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Let’s face it, sometimes only a juicy, crispy chicken tender hits the spot .
But where do you go to get the tastiest chicken tenders when there are so many fast-food options?
We’ve ranked the best to worst fast food chicken tenders to assist you in navigating the world of heavenly bread.
This article will provide an answer to the age-old query: which fast-food restaurant is the best at chicken tenders?
We’ll be ranking popular options based on breading, chicken quality, flavor, and overall satisfaction. So buckle up and get ready to find your new favorite fast-food chicken tender!
1. Handcrafted Tenders from Popeyes
Popeyes is the best fast-food chicken business in the country, so it makes sense that they have the best fast-food chicken tenders.
To be honest, there’s no competition to determine who serves the best chicken tenders in the entire country. Popeyes offers three types of Handcrafted Tenders, and each one is an excellent example of well-made food.
First of all, their mild tenders are far from boring. Even without eating the chicken, you’ll be happy with your buy because of how good the breading is.
Then, when you finally get to the meat, it’s so juicy that you might want to wear a bib.
Choose the hot Handcrafted Tenders to turn up the heat. These things are spicy and tasty at the same time.
Popeyes is one of the few fast-food chains that doesn’t mind turning up the heat. What will really draw you to these tenders is not how spicy they are, but how rich the tastes are.
The last kind that Popeyes has is called “blackened tenders.” The taste of these tendies is out of this world, and the smell will make you fall in love.
Dip them in Popeyes Blackened Ranch, and you’ll be in chicken tender heaven and grinning from ear to ear.
2. Chick-n-Strips from Chick-fil-A
If chicken pieces aren’t crunchy and crispy, most people don’t like them. Chick-n-Strips is a big exception to this rule.
Chick-fil-A’s superb tenders are pretty soft but taste out of this world. Chick-n-Strips are cooked under pressure in a pot of peanut oil, just like the other chicken items on their menu.
When that magic happens, the chicken strips that come out are so good that you couldn’t eat just one. That would be horrible.
Freshness is Chick-n-Strips’ biggest power. If you ate one of these tenders, you’d think the chicken had just been clucking a few minutes ago.
The only thing you need to remember is to eat these while they’re still hot. If you let them cool down, they will lose a lot of their magic.
Another good thing about Chick-n-Strips is that Chick-fil-A has more dipping sauces than anyone else.
You can’t go wrong with any of their sauces, from the Polynesian Sauce to the Chick-fil-A Sauce and everything in between.
3. Crispy Tenders from Wingstop
In 1994, Wingstop opened for the first time. If you want to buy chicken wings from a big restaurant, you can’t find better. Their wings really are the best there are.
Even though Wingstop has a small menu, you can get chicken tenders in addition to wings, sides, drinks, dips, and sweets.
As you’d expect from this place, their appetizers are out of this world. The outside is crunchy, and the inside is full of juicy goodness.
At Wingstop, the same steps are used to order wings and Crispy Tenders, which is interesting. After you choose the tenders, you have to choose the taste.
There are many different kinds, from the super hot Atomic to the sweet and delicious Hawaiian.
Garlic Parmesan, Lemon Pepper, and Louisiana Rub are some of the other most popular tastes.
You can order the tenders plain, but you shouldn’t do that unless you want to be seen as a square.
No matter how good these tenders taste, the truth is that their wings are even better. So, if you’re in a hurry and need a boneless meal from Wingstop, their chicken strips are a good choice.
4. Cajun Tenders from Krispy Krunchy Chicken
Both Champs Chicken and Bojangles’ should be envious of Krispy Krunchy Chicken’s chicken pieces.
Krispy Krunchy Chicken is frequently located in corner stores, similar to Champs Chicken.
But Champs Chicken Tenders are garbage, while Krispy Krunchy Chicken Tenders are wonderful.
While Cajun flavor is Bojangles’ claim to fame, Krispy Krunchy Chicken has mastered the use of Cajun seasoning to create the most delicious chicken tenders.
Their tenders, which are called “Cajun Tenders,” have a Cajun flavor that you will love to the core of your being.
