We Taste Tested All the Hot 7-Eleven Food (and the Egg Salad Sandwich, Too)

It’s the burning question on everyone’s mind: What’s the best hot food at 7-Eleven? Well, in what can only be described as a questionable act of free will, we bought all of the prepared foods from their self-serve section near the register, from 7-Eleven hot dogs to chicken strips to something called a “buffalo chicken roller,” sat in our parked car outside the store, and filmed ourselves taste-testing everything in one go.. Oh, the things we do for our fans. (Someone send me a green juice, please.)

Also, if you weren’t already aware, 7-Eleven started rolling out some of their Japanese prepared foods in U.S. stores a few months ago. I take a little pride in knowing Sporked was one of the first foodie news outlets to report on this—we’ve been on top of this story from the get-go! Our very own Jordan Myrick visited Japan earlier this year and hasn’t stopped raving about their food selection—especially the Japanese 7-Eleven egg salad sandwich. Now the rest of us finally go to try it for ourselves. But will it actually measure up to the Japanese version? Only time and a taste-test will tell. Here’s all the prepared 7-Eleven food we recommend for your next grab-and-go meal. 

What we looked for in the best food at 7-Eleven

Instead of a list of criteria, I think it’s best to judge 7-Eleven’s hot food options based on a series of questions: 

• Is it legally food?
• Is it something drunk people would enjoy eating after midnight?
• Does it taste better than it looks? (We love to be surprised.) 
• Would you come back, willingly and during daylight hours, to buy it again?

If we could answer “yes” to two or more of those questions, it probably made this list. And before we get into it, let me be a little dramatic for a second: I’m glad, at the end of the day, my company provides me with health insurance. If your company doesn’t provide you with health insurance, I don’t recommend buying all of the hot food at 7-Eleven and eating it in one sitting. (Maybe you could do all the 7-Eleven taquitos and be fine, but seriously, don’t push it.) Of all the hot foods we ordered from our local 7-Eleven, these nine items were good enough to recommend for your next desperate, late-night convenience store run.

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Best 7-Eleven Food

7-Eleven Egg Salad Sandwich

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Naturally, since Jordan is the only one on the Sporked team who’s had the original Japanese 7-Eleven egg salad sandwich, I made sure to get their opinion on America’s version of this beloved convenience store staple. Plenty of people online have already compared the two, with disappointing results—and Jordan had a similar reaction. The U.S. version of the sandwich definitely pales in comparison to Japan’s. The milk bread isn’t as soft and fluffy, and the egg salad isn’t nearly as flavorful. Our version uses reduced fat mayo instead of Kewpie mayo, which puts it at a huge disadvantage already. Jordan also noted the lack of egg yolks in the filling. Since egg yolks are naturally more flavorful than egg whites, we’re once again taking away what makes the Japanese version so special. Not to mention, we have to buy these at twice the price of Japan’s—which probably says more about America’s economic issues than anything else, but I digress. I will say: I tried the 7-Eleven Egg Salad Sandwich for myself, and I still thought it was pretty soft and fresh-tasting. Nothing to write home about, but still good enough to include on this list of 7-Eleven food that actually tastes good.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

6.5/10

Sporks

Best 7-Eleven Food

7-Eleven Roasted Chicken Wings

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When I opened the box of 7-Eleven chicken wings, the sight spooked me. They looked like unseasoned chicken wings that had been sitting out on a potluck table for too long. (In a way, that’s not too far off from the reality of the situation.) But honestly? These were surprisingly moist, tender, and nicely salted. I actually came back for bites of these a few times as a palate cleanser, so that should tell you something. While I can’t recommend these against wings you would find at Wingstop or other popular chains, I would say these are on par with good frozen chicken wings. For 7-Eleven hot foods, they definitely aren’t bad. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best 7-Eleven Food

7-Eleven Chicken Strips

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I expected the 7-Eleven Chicken Strips to taste like cardboard. And, yeah, I was kinda right. But again, what do you expect? A miracle? We’re talking about 7-Eleven food, here. The breading is the best part. It’s crispy and very peppery, and imbues the meat with a zesty flavor that keeps things interesting. The chicken was pretty tender and not dry. I would absolutely eat a full box of these—and I bet you would, too. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best 7-Eleven Food

7-Eleven Cheeseburger Bite

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Does this look like a charred turd in a hot dog bun? Yes. Yes it does. In reality, it is basically a burger patty that’s shaped like a thick hot dog, infused with a cheddar cheese flavor, and charred a bit on the outside. If I were  grading on presentation alone, this 7-Eleven hot food would be dead last. But ultimately this thing was juicy, super savory, and pretty tender. It reminded me of a bratwurst. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best 7-Eleven Food

