Review: I Tried Chick-Fil-A's New Spring Menu And One Item Kicks The Classics To The Curb

Jenny Kellerhals Keogh/Mashed

After having weathered months of unrelenting sub-freezing temperatures and several blizzards, many of us are understandably at a breaking point with winter and desperate to see any signs of spring that we can pin our hopes on. The embrace of springtime still feels far-off, but Chick-fil-A's new spring menu is one of the first seasonal glimmers of hope that things are about to heat up.

This month, Chick-fil-A is launching a new Strawberry Hibiscus flavor option for several of the chain's popular beverages, alongside a new Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwich, which includes an exclusive new sauce, and chicken filet variations for every preference. Never one to turn down a strawberry lemonade, I headed to Chick-fil-A for a taste of what the new menu has to offer, and desperately hoped it would provide a taste of warmer days ahead — even if only in jalapeño form.

Here's everything you need to know about the new spring menu, including when and where to find it, how each of the menu items tastes, how much each item costs, the nutritional information, and what I really think about the seasonal flavors.

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Chick-fil-A invited me to a local restaurant here in NYC for a full preview of the new spring menu, including every variation of the Strawberry Hibiscus drinks and Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwiches. All of the drinks and sandwiches were freshly prepared and tasted side-by-side to make it easy to compare the different versions, and pick out any special flavor profiles from each.

Having tasted several other seasonal menu offerings from Chick-fil-A, I was curious to see what would make this particular menu stand out, and if they're worth going out of your way to grab a taste of before they're gone. As a staunch strawberry lemonade lover, and someone who is easily satisfied with a simple fried chicken sandwich (as long as there's a crisp pickle on it), I was skeptical of a menu that might be doing too much just to grab some attention. Instead, I was surprised by just how good these seasonal offerings are, and how well they all work together.

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As with previous seasonal menu releases at Chick-fil-A, the 2026 spring menu includes a new beverage flavor and a special upgrade to the restaurant's existing Chicken Club Sandwich. Past drink flavors include Watermelon Mint, Mango Passion, and Cloudberry, paired with the brand's iconic lemonade, Sunjoy, and Frosted Lemonade beverages. This year's Strawberry Hibiscus drinks tap straight into the nostalgic appeal of strawberry lemonade with a slightly floral and bittersweet twist of hibiscus to mix things up.

No menu update would be complete without a limited-time sandwich offering, and this season's offerings are no exception. A new Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwich hits menus alongside the Strawberry Hibiscus beverages, making for a hotly anticipated sweet and spicy pairing. Chick-fil-A has gotten more creative with its signature chicken sandwiches in recent years, offering bolder flavors and limited-time pairings to keep customers excited. Past seasons have seen impressive sandwich flavor offerings, like the Pretzel Cheddar Club Sandwich, the Smokehouse BBQ Bacon Sandwich, and the Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich.

Chick-fil-A is also offering a limited-time Jalapeño Ranch sauce, available exclusively with the seasonal Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwiches. Like the Creamy Dijon Mustard Sauce, which was only available with the Pretzel Cheddar Club Sandwich, you'll have to order the sandwich to get a taste of the sauce.

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Before you race over to your nearest Chick-fil-A, you should know that the new spring menu will be available beginning Monday, March 9. The menu will be available nationwide at participating restaurants, so you should be able to grab a bite of the new items at just about any Chick-fil-A, with very few exceptions. The Strawberry Hibiscus beverages and Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwiches are predicted to run for several months, although if you're interested in giving them a try, you should swing by before Memorial Day. Once the limited supplies are gone, they're gone for good.

With that said, you might still be able to get your hands on Chick-fil-A's popular Strawberry Milkshake, and special order a Frosted Strawberry Lemonade or Sunjoy with the addition of the regular strawberry syrup, but it won't be the same as the new seasonal Strawberry Hibiscus flavor. For those who spend the whole year patiently waiting for the Chick-fil-A summer menu, and hopefully the return of the ever-popular peach drinks and milkshake, it's worth noting that the spring menu is slated to end around June 6th.

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As if Chick-fil-A's classic lemonade wasn't beloved enough, the new Strawberry Hibiscus flavor makes it downright irresistible. Unlike the strawberry syrup that's currently used to make the strawberry milkshake, the new Strawberry Hibiscus syrup doesn't have chunks of strawberry pieces floating in it, making for a smoother sipping experience overall. Additionally, the hibiscus adds a slightly tart flavor that pairs well with the lemonade and saturates the drinks with an even bolder reddish-pink color.

The new Strawberry Hibiscus beverages will be offered in four formats: Strawberry Hibiscus Lemonade, Strawberry Hibiscus Frosted Lemonade, Strawberry Hibiscus & Sprite, and Strawberry Hibiscus Sunjoy. The boldest strawberry hibiscus flavor shines with the classic lemonade option, where the Sunjoy version (made with half lemonade and half sweet tea) is the most balanced, with a less sweet taste. The Frosted Lemonade version is on the milder side, and not quite as bold as the strawberry milkshake. And for those who love a flavored soda, the Sprite version is sparkling and juicy, with the most noticeable hibiscus tartness of the four options.

