What Does Chick-Fil-A Do With Leftover Chicken?

Imagine the amount of chicken prepared by every Chick-Fil-A location every day. It's probably enough to cover Rhode Island in a knee-high nugget blanket. According to Franchise Times, Chick-Fil-A brought in a record $22.7 billion in sales in 2024, making it the top-selling chicken spot in the US. The supply and demand for chowing down on some chicken is only growing. With mountains of chickens prepared every day, it's inevitable that a sizable portion will end up unsold at the end of the day. The big question is: What happens to those nuggets and sandwiches? 

Since 2012, Chick-Fil-A restaurants have been opting in to the Shared Table program, which allows restaurants to donate leftover food to the community. The program helps connect participating restaurants to local non-profits, soup kitchens, and shelters to prevent food waste by giving away unsold sandwiches. As of this writing, 2,200 restaurants out of Chick-Fil-A's 3,000 or so locations participate in the program.

The Shared Table program sends packages of extra chicken that can be turned into anything from stir fries to casseroles; we know there are lots of ways to repurpose Chick-Fil-A leftovers, whether you're working with its chicken sandwiches, nuggets, or especially the delicious chicken strips. According to Chick-Fil-A, the program has allowed them to serve a whopping 30 million meals to the more vulnerable members of local communities.

While the efforts of the Shared Table program are commendable, there is also an initiative to minimize food waste in the first place. Chicken is cooked throughout the day to more accurately address the needs of that particular day, using a "cook less, more often" approach. Chick-Fil-A also released a free cookbook to inspire home chefs with ways to save those leftovers hiding in the back of the fridge. Even if you're craving Chick-Fil-A on a Sunday, there are ways to get your fill.