Burnt or ominously seasoned?
Those were the two thoughts in my head when I opened the clamshell container holding my three-piece order of Jack in the Box’s new Spicy Chicken Strips.
After trying them, I realized it might be an equal amount of both as the 100% white meat chicken inside the coating was a little dry, and the menu item as a whole ended up being spicier than I thought it would be.
I expected these strips to be as peppery as Jack in the Box’s old spicy chicken sandwich, which I’ve consumed numerous times. But they’re hotter. Oh, I wrote, “old spicy chicken sandwich” because Jack has updated the menu item by using these chicken strips in it. I also think they do a better job at bringing the heat than Wendy’s spicy chicken. Don’t @ me.
These also have a nice taste and crunch. The coating is crispy, most noticeably on the edges. Their flavor reminds me of Jack in the Box’s tacos for some reason but enhanced and much spicier. They’re tasty enough that they don’t need a dipping sauce, but my order did come with a container of ranch dip.
Jack in the Box did a great job with these Spicy Chicken Strips. They’re hotter and taste better than I expected. But with all that said, I’m not sure I can wholeheartedly recommend these.
While I like them, the amount of trans fat they have is alarming. I got the three-piece order, which, according to Jack in the Box’s website while I was writing this, has 4.5 grams of trans fat, and the five-piece option has 8 grams.
It might be a mistake on the website because Jack’s regular chicken strips don’t have trans fat and the updated Jack’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich that uses these strips also doesn’t have trans fat. But the nutrition for the sandwich might be for the old version, and no one changed it yet. I dunno. I hope it’s an error because I don’t want to go back to the early 1990s when the trans fat flowed as freely as crack cocaine.
Purchased Price: $4.99*
Size: 3 pieces
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 450 calories, 20 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 4.5 grams of trans fat (seriously?), 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 1970 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 30 grams of protein..
*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll most definitely pay less than I did.