Prices for the seasonal beverages will vary by location, and whether you order in–store or for delivery. But for a general idea of what to expect, the price of the Strawberry Hibiscus Lemonade starts at $3.25, the Frosted Lemonade starts at $4.75, the Sunjoy starts at $3.25, and the Strawberry Hibiscus & Sprite beverage starts at $2.89.

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The very first thing you'll notice about the new Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwich is the bun. Flecked with herbs, these toasted buttermilk ranch buns are a departure from the multigrain brioche bun that the regular Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich is served on, and a visually exciting preview of what's in store for the sandwich as a whole. Inside, you'll find a sandwich stacked with a chicken filet, pickled jalapeños, lettuce, tomato, pepper jack cheese, and three half-strips of caramelized onion-flavored bacon. Each sandwich also comes with a packet of Jalapeño Ranch sauce.

While I enjoy a little heat, I'm still relatively sensitive to spiciness, and was curious how much intensity the pickled jalapeños would lend to this sandwich. Surprisingly, the heat level is easy to handle, even with a generous amount of the exclusive Jalapeño Ranch sauce slathered on. The creaminess of the sauce nicely balances the warming jalapeños in both the sauce and on the sandwich, while boosting those herbal ranch notes that are already present in the buttermilk ranch bun. The pepper jack cheese adds just a hint of peppery top notes, that seem to draw out the buttery flavors of the original and spicy fried chicken filets. The addition of the Jalapeño Ranch sauce is a must if ordering the Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwich with an original chicken filet, and optional with a spicy chicken filet.

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I'll admit that I very rarely order a grilled chicken sandwich at Chick-fil-A, but drawn to the siren song of the classic fried chicken filet instead. So I saved tasting this version of the sandwich for last, assuming it would be the least exciting version of the three — and I couldn't have been more wrong. The grilled chicken filet is already marinated in lemon and herbs, which only serves to amplify the herbal flavors in the bun and Jalapeño Ranch sauce. The crunchy, buttery, battered original and spicy fried chicken filets are great, but without the additional breading, the caramelized onion flavors of the bacon are much more apparent, and the pickled jalapeños shine just a little brighter.

Topped with a packet of creamy Jalapeño Ranch sauce, the grilled filet version of the Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwich is warming from the inside out, with enough heat and plenty of creamy ranch flavor to do its name justice. This version of the sandwich takes the everyday version of the Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich up many notches, and, in my opinion, surpasses it entirely.

Prices for the new sandwiches will vary by location, but the price of the Original Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwich starts at $7.75, the Spicy version starts at $8.15, and the Grilled version begins at $8.69.

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There's no denying the versatility of ranch sauce, and the inclusion of jalapeño is a welcome upgrade for spice lovers. With that said, the spiciness of this sauce is very well balanced with the creaminess of the ranch, and doesn't overpower the herbal notes along the way. The good news is that it's fantastic, and is absolutely worth topping off your Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwich with.

The bad news is that the Jalapeño Ranch sauce is exclusively available with the seasonal sandwiches, and will only be available while supplies last. Sure, Chick-fil-A also has the Garden Herb Ranch sauce and the Avocado Lime Ranch dressing, but neither of them quite matches what's happening with the Jalapeño Ranch sauce. Furthermore, there isn't another hot sauce on the regular Chick-fil-A menu that you could mix with the Garden Herb Ranch sauce to create something comparable on your own. So get it while you can, and petition Chick-fil-A to put the Jalapeño Ranch sauce on the menu so we can enjoy anytime.

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Full nutrition information will be available when the spring menu officially hits restaurants nationwide, but here's a preview of the calorie information for each item to help you prepare. The Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwich with Original filet has 610 calories, and the version with a Spicy filet has 640 calories. The Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwich with Grilled filet has just 470 calories.

A small Strawberry Hibiscus Lemonade starts at 270 calories, while a small Strawberry Hibiscus Frozen Lemonade starts at 360 calories. On the other end of the scale, the small Strawberry Hibiscus & Sprite starts at just 190 calories, and the Strawberry Hibiscus Sunjoy clocks in at 240 calories.

While the calorie count for the Strawberry Hibiscus beverages is slightly higher than the versions of the beverages without the seasonal flavoring, the calorie count for the sandwiches is slightly lower than the regular menu versions of the sandwiches.

Jenny Kellerhals Keogh/Mashed

It was sleeting in NYC on the morning that I headed to Chick-fil-A for a taste of the upcoming spring menu, and the prospect of strawberries along with warming jalapeños felt almost unbelievable. But once inside, I could practically feel my winter armor melting away with every sip of bright and juicy Strawberry Hibiscus Lemonade. I cautiously tasted the Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwiches, my optimism growing with each variation I tried.

It's safe to say that every version of the spring beverages and sandwiches is a winner, and absolutely worth a taste while they're available. The Strawberry Hibiscus Lemonade can't be missed, and the Strawberry Hibiscus Sunjoy is a casually delicious way to brighten up a rainy spring day.

The Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwiches are easily approachable, regardless of heat sensitivity. But if you can take the heat, go all out with a spicy filet and as much Jalapeño Rance sauce as you can lay your hands on. There are no wrong choices here, but I'll be ordering the grilled chicken filet version over the original or spicy filet versions for as long as it's available.