Culver's Crispy Chicken Sandwich Fillets Aren't Just Made Of Chicken — So What's The Rest Of It?

Talking bad about Culver's is an easy way to set the entire American Midwest against you. The famed burger- and cheese curd-slinger is hand downs one of the best Midwestern chain restaurants, and a point of pride for its home state of Wisconsin. But, as great as its food can be, Culver's is also a fast food restaurant that doesn't use 100% chicken — specifically in its crispy chicken fillets.

These breaded chicken patties are used in Culver's classic crispy chicken sandwich, as well as the spicy version. Both sandwiches are advertised as being "made with 100% whole white meat chicken breast." However, looking at the ingredient list reveals some surprises. The chicken patty contains rib meat in addition to breast meat, as well as hydrolyzed soy and corn proteins. In other words, it's not purely chicken breast beneath that crispy coating.

The most prevalent ingredients on the list after the meat are water and seasonings, which might mean the chicken fillet has been "plumped." Plumping is a common food industry practice in which meat is injected with a solution of water, salt, and optional ingredients, such as flavorings. This can make chicken juicier and more tender, though the solution may also water down the flavor. However, this is likely unnoticeable in Culver's chicken patty due to the breading and other sandwich ingredients. But what about those mysterious hydrolyzed proteins? What purpose do they serve?

The hydrolyzed proteins in Culver's crispy chicken fillets may sound like strange filler ingredients, but they're not taking the place of chicken — they're just enhancing its taste. Hydrolyzed corn protein is a common food additive that acts as a flavor booster, heightening the savory sense of umami. Hydrolyzed soy protein serves the same purpose.

Incidentally, the spice mix used on the chicken contains familiar ingredients, such as paprika, but also mysterious-sounding additives, including disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, and autolyzed yeast extract. These serve the same umami-enhancing purpose as the hydrolyzed proteins. Regardless of how you feel about these extra ingredients, they seem to be doing their job when it comes to kicking up the flavor: When we ranked fast food chicken sandwiches from worst to best, Culver's version beat out Wendy's, Burger King, and other popular chains.

As for other Culver's chicken dishes, its original and Buffalo tenders use only chicken tenderloin, with no additives in the meat. But, even though Culver's chicken tenders are fried to order, they fall short on flavor, with a strange, processed taste. Meanwhile, like the crispy fried version, the restaurant's grilled chicken sandwich contains yeast extract; however, that's just in the seasoning. The chicken itself is a blend of breast and rib meat, but still counts as pure chicken. Though this sandwich gets mixed reviews, it might be your best bet for a 100% chicken product at Culver's.