6 Culver's Chicken Items, Ranked Worst To Best

When you think Culver's, you think ButterBurgers and frozen custard. These two staples are the bread and butter of the Wisconsin-founded chain. It prides itself on its fresh, never-frozen beef that's cooked to order and the buttery toasted buns it sits on. Finishing that off with a scoop of slow-churned custard and a side of Midwestern hospitality is just the cherry on top.

It's clear that these are the most prominent offerings at the restaurant, but at the same time, they're far from the only items on the menu. Culver's also dabbles in seafood, salads, and a range of savory sides, like its irresistible cheese curds. Then, there's the flock of chicken items. As of 2026, the menu features various chicken options, including sandwiches and tenders. Much like the beef, the poultry comes with its own promises of quality. Culver's uses whole white meat chicken that it sources from American family farms. One such supplier is Springer Mountain Farms, which is known for raising its birds without antibiotics or hormones.

On paper, the chicken lineup certainly talks the talk. But does it walk the walk and live up to the standards set by Culver's flagship products? I ordered a selection to find out for myself. Here's how they ranked, from the chicken items that are more disappointing than satisfying to the most delicious picks that give the ButterBurger a run for its money.

You can tell a lot about a fast-food chain based on its version of chicken tenders. And Culver's tendies are practically screaming that they were an afterthought on a menu of cheeseburgers. They seem like they were prepared fresh as promised, but the chicken is underwhelming. Even though it is pure white meat on the inside, it's flattened out to the point that it's seriously lacking moisture and tenderness. Plus, the thin, crumb-like breading doesn't help it in the flavor department. Even just a small hint of salt and pepper would have helped to bring them up a notch, but I didn't detect much of either.

Thank goodness I had dipping sauces for the tenders. I was practically giddy that you could choose two free of charge, no matter how many tenders you get, from one up to eight. These aren't skimpy sauce packets either. They're large ramekin-sized cups that actually make it through an entire order. I opted for the Culver's Signature Sauce and the new Creamy Jalapeño — the sauce the chain is showcasing as of summer 2026 — and I couldn't have picked better. Both sauces were knockouts, especially the Signature with its buttermilk and parmesan cheese notes. But my praise all but stops there. I would have placed the sauces at the top of the rankings, but the tenders themselves land firmly at the bottom.

Spice is a common theme on the Culver's chicken lineup. Three out of the six offerings that I tried bring the heat in some way, shape, or form, including these Buffalo Chicken Tenders. It's reasonable to assume that the Buffalo Chicken Tenders would just be the dialed-up cousin of the original chicken tenders. But these almost seem like a completely different product. Just by looking at them, you can tell they're a bit more puffed up with a thicker breading. They deliver more of a crunch outside, while packing more juiciness on the inside. The spicy seasoning makes them more interesting, but it may not be exactly what you would expect. Personally, when I think of anything "Buffalo-style," I usually think of chicken brushed in a tangy, buttery sauce, and that's not what's going on here. This is more of a Buffalo dry rub made up of chili peppers, paprika, and black pepper. You still get a decent amount of spice, but the flavor profile is mostly defined by the black pepper.

Buttermilk ranch was the obvious sauce pick here, and I also found that the tenders went well with the Signature Sauce — I honestly think anything would go well with that sauce. But even with these accompaniments helping them out, I wouldn't promote the Buffalo tenders above any of Culver's well-garnished chicken sandwiches. They simply can't compete.

It's important to note that Culver's went through a complete chicken sandwich overhaul in June 2025. The chain aimed to make them "juicier, crispier, tastier" and didn't stop at just the chicken patties either. It also delivered crunchier pickles, a dollop of creamy mayonnaise, and plopped everything on a new brioche bun.

Three sandwich options, including crispy, spicy, and grilled, were part of the upgrade. And the crispy sammie in particular is far better off after the glow-up. Trust me. This is coming from someone who has experienced it in both forms. The sandwich comes in a decent size, stacked with colorful veggies including lettuce, tomato, and pickles. The patty itself also offers a nice crisp, and mayonnaise makes for the perfect companion alongside fried chicken.

It all adds up to a palatable choice, but it's still not the kind of sandwich that would necessarily win the Chicken Sandwich Wars. When compared to some of the best in the business, like Popeyes or Chick-fil-A sandwiches, it feels like it's missing something. Even though it's supposedly dressed in onion, garlic, and black pepper, there's a noticeable lack of seasonings in the Southern-style breading that makes it hard to stand out. And in some bites, the patty is so flat that it's essentially just dry, crunchy breading. Culver's crispy sandwich gets lost in a sea of fast-food choices and even ranks as my least favorite at the chain itself.