Every bite is like a fireworks show of Cajun flavors. If you don’t like spicy food, you might want to have a big glass of milk with these.
It’s not shocking to discover that Krispy Krunchy Chicken was founded in Louisiana, as only a true Louisianan could produce such excellent Cajun cuisine.
This chain of fast-food restaurants now has more than 2,500 sites in 47 states.
5. Extra Crispy Tenders from KFC
You can find three kinds of chicken pieces at KFC, just like you can at Church’s Chicken if you look hard enough.
But unlike Church’s, KFC only sells one kind of chicken that you should buy.
One of the two kinds of tendies you should not eat is Nashville Hot Tenders.
The golden glow of these things makes you think they’ll be fun and spicy, but that’s not the case.
Instead, Nashville Hot tenders mostly taste like paprika with a touch of cayenne pepper. As soon as you take your first bite, you’ll feel sick.
The other kind of KFC chicken tenders you should stay away from is their Original Recipe Tenders.
In theory, it sounds like these things would be delicious. In fact, they’re a mushy mess that falls apart in your hands.
Extra Crispy Tenders are the best tenders to order at KFC. Even though the chicken in the middle is just okay, the breading is amazing.
No one should think you’re crazy if you just order these to pick off the breading and eat it.
6. Golden Tenders from Golden Chick
Golden Chick may not be a well-known fast food chain, but its chicken tenders have a long and interesting past.
In 1967, they opened their first restaurant in Texas. In 1985, less than 20 years later, they came out with Golden Tenders.
After more than 35 years, these tenders still taste the same as when they were first put on the menu. In that time, there has been no change in quality at all.
If you love super-crispy chicken pieces with a lot of breading, you will worship what you can get at Golden Chick.
The only small problem is that their chicken is not particularly juicy or moist.
Even though Golden Chick has been making chicken pieces for a long time, they didn’t come up with the idea.
A diner in Manchester, New Hampshire, called Puritan Backroom says that the chicken tender was invented there in 1974.
7. Original Chicken Tenders from Culver’s
Culver’s is always a good choice when you want to eat fast food. It is the best chain burger place you can find anywhere in the United States.
Everything is great, from their Original ButterBurger to their best onion rings. As you might expect, their Original Chicken Tenders are good, but they won’t blow your mind.
The chicken is the best part of these trendies. It is incredibly juicy and full of taste. Culver’s also has a variety of tasty dipping sauces, like honey mustard, ranch, and BBQ.
The thing that won’t blow you away is the breading. Compared to other chicken pieces, these ones have a very simple breading that doesn’t add much to the taste.
If the taste of the chicken is the most important thing to you when it comes to pieces, go ahead and buy these.
If you want the whole package, you should order a burger with onion rings from Culver’s and look for tendies somewhere else.
8. Texas Tenders from Church’s Chicken
Church’s Chicken has three chicken pieces that are better than average. Their hot Texas Tenders are the first thing you can order.
Compared to the Chicken Supremes at Bojangles’, these tenders are spicier and have more taste. Church’s Chicken also sells good original Texas Tenders.
Even though they aren’t too spicy, the flavor will keep your taste buds interested. The breading and the chicken are both full of flavor.
It can be hard to find the third kind of chicken pieces at Church’s Chicken.
They are called Honey-Butter Biscuit Tenders, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that they taste great.
The honey butter on Church’s cookies makes them even better. The cookie batter is used to make these tenders, and they taste just as good as they sound.
You really can’t go wrong when it comes to choosing which tenders to stuff in your face.
If you want something sweet, choose the Honey-Butter Biscuit Tenders if they are on the menu.
If they’re not available, choose the original or spicy Texas Tenders, based on how brave you are, and get a few biscuits on the side.
9. Chicken Supremes from Bojangles’
It’s not as easy as it sounds to order chicken strips at Bojangles’. If you go into this project without being ready, you might end up being frustrated.
If you’re looking for tenders on their menu, you don’t want to order their Homestyle Tenders by accident.
These things are so clear that they hurt. In fact, they might be even less interesting than what Arby’s has to offer.
The name for the tenders you want is “Chicken Supremes.” That’s a strange name for chicken pieces, but it’s what you’ll get at Bojangles’.
