Review: Spicy Jalapeno Ranch Club from Chick-Fil-A

Bottom Line: The Spicy Jalapeno Ranch Club from Chick-Fil-A is a hefty sandwich that delivers good quality along with some decent heat.

Chicken again, chicken again, chicken again. The restaurant industry continues to focus on poultry as its preferred protein to spice up, and there are plenty of plucky options out there, especially when it comes to chicken sandwiches. Of course, when you go into Chick-Fil-A, you kind of expect to get chicken, and I recently stopped by there to try their new Jalapeno Ranch Club. Here is the description of that from their website:

Enjoy our Original, Spicy, or Grilled Filet, served on a buttermilk ranch bun with pickled jalapeños, Pepper Jack cheese, and strips of caramelized onion-flavored candied bacon. Pairs well with Jalapeño Ranch Sauce on the side. Available in select locations for a limited time.

I decided to maximize the heat on mine, so I got the spicy chicken breast.

The filet is sizeable, having a good crunch to it, and it is well seasoned. It is also tender throughout and not greasy at all, while bringing a nice kick of heat. The Pepper Jack cheese adds some creaminess, but I didn’t notice much heat from that. The candied bacon seemed to disappear in the mix apart from a little bit of salt and sweet. The veggies are fresh, and the jalapeños add some tang, though it could use a few more of those. The buttermilk ranch bun didn’t really stand out, but it held everything together well enough.

The Jalapeno Ranch Sauce comes in a separate packet so that you can add the amount you want to the sandwich. It has some tang and the taste of jalapeño along with a bit of a bite. I spread it generously on the sandwich, and it added decent flavor and brought this together as a rather tasty premium chicken sandwich.

As for the heat, it is a little above Medium on my scale, which is good for a fast food place. I have always been impressed with their Spicy Chicken Sandwich, and this is a pretty decent upgrade to that.

Nutrition-wise, this comes in at 720 calories and 36 grams of fat, which is on the high side for a fast food item and not very diet-friendly. If you add in the waffle fries, that tacks on another 420 calories, and you will need to be paying some penance at the gym. If you go with the grilled filet, that is only 550 calories (but still 25 grams of fat), making it a little better, though it won’t be as spicy.

The sandwich will set you back $8.29 in my area, and I paid a little over $13 (including tax) for the combo with waffle fries and a drink. That is on the high side for the drive-thru, but Chick-Fil-A is a step up in quality, and they have always been a little more expensive. I don’t go there too often because they are always so crazy busy, but they are that way because they sell darn good chicken. And when I do go, I am generally happy with what I get. The Jalapeno Ranch Club is around for the dreaded limited time only, so you will want to grab one pretty soon if it sounds tempting.

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 720
Fat: 36g (12g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 29g
Carbs: 58g
Sodium: 2200mg