Culver's Grilled Chicken Sandwich used to be unforgivably slimy and was overwhelmed by a hoagie-style bun that was too big for its britches. But after the recent changes to its recipe, it's found its balance and is now a much stronger menu option.

It follows the exact same build as the Crispy Chicken Sandwich. Toasted and buttered brioche bun, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickle chips, and a very light smear of mayonnaise. The only difference is the swap of fried chicken for a grilled filet, and much to my surprise, that was an improvement. The grilled chicken adds an air of freshness to the handheld. It's juicy and has that right-off-the-grill savor to it that's elevated with just a hint of salt and pepper.

My one complaint is that I wish the patty were a bit plumper. As you can probably see, it's rather flat, and an increase in size would make the sandwich feel more substantial. Mine also became a little chewy in spots — mostly around the edges where it may have been overcooked. Even so, I'd order it again. It's not as bold or flavorful as the next two offerings, but it's a reliable lighter option compared to the Crispy Chicken Sandwich.

The first, and most important, test of a truly good spicy chicken sandwich is that it actually packs a punch. If it's essentially just a crispy chicken sandwich but in a slightly redder hue, then what's the point? Thankfully, Culver's doesn't skimp when it comes to spice and easily clears this bar. Its spicy chicken filet comes covered in a three-pepper blend that builds heat with each bite. This appears to be different from the chili pepper, paprika, and black pepper mix used on the Buffalo tenders. It delivers more of that deep pepper flavor, with an elevated spice level. I would say it's even hotter than the spicy sandwiches from places like McDonald's or Wendy's.

The crispy breaded chicken is clearly the star of the show, but the sandwich also has plenty of other ingredients to balance it out. All the classic toppings are back, including the brioche bun, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo. The creamy condiment is a must to help cool off your tongue, but I also couldn't help but think that ranch or bleu cheese could take its place and make the sandwich even better.

I would easily pick the spicy over the crispy or grilled chicken sandwiches. But if there was one drawback to the spicy sammie, it's that it may have been left in the fryer just a hair too long. It was overly crunchy in some areas, to the point that it hurt my mouth with its sharp edges.

Jalapeño Jack is Culver's latest savory feature, introduced for summer 2026. It comes in the form of a piled-high pub burger and also as a chicken sandwich. The key ingredients that make up the flavor profile are a slice of pepper jack cheese and a creamy jalapeño sauce slathered right into the mix. On the chicken sandwich, you still get lettuce, tomato, and that same brioche bun we've come to know rather well.

You can order the Jalapeño Jack Chicken Sandwich crispy, grilled, or even spicy if you want to triple down on heat. I went with crispy to keep things simple, and I wasn't disappointed. The simple additions of the cheese and sauce take the sandwich to an entirely different level. The cheese melts into a buttery blanket with plenty of zest, while the sauce adds a sweet jalapeño flavor. Layered together, they create a respectable heat and an intriguing taste.

It was likely just the luck of the draw, but this chicken patty also fared better than the one on my classic crispy chicken sandwich. It was thicker and less aggressively breaded, so the white meat was on full display rather than trampled by crunchiness. As such, the Jalapeño Jack easily beat out its crispy predecessor. It even won me over when compared to the grilled or spicy sandwiches. It's a shame it's only a limited-time offering.

For this taste test, I headed to my nearest Culver's location in Columbus, Ohio. I ordered six chicken items from the menu, except for the salads. The six I tried included three classic sandwiches, a limited-time sandwich, and two different kinds of chicken tenders. For the sandwiches, I ordered each one as is; I did not customize or swap ingredients (even though that is 100% a possibility at Culver's). As for the chicken tenders, I chose two sauces to pair with each order.

As I got down to tasting, I looked at the quality of the chicken. I wanted it to be tender, juicy, and flavorful all on its own. From there, I looked more closely at the preparation method, diving into the breading, grilled char, and various seasonings used (or lack thereof in some cases). When it came to the breading, I wanted it to create a nice balance with the poultry without overwhelming or becoming too crunchy — crispy is good, overly crunchy is a bit off-putting. Last came the supporting ingredients like sauces, toppings, and the bun, where applicable. The best picks seamlessly marry together ingredients to form a cohesive, tasty bite and show off Culver's chicken in the best light.