Chick-fil-A Is About to Sell Its New Chickenless Sandwich. What's In It? Starting next week, the chicken chain will test its 'plant-forward' sandwich in three cities.

By Jonathan Small

Good news for those who want to experience Chick-fil-A awesomeness without the actual chicken.

Starting on February 13, the chicken chain will start selling its first "plant-forward entrée" — the Chick-fil-A Cauliflower Sandwich.

The latest menu item is made with a cauliflower filet that's marinated and breaded in Chick-fil-A seasoning, pressure cooked, topped with two dill pickle chips, and served between buttery toasted buns.

"Cauliflower is the hero of our new sandwich, and it was inspired by our original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich," said Leslie Neslage, director of menu and packaging at Chick-fil-A. "Guests told us they wanted to add more vegetables into their diets, and they wanted a plant-forward entrée that tasted uniquely Chick-fil-A."

Chick-fil-A's first meatless sandwich will go on sale for a limited time in three markets: Denver; Charleston, and the Greensboro-Triad region in North Carolina.

A company spokesperson told CNN that the starting price is $6.59, which could vary by market.

Related: 'We've Been An Elite Restaurant': Chick-fil-A Manager Started Offering a Three-Day Workweek. It Now Has 100 Percent Management Retention.

Meatless food goes mainstream

Plant-based options have infiltrated fast food restaurants for the past few years, with chains such as KFC, McDonald's, and Taco Bell offering meatless menu items.

Last summer, Burger King introduced a plant-based version of its Original Chicken Sandwich, replacing the chicken with Impossible Chicken Patties.

But this is the first-ever veggie offering from Chick-fil-A.

Why cauliflower?

Stuart Tracy, Chick-fil-A's principal culinary developer, said the company has been experimenting with various plant-based options for the past four years.

"Our culinary team brainstormed and explored everything from mushrooms to chickpeas to chopped vegetables formed into patties, but we kept coming back to the cauliflower filet," he said.

Tracy added that many taste testers mistook the cauliflower sandwich for the original.

"When most people think about a plant-forward sandwich, they might picture a patty molded from chopped vegetables, but this sandwich is what you could call a cauliflower steak. It's real cauliflower," Tracy said.

But is it vegetarian?

While the new Chick-fil-A Cauliflower Sandwich is "plant-forward," it is not vegetarian.

"This is made with cauliflower, pickles, bread, milk, and eggs. If that works for your definition of vegetarian, awesome," Neslage told USA Today. "But it is not isolated in our kitchens. We have chicken all day, every day, and that's not going away, so we want to be very candid and open and honest with our customers."

Jonathan Small

Entrepreneur Staff

Editor in Chief of Green Entrepreneur

Jonathan Small is editor-in-chief of Green Entrepreneur, a vertical from Entrepreneur Media focused on the intersection of sustainability and business. He is also an award-winning journalist, producer, and podcast host of the upcoming True Crime series, Dirty Money, and Write About Now podcasts. Jonathan is the founder of Strike Fire Productions, a premium podcast production company. He had held editing positions at Glamour, Stuff, Fitness, and Twist Magazines. His stories have appeared in The New York Times, TV Guide, Cosmo, Details, and Good Housekeeping. Previously, Jonathan served as VP of Content for the GSN (the Game Show Network), where he produced original digital video series.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business News

A Woman Is Suing Disney World After Suffering 'Injurious' Waterslide Wedgie at Typhoon Lagoon

Emma McGuinness was going down the Humunga Kowabunga waterslide when the incident occurred.

Business News

These Great-Grandparents Booked 51 Back-to-Back Cruises Because It's 'Cheaper Than a Retirement Home'

Retirees Marty and Jess Ansen hopped on a cruise ship nearly two years ago and never left.

Business Solutions

Upgrade to Windows 11 Pro for $29.97 Through October 15

If you are running a less-than-current OS, consider Improving performance with MS Windows 11 Pro.

Business News

Amazon Users Report Receiving Mysterious Gift Card Emails, Sparking Scam Worries

Amazon customers were puzzled when they received multiple unexpected gift card purchase confirmation emails for transactions they never made.

Growing a Business

How to Craft a Bulletproof Sales Strategy That Will Survive Any Economy

Discover five strategies for creating a sales process that remains strong even during challenging economic times.

Leadership

It's a Great Time Make Money With a Podcast. Industry Experts Tell You How.

A panel of podcast experts outlines the most effective strategies for growing your audience and your revenue.