11 Chick-Fil-A Hacks That Make The Menu Even Better

Chick-fil-A doesn't have an official secret menu, like so many other fast food chains that boast must-try hidden items. But that doesn't mean you can hack the menu to come up with new and intriguing foods that arguably taste better than the items listed. In fact, despite its lack of hidden offerings, off-menu orders at Chick-fil-A are actually encouraged. It's a head-scratcher, but it's true. You can easily make substitutions and ingredient upgrades at Chick-fil-A, and in many cases, all you have to do is ask. The online ordering system will also facilitate some, so you don't even have to talk to anyone if you don't want to.

That said, the trickiest part of unlocking Chick-fil-A's off-menu items is figuring out the ones that are actually worth trying. That's okay, though, because we have you covered. After searching the company's website as well as troves of comments on social media and online forums, we managed to scrounge up a collection of Chick-fil-A hacks that will arguably make the menu even better. After all, more options are always a good thing.

Chick-fil-A is known for being one of a handful of fast food chains that serve the best mac and cheese. If you've ever tried it, you know why. It is cheesy, gooey, and the noodles are just right. Even so, that doesn't mean you can't customize it. You have a couple of options, too. The first ingredient addition the company's website recommends is Nuggets, either the classic or grilled ones. You could always just mix them right in as-is, but the pro move is to take them home and dice them up before stirring them into the mix.

In addition to enhancing the Mac & Cheese with chicken, you can also get a side of the Zesty Buffalo Sauce and Garden Herb Ranch Sauce and drizzle some of each over the top to make what is being referred to as Buffalo chicken mac and cheese. Heck, if you want to stay vegetarian, you can skip the chicken and turn up the flavors with just the sauces. Or, if you simply want some kick, go for the Buffalo, and you'll be all set. Either way, the Mac & Cheese is prime for ingredient additions. While not needed, they will absolutely add some spice to your life.

This next Chick-fil-A hidden menu item is perfect for picky kids or plant-based diets, but unfortunately, rumor has it that not all stores will accommodate the request. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, though, it's none other than a grilled cheese sandwich. It will have to be on a buttered, toasted bun, but in case you've never tried one that way, it is delightful — especially if the bun is flipped inside-out. Regardless, Chick-fil-A has both buns and cheese, so the ingredients are on hand.

Since creating a grilled cheese sandwich is a menu hack that requires quite a bit of accommodation from the kitchen, don't be surprised if some locations turn down the request. It never hurts to ask, though — unless, of course, the store is super busy. When the place is bustling and lines are building up, fast food secret menu etiquette says you should just stick to the regular menu so the staff can keep things moving.

Milkshakes are a legendary fast food dessert item, and Chick-fil-A makes excellent ones. However, if you want to turn up the flavors even more — why wouldn't you? — there is a quick and easy hack: Simply order a Chocolate Chunk Cookie, crumble it up, and stir it into your cup. We advise really smashing it into small pieces so you don't wind up with a clogged straw. That said, if you prefer eating your milkshake with a spoon anyway, how fine or coarse you crumble your cookie is no business of ours.

Chick-fil-A's company website suggests this menu hack for its Cookies & Cream Milkshake and calls it a Double Cookie Milkshake. While that will surely be delicious, adding a Chocolate Chunk Cookie to any of the milkshake flavors — vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry — would lead to tasty results as well. More chocolate and cookies make sense in all of them, so just pick your favorite and mix away.

The not-so-secret ice cream sandwich is a major creation that Chick-fil-A die-hards have been cashing in on for quite some time. Even if you are new to the hidden menu items, rest assured that this one is tried and true. Best of all, you don't have to ask an employee for any special favors — you can make this yourself, and because of that, it's possible at any location you visit.

To make your very own Chick-fil-A ice cream sandwich, all you have to do is order two Chocolate Chunk Cookies and an Icedream Cup (Chick-fil-A's proprietary vanilla soft serve dessert, in case you aren't already familiar). Then, once you have them, just build the sandwich yourself. It will likely be a bit messy to eat, but who cares? It will be tasty enough to make you forget about that. Plus, if you have enough patience, you could always put your ice cream cookie sandwich in the freezer for a few minutes before enjoying it to ensure it's as solid as possible.

While not on the official menu, another fun hack for the Icedream Cup involves adding fruit. Once again, you can pull this upgrade off yourself, and that's always a plus in our book. It's as simple as it sounds: All you have to do is order an Icedream Cup and a Fruit Cup, and combine the two. Mission accomplished.

