The Classic Carl's Jr. Side We Won't Be Ordering Again

Carl's Jr. is known for its burgers, but the fast food chain also has a number of chicken options available. Not all of them warrant your money, though — in our ranking of 11 classic Carl's Jr. menu items, the chicken stars sank to the bottom of the list. We found that the star-shaped, breaded nuggets were comparable in quality to the lower end of store-bought chicken nuggets and didn't taste much like chicken to begin with. Not even a healthy dose of sauce could pick up these bland, texturally uninteresting nuggets.

The other classic Carl's Jr. chicken item we tested, the hand-breaded tenders, ranked second on our list. That's an odd discrepancy for two items ostensibly made of the same thing, but their ingredients lists reveal where the missteps lie. In addition to chicken, the chicken stars also contain dehydrated chicken fat and a chicken-type seasoning blend. Contrast this with the chicken tenders, which only use actual chicken for their tasty poultry flavor.

The dried and synthetic chicken flavor in the stars is likely what begat that hit-or-miss, artificial taste we penalized them for. These Carl's Jr. chicken nuggets also contain a synthetic beef flavor blend, a confusing addition that could further explain the diminished chicken taste. While we can't know the exact proportions of these ingredients — real chicken is the first ingredient listed, so you're still primarily getting real meat — the presence of these other flavorings alone is enough to ruin the natural taste.

This methodology tracks across other restaurants, too: All of the top-tiered chicken nuggets from our definitive ranking of fast food chicken nuggets are made with pure chicken and have none of the synthetic meat flavors found in the chicken stars at Carl's Jr. We concede that the stars might be palatable for children, but discerning eaters should reach for the chain's superior tenders. Or, keep your freezer stocked with the best frozen chicken nuggets to supplement your regular Carl's Jr. order.