte, and a few dollars more for a Whataburger chicken strip meal.
Why is Whataburger out of chicken strips?
Shortages on Whataburger chicken strips will vary based on location. Shortages are caused by various issues including economical hardships and simply being low on supply. Again, be sure to contact your local Whataburger to ensure that they have chicken strips in stock.
What comes with Whataburger chicken strips?
Whataburger chicken strips usually come with Texas toast, gravy, medium fries, and a medium drink.
Does Whataburger have grilled chicken strips?
Whataburger does not have grilled chicken strips, but they do feature a grilled chicken melt if you are interested in saving yourself a few calories.
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