The Fruit Cup comes with blueberries, strawberries, red and green apples, and Mandarin orange slices — all things that taste great paired with vanilla soft serve. Fruit cups come as they are, according to several employees online, but some places may be willing to withhold certain fruits from the cup if you ask. Either way, the combination of simple, sweet desserts is a winning one.

Chick-fil-A currently has three full-sized salads on the menu — a Cobb Salad, a Spicy Southwest Salad, and a Market Salad. The first features fried chicken nuggets, and the latter two are made with strips of grilled chicken — or at least that's how they are listed on the menu. As it turns out, you can easily customize the type of chicken on your salad depending on your mood and personal preferences. The online ordering system allows you to do so hassle-free.

When it comes to the chicken on your salad, you actually have quite a few options. For starters, you could always ask to leave the chicken off entirely, but something tells us the other variables will be most appealing for many people. Other than that, you have the option to choose between the classic Chick-fil-A Filet, a Spicy Filet, Chick-n-Strips, Nuggets, Grilled Nuggets, Grilled Filet (warm or cold), or a cold Grilled Spicy Filet. Whichever you are feeling, Chick-fil-A staff will be happy to make it happen. Or, as they say, it will be their pleasure, so feel free to customize the chicken on your salads to your heart's content.

Chick-fil-A features a whole lineup of tasty breakfast sandwiches, the most iconic of which is the Chicken Biscuit. However, it is admittedly a bit plain. Even if you order it with a spicy patty, it's still just chicken and a biscuit. You can easily fix that, though, and once again, you won't need to enlist an employee to help you. Simply order a side of hash browns to go with your breakfast sandwich (you were probably gonna do that anyway, let's be honest) and your favorite sauce. Then, dip a hash brown, or maybe two or three of them, into the sauce, open your sandwich, and add them as an extra layer. Not only will it streamline eating your meal, but it also adds tons of delectable texture and flavor. Sounds like a win-win to us.

You don't have to stick to the Chicken Biscuit for this menu hack, either. You can also apply it to the Chick-n-Minis, the Egg White Grill, the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Muffin, or any other breakfast sandwich that's calling your name. As for the sauces offered, Chick-fil-A has quite the collection. Anything from the Barbecue to the Garden Herb Ranch to the Creamy Salsa to the Avocado Lime Ranch and beyond has what it takes to improve your next breakfast sandwich.

The Frosted Lemonade at Chick-fil-A is what you order when you want a taste of soft serve, but still want bold, citrusy flavors to be the star of the show. It's pretty tasty on its own, but you can also take it a step further by asking to add strawberry syrup to the mix. We probably don't have to tell you, but lemon and strawberry are a match made in heaven, so combining the two flavors in Chick-fil-A's frozen drinkable treat is a no-brainer. We know it won't assuage any cravings for the discontinued fan favorite Frosted Key Lime Pie drink, but it might just help diminish the sting, even if only temporarily.

The online ordering system does not facilitate this upgrade, so the only caveat to this hack is that you will have to ask an employee. Fortunately, though, adding a swirl of strawberry syrup to the drink before they blend it up is simple enough that it shouldn't cause any issues. Well, aside from the fact that once you get a taste, you may never be able to drink one as-is again.

On Chick-fil-A's menu, you find a Berry Parfait, which features yogurt (duh) and a mix of fresh fruit. You can also order a Fruit Cup all by itself. But what if you only want yogurt? Well, the answer is simple — just order the Berry Parfait, hold the fruit. Or, better yet, ask for the fruit on the side. That way you can still enjoy it at a later time. Chick-fil-A isn't going to give you a discount because you order it without, so there's no need to sacrifice quantity.

Okay, we'll admit that this Chick-fil-A menu hack may seem a little obvious. After all, most places allow you to order menu items with ingredients removed. Still, sometimes a hack is so obvious that all you need is someone to point out that it's possible. Chick-fil-A-going yogurt lovers, rejoice!

Looking for a plant-based option? If so, the final Chick-fil-A menu hack that's worthy of your consideration is for you: Simply order a Cool Wrap without chicken. Typically, the wrap is made with grilled chicken, green leaf lettuce, and Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses wrapped up in a flaxseed flour flat bread. Leaving the chicken off still leads to a yummy vegetarian-friendly meal (and if you add a side of Avocado Lime Ranch dressing or Jalapeño Salsa, even better). You can remove other veggies as well, but adding additional ones is likely a no-go — as usual it depends on location, but at worst, you can always ask.

In the morning, you can also order a Hash Brown Scramble Burrito sans meat to satisfy plant-based desires. Without the customary chicken, it features a blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, scrambled eggs, and hash browns wrapped in a flour tortilla, so it's hearty enough to hit the spot.