"Talking bad about Culver's is an easy way to set the entire American Midwest against you. The famed burger- and cheese curd-slinger is hand downs one of the best Midwestern chain restaurants, and a point of pride for its home state of Wisconsin. But, as great as its food can be, Culver's is also a fast food restaurant that doesn't use 100% chicken - specifically in its crispy chicken fillets."
"The most prevalent ingredients on the list after the meat are water and seasonings, which might mean the chicken fillet has been "plumped." Plumping is a common food industry practice in which meat is injected with a solution of water, salt, and optional ingredients, such as flavorings. This can make chicken juicier and more tender, though the solution may also water down the flavor. However, this is likely unnoticeable in Culver's chicken patty due to the breading and other sandwich ingredients."
Culver's crispy chicken patties include both white meat breast and rib meat rather than only whole chicken breast. Water and seasonings appear high on the ingredient list, indicating the fillets may be plumped with a water and salt solution to increase juiciness and tenderness. Hydrolyzed corn and soy proteins are added as flavor enhancers to amplify umami, not as meat replacements. The breading, spice mix, and sandwich toppings likely mask any diluted flavor from plumping. The spice mix contains familiar seasonings like paprika alongside other additives that shape the final taste.
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