Dave's Hot Chicken Nutrition & Macro Calculator

Dave's Hot Chicken publishes nutrition information but does not offer an interactive calculator for building your full meal. This tool lets you add tenders, sliders, fries, sides, and shakes to your order and instantly see total calories, protein, carbs, and fat using official published data.

Calories vary widely depending on what you order. A single tender runs around 490–550 calories depending on spice level, a single slider is around 620 calories, and regular fries add 440 calories. A full combo with two tenders and fries can exceed 1,400 calories. Use the calculator above to see the exact total for your order.

Yes. Each spice level uses a chili oil blend that adds extra fat and calories. No Spice is the lowest calorie option, and calories increase incrementally through Lite Mild, Mild, Medium, Hot, Extra Hot, and Reaper. The difference between No Spice and Reaper on a single tender is roughly 60 calories.

A single tender delivers around 37 grams of protein, making it one of the higher protein fast food options available. A single slider comes in at around 31 grams. If you're maximizing protein, tenders are the better choice over sliders since you get more protein with fewer carbs from the bun.

The lowest calorie path is a single Cauli Tender (around 350 calories) or a single tender with no spice paired with kale slaw instead of fries. Swapping fries for kale slaw saves roughly 300–340 calories per meal. Skipping Dave's Sauce, which adds around 180 calories per cup, also makes a significant difference.

The chicken at Dave's Hot Chicken is halal-certified through Halal Transactions of Omaha, and the founders built the brand with halal certification as a priority. However, there are nuances worth knowing: the chicken is pre-stunned before hand-slaughter, which some stricter interpretations of halal do not accept. The supply chain and kitchen do not operate under full halal procedures, and sauces, sides, and shared fryers are not halal-certified. For most Muslim customers the chicken itself is considered halal, but if you follow stricter standards, confirm directly with your location and ask about their current supplier and preparation practices.

The cauliflower items are plant-based but are fried in the same oil as the chicken, so calorie and fat counts are closer to the chicken options than you might expect. A single Cauli Tender is around 350 calories versus 490 for a chicken tender. They are lower in protein — around 6 grams versus 37 grams — so if protein is your priority, chicken tenders are the better choice.

Regular fries are 440 calories. Cheese fries are 460 calories. Loaded fries range from 1,200 calories for a small to 1,800 calories for a large, making them one of the most calorie-dense items on the menu. If you're watching calories, kale slaw at around 100–150 calories is the significantly lighter side option.

Shakes range from around 440–480 calories for a small up to 740–950 calories for a large. Top-loaded shakes with Oreo, M&M, or Cinnamon Toast Crunch can reach 950–1,100 calories for a large. If you're tracking macros, shakes add significant calories and carbs with relatively little protein.

Dave's Hot Chicken uses fresh never-frozen chicken and hand-breads each piece to order. The chain also operates in high-cost urban markets and has grown rapidly with celebrity backing, which factors into pricing. A single tender combo typically runs $12–16 depending on location.