10 Fast-Food Chicken Nuggets—Ranked by Nutrition

The beloved chicken nugget is a fast-food favorite, known for being quick, easy, and convenient. Whether you're grabbing them as a quick snack or pairing them with fries for a full meal, nuggets are undeniably popular. But behind their widespread appeal lies a question worth asking: how do they stack up nutritionally?

The answer often depends on how they're prepared. Most chicken nuggets are breaded and deep-fried, which leads to high levels of artery-clogging saturated fat and sodium. However, not all nuggets are created equal—some chains offer grilled options that are less calorie-dense. These variations in preparation significantly impact their nutritional value, making it worth examining how they differ from chain to chain.

Below, we've ranked chicken nuggets from 10 fast-food restaurants, from least to most nutritious, focusing on the smallest available portions (typically four or five pieces) and excluding sauces and dips, which can add significant calories, sugar, and sodium. Use this guide to make a smarter choice the next time you're craving chicken nuggets. For a taste-based ranking, check out The Best Fast-Food Chicken Nuggets, Ranked By Taste.

10 Fast-Food Chicken Nuggets—Ranked by Nutrition

• Sonic
• White Castle
• Arby's
• Burger King
• Jack in the Box
• Wendy's
• Carl's Jr.
• McDonald's
• KFC
• Chick-fil-A

Sonic Premium Chicken Bites

Sonic offers its chicken nuggets as "bites" in small, medium, and large portions, though the number of pieces per serving isn't specified. These white meat chicken bites are lightly coated in seasoned breading and have the highest calorie count of any fast-food nugget option. The sodium is 47% the daily recommended maximum (way higher than any other option), while the saturated fat is 17.5% the daily recommended maximum.

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White Castle Chicken Rings

The smallest portion of these bite-sized, battered, and fried white meat chicken rings from White Castle comes in a 6-piece serving. They contain 22.5% of the daily recommended maximum for saturated fat and 26.5% for sodium. On the plus side, they pack 18 grams of protein per serving—more than any other option on this list.

Arby's Premium Chicken Nuggets

Arby's all-white meat chicken nugget is coated with seasoned breading and fried. With over 100 fewer calories than the previous two options, they're already a slightly better choice. However, they fall short nutritionally when it comes to saturated fat and sodium, containing 15% and 26% of the recommended daily maximum, respectively.

Burger King Chicken Nuggets

Although Burger King's chicken nuggets have the same calories as the Jack in the Box nuggets, the saturated fat and sodium are slightly higher coming in at 12.5% and 21.3% of the daily recommended maximum, respectively.

Jack in the Box Chicken Nuggets

These chicken nuggets aren't the worst choice when on their own, but pairing them with fries and a soda significantly increases the saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar. To make the meal healthier, consider pairing them with non-fried veggies, fruit, or a side like milk or yogurt for a more balanced option.

Wendy's Crispy Chicken Nuggets

Wendy's crispy battered and fried 100% white meat chicken nuggets have a reasonable amount of calories and sodium per serving. It's the choice of the six dipping sauces that can sabotage a decent choice—so dip lightly!

Carl's Jr. Chicken Stars

These star-shaped chicken nuggets have less saturated fat and sodium than the calorie equivalent portion at Wendy's. As it's served with a small drink and fries—opt for water, unsweetened iced tea or coffee, and a small fries to keep the overall meal in check.

McDonald's Chicken Nuggets

McDonald's touts that their all white meat chicken nuggets are made with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. The saturated fat is very reasonable providing 7.5% the daily recommended maximum. However, dipping sauces can quickly add extra calories, sugar, and sodium, so it's best to stick to no more than two packets per 4-piece serving.

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KFC Fried Nuggets

The 5-piece chicken nugget menu item at KFC is one of the lowest in calories compared to other fried options. There is zero saturated fat while the sodium is a touch higher at 29% the recommended daily maximum. The protein is also one of the higher amounts compared to other fried options.

Chick-fil-A Grilled Nuggets

The only place that offers grilled nuggets is Chick-fil-A, with the lowest amount of calories by far! There is no saturated fat and the sodium is very reasonable at 11.7% the recommended daily maximum. The other good news is that Chick-fil-A also has other healthy options to pair your nuggets, including a handful of salads. But like any nugget option, don't overdo the dipping sauce!

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