Customers split after Chick-fil-A announces new waffle fries recipe: 'Who would do this?'

Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY
·3-min read

Chick-fil-A's waffle potato fries should "stay crispier, longer" after the fast food restaurant chain announced a new recipe this week, but some customers aren't so keen on the idea of changing what wasn't broken.

The College Park, Georgia-headquartered chain said it made a "slight adjustment" to its original waffle potato fries recipe that "offers the same great taste" and will not contain "any of the nine major allergens."

"Food safety and quality are our top priorities, and we take great care in adhering to stringent food safety procedures," Chick-fil-A said.

What is new is the waffle fries' coating, which will now contain pea starch, Chick-fil-A said. According to American Key Food Products, pea starch is a white, gluten-free, neutral-flavored powder made from yellow peas. This ingredient is commonly used for glass noodles, gummies, soups, sauces, dressings and baked goods.

Drink and sandwich containers are seen on a customer's table during the grand opening of a Chick-fil-A freestanding franchise restaurant in Midtown, New York October 3, 2015.
Drink and sandwich containers are seen on a customer's table during the grand opening of a Chick-fil-A freestanding franchise restaurant in Midtown, New York October 3, 2015.

In March 2024, Chick-fil-A announced that it would allow some antibiotics in its chicken, thus going back on the chain's initial commitment to using only antibiotic-free chicken.

"To maintain supply of the high-quality chicken you expect from us, Chick-fil-A will shift from No Antibiotics Ever (NAE) to No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine (NAIHM) starting in the Spring of 2024," the update on the fast food restaurant chain's website said.

USA TODAY contacted Chick-fil-A on Tuesday but did not immediately receive a response.

Chick-fil-A's new recipe has not prevented people across social media from checking it out for themselves and commenting. Here's what people are saying about the new waffle potato fries.

'These fries are basic'

Popular food YouTuber Daym Drops reviewed the new Chick-fil-A waffle fries and said, "These fries are basic."

"We've been here before, I'm talking about dumb basic," Drops says in the video. "I'm talking about old Ugg boots, leaning to the side, making their way to Starbucks basic. This right here is take all the makeup off basic."

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A post shared by Daym Drops (@officialdaymdrops)

'I’m not sure how I feel about it'

Social media users have been split on Chick-fil-A's new waffle potato fries, with some outright denouncing them and others seemingly being open to giving them a chance.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chick-fil-A fries causing a stir on social media over new recipe

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