7-Eleven Chicken Sandwich

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For a fried chicken patty between two pieces of bread, 7-Eleven’s chicken sandwich is pretty darn flavorful. I was shocked. The chicken is juicy, seasoned with black pepper, and fried in an oil that tastes like it’s not good for you, in the best way. The bun looks shiny and brioche-like, but taste-wise, it’s a little tough in some places (which is unsurprising, since we’re not talking about the freshest ingredients here). Overall, though, I would totally order this again. Add some spicy pickles and mayo, and you’re set. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best 7-Eleven Food

7-Eleven Jalapeño & Cheese Taquito

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There’s a wide variety of 7-Eleven taquitos perched nice and pretty behind the glass display, and you know what? None of them are bad. Should the coating be crispier? Yes. Could they be a bit hotter when they come off the rollers? Sure. But for a quick snack on the go, they totally do the job. Their Jalapeño & Cheese Taquito is particularly creative. With its spicy cream cheese filling, this is basically a jalapeño popper in taquito form. You don’t see this everyday—I’d recommend grabbing one the next time you’re in. Probably on a pee break. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best 7-Eleven Food

7-Eleven Buffalo Chicken Roller

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I have a shameful secret, guys. The week after I conducted this taste test, I went back to 7-Eleven, multiple times, to buy the Buffalo Chicken Roller on my own dime, for my own enjoyment. That isn’t to say you should be ashamed of eating 7-Eleven food on the regular—I’m just saying, only days prior was I scarfing down all their hot food in one sitting. I thought it would be hard to set foot inside the store again. But that’s the beauty of the 7-Eleven Buffalo Chicken Roller. It’s so simple—just a spicy buffalo coating over juicy chicken, with a little bit of melted cheese inside—yet so ingenious. My fellow taste testers may disparage it, but at 3 a.m. after a long night, this is the only thing I want to eat.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best 7-Eleven Food

7-Eleven Steak & Cheese Taquito

Doordah

I cannot in good conscience tell you that the 7-Eleven’s Steak & Cheese Taquito is [good]. But you know how Jack in the Box tacos are delicious to Jack in the Box taco fans? Like, they know what they’re eating is bad, but they crave it anyway? Maybe that describes most food at 7-Eleven, too, but it really describes the steak and cheese taquito. This limp, savory taquito is exactly what you want when you’ve hit rock bottom, and I think that’s beautiful. We loved it. Seriously. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Doordash

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best 7-Eleven Food

7-Eleven Beef Mini Tacos

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Beef mini tacos are a new addition to the 7-Eleven hot food line-up, and, y’all, when I tell you I was dubious—they really don’t look appetizing and I’m having a hard time even describing them in an appetizing way. You have to trust me when I say the juicy, gloopy beef inside these bite-sized, slightly overcooked mini tortillas is downright lovable. Somehow, they’re a perfectly imperfect product. I wish they came with a fun sauce, but otherwise, I have no notes. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best 7-Eleven Food

7-Eleven Spicy Breaded Wings

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I’m actually shocked. These are yummy. I expected them to be tough and chewy, but the breading is crispy, thick, flavorful without being greasy, and seasoned with a real spicy kick that’s delicious. Most importantly, the chicken is actually moist? And tender? Like, it tastes almost fresh? 7-Eleven, did you make wings that are actually good?! I hope this isn’t a sign that the end is near…

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Runner Up

7-Eleven Boneless Orange Chicken

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When I ordered this weird little orange chicken kebab, I expected it to be the worst thing I would taste all day. Nope. It’s strange but delicious—two things to always expect from the best 7-Eleven hot food. Sometimes, orange chicken suffers the pitfall of being too sweet and overly tangy. 7-Eleven’s orange chicken is super savory, with a hint of citrus and nice char on the outside that really brings an umami quality. Instead of being smothered in wet sauce, the sauce is sticky and evenly coated. This is genuinely very yummy, and not just for 7-Eleven food. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

7-Eleven Big Bite Hot Dog

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“This is actually really good,” manager editor Gwynedd Stuart said when she took a bite of this 7-Eleven hot dog. I know that doesn’t sound like the ringing endorsement we usually give to our #1 ranked products, but what she means is, this 7-Eleven hot dog is actually, like, really, really good. It’s spicy and salty, with savory juices sealed into every bite. Seriously, if you told me this was from a trendy L.A. food truck, I would believe you. It’s also completely obscene in that it’s approximately twice the size of a normal hot dog. Who knew 7-Eleven hot dogs were novelty hot dogs? Not me, that’s for sure! Maybe, just maybe, my suffering was worth it. 

Credit: Liv Averett / 7-Eleven

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other 7-Eleven hot foods we tried

7-Eleven Pepperoni Pizza, 7-Eleven Taco & Cheese Taquito, 7-Eleven Cheese Pizza, 7-Eleven Breaded Boneless Chicken Wings, 7-Eleven Pepperoni Pizza Taquito, 7-Eleven Cheeseburger Bite With Bun, 7-Eleven Chicken Nuggets, 7-Eleven Pizza, 7-Eleven Stuffed Pepperoni Pizza