The short answer
- A typical meal has the same calories at both: 510.
- Chick-fil-A gives more protein in a typical meal: 29g against 25g.
- Chick-fil-A is lower in sodium: 1,260mg against 1,440mg.
- Per calorie, Chick-fil-A is the leaner menu: 5.4g of protein per 100 calories against 4g.
These are medians across the complete meals in our data, not a judgement on any single order. What you pick matters more than where you go, so the tables below show the best and worst of each.
The menus side by side
| Across all meals | Chick-fil-A | Popeyes |
|---|---|---|
| Meals compared | 98 | 29 |
| Typical calories | 510 | 510 |
| Typical protein | 29g | 25g |
| Protein per 100 cal | 5.4g | 4g |
| Typical sodium | 1,260mg | 1,440mg |
| Meals at 500 cal or less | 47 of 98 | 13 of 29 |
| Meals with 30g+ protein | 48 of 98 | 12 of 29 |
Green marks the better figure in each row: fewer calories, less sodium, more protein.
Item against item
The closest equivalents on each menu, one serving each.
Classic chicken sandwich
| Per serving | Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich | Chicken Sandwich-Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 420 | 700 |
| Protein | 29g | 28g |
| Net carbs | 40g | 48g |
| Fat | 16g | 42g |
| Sodium | 1,470mg | 1,440mg |
Spicy chicken sandwich
| Per serving | Spicy Chicken Sandwich | Chicken Sandwich-Spicy |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 450 | 700 |
| Protein | 28g | 28g |
| Net carbs | 43g | 48g |
| Fat | 18g | 42g |
| Sodium | 1,740mg | 1,470mg |
Fries
| Per serving | Medium Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries® | Cajun Fries (Regular) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 420 | 270 |
| Protein | 5g | 3g |
| Net carbs | 40g | 28g |
| Fat | 24g | 15g |
| Sodium | 240mg | 620mg |
Highest-protein orders
Chick-fil-A
| Order | Protein | Cal | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 ct Chick-fil-A® Nuggets | 100g | 950 | 4,550mg |
| 30 ct Grilled Nuggets | 98g | 510 | 1,710mg |
| 10 ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips® | 96g | 1020 | 2,870mg |
| 10 ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Minis® | 49g | 910 | 2,640mg |
| 12 ct grilled nuggets + side salad | 44g | 670 | 1,360mg |
Popeyes
| Order | Protein | Cal | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenders - Classic or Spicy (5 pieces) | 58g | 650 | 2,840mg |
| Breast (Signature Chicken) | 52g | 620 | 1,780mg |
| Tenders - Blackened (5 pieces) | 47g | 280 | 1,430mg |
| 2-piece dark combo | 46g | 1190 | 2,800mg |
| 6 classic wings + mac & cheese | 46g | 920 | 2,940mg |
Lightest meals
Chick-fil-A
| Order | Cal | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hash Brown Scramble Bowl w/ No Meat - no hash browns | 200 | 16g | 530mg |
| English Muffin | 200 | 5g | 190mg |
| 12 ct Grilled Nuggets | 200 | 38g | 660mg |
| 2 ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips® | 200 | 19g | 580mg |
| Berry Parfait w/ Cookie Crumbs | 240 | 12g | 85mg |
Popeyes
| Order | Cal | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg (Signature Chicken) | 200 | 15g | 540mg |
| Wing (Signature Chicken) | 220 | 14g | 630mg |
| Tenders - Blackened (5 pieces) | 280 | 47g | 1,430mg |
| Butterfly Shrimp (8 pieces) | 360 | 14g | 1,140mg |
| Hash Rounds | 360 | 3g | 450mg |
Check your own order
Build the exact meal you would order in the Chick-fil-A calculator and the Popeyes calculator, or let the macro finder search both for orders that fit your calories and protein.
Frequently asked questions
Is Chick-fil-A or Popeyes lower in calories?
A typical meal has the same calories at both: 510. "Typical" means the median of the complete meals in our data: 98 at Chick-fil-A and 29 at Popeyes.
Which has more protein, Chick-fil-A or Popeyes?
Chick-fil-A gives more protein in a typical meal: 29g against 25g. The single highest-protein order is 30 ct Chick-fil-A® Nuggets at Chick-fil-A (100g) and Tenders - Classic or Spicy (5 pieces) at Popeyes (58g).
What is the lightest meal at Chick-fil-A and at Popeyes?
At Chick-fil-A it is Hash Brown Scramble Bowl w/ No Meat - no hash browns with 200 calories. At Popeyes it is Leg (Signature Chicken) with 200 calories.
Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich vs Chicken Sandwich-Classic: which has fewer calories?
Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich (Chick-fil-A) has 420 calories and 29g of protein. Chicken Sandwich-Classic (Popeyes) has 700 calories and 28g of protein.
Spicy Chicken Sandwich vs Chicken Sandwich-Spicy: which has fewer calories?
Spicy Chicken Sandwich (Chick-fil-A) has 450 calories and 28g of protein. Chicken Sandwich-Spicy (Popeyes) has 700 calories and 28g of protein.
About this comparison
Figures come from Chick-fil-A official Nutrition & Allergens page (US) and Popeyes USA Nutrition Guide (November 2026). MacroTray is independent and not affiliated with either restaurant. Read our methodology.