The Homestyle Tenders are boring, but the Chicken Supremes are spicy enough to get your attention, and the chicken has never been frozen, so it is very juicy.
Even if your taste buds are weak and you don’t like spicy foods, you shouldn’t have a problem with these trendies.
On a range from 1 to 10, where 1 is not spicy at all and 10 is very spicy, these are about a 3.
If you don’t like spicy food, you can order Mountain Dew Southern Shock, which is only sold at Bojangles‘ and will cool your mouth down if things get too hot.
10. Express Tenders from Chicken Express
Chicken Express is a fast food place that has been open since 1988 and focuses on chicken.
This place first opened in Texas, and most of its more than 250 sites are still there, mostly in the eastern half of the Lone Star State.
At first, delivery was all they did. You can get food brought, eat inside the restaurant, or just go through the drive-thru window.
The chicken pieces at Chicken Express go by the name “Express Tenders,” which is a fitting and appropriate name.
These tenders are made quickly, as their name suggests. They will still be very hot when you get them.
Even though the quality isn’t great, the uniformity from tender to tender is good.
If you liked the last piece of chicken you ate, you’ll also like the next one. The outside is crunchy, and the chicken inside is juicy.
Even though the quality isn’t great, you can make up for it by getting a lot of it.
If you need to feed a big group of hungry people, their 30 Express Tenders family meal is just what the doctor (who likes chicken) ordered.
In addition to the many tenders, you get two big sides and 16 ounces of their delicious gravy.
11. Chicken Tenders from Arby’s
The best way to describe Arby’s Chicken Tenders is with the word “meh.” The tenders have a fine feel, neither great nor bad.
There’s just not much flavor to it. If you take a big bite, your taste buds will tell you something is wrong.
Even though these chicken tenders don’t taste bad, they also don’t taste like anything, which is clearly not the best.
Dipping sauces can sometimes save tenders and pieces that lack flavor.
Even though Arby’s has some great sauces, like the red and tasty Arby’s Sauce and the Horsey Sauce, which is made of mayonnaise and horseradish, none of their best sauces are good for chicken pieces.
Their honey mustard dipping sauce, tangy barbeque sauce, ranch dipping sauce, and buffalo dipping sauce are all good for dipping tenders.
The taste of these dipping sauces ranges from bad to average, so there’s no easy way to give these chicken tenders the pizzazz they need.
12. Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders from Carl’s Jr.
Even though Carl’s Jr.’s Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders aren’t quite good enough to give full-throated approval, there are still a few people who will be happy with them.
The strong smell of these tendies is something to think about. Everything else is fine, but the aftertaste has a very strong, weirdly sour buttermilk flavor.
Even though it is normal for buttermilk to be sour, it is so sour that the smell may make you pucker.
If you liked McDonald’s Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Tenders and are looking for something similar, these tenders from Carl’s Jr. might be just what you’re looking for.
The McDonald’s version was better, but they are no longer on the menu, so you can’t get your hands on them unless you can turn back time.
If you don’t live near Carl’s Jr., try Hardee’s. The same thing is in their Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders.
13. Chicken tenders from Long John Silver’s
Even if you order their fish, a trip to Long John Silver’s is probably something you’ll come to rue.
Don’t expect to be happy if you order chicken tenders at this national fish chain. The special batter they use to make their fish is also used to make these tenders.
Sad to say, this chicken has the same problem as many other things on their menu: it’s too oily.
Long John Silver’s should get some credit for selling chicken pieces that taste nothing like what their fast food competitors sell.
However, the fact that their chicken is different won’t be much of a consolation prize.
By the end of your first tender, you’ll understand that you might as well have gone with seafood.
Even though their fish isn’t great, their Wild Alaskan Pollock is tastier than these strange chicken pieces.
14. Crispy Tenders from Sonic Drive-In
Even though Sonic Drive-In has a lot of tasty food options, the Crispy Tenders are the only thing on the menu that isn’t good.
What you think will be a delicious meal will quickly turn into your worst fear.
The first problem with Sonic’s Crispy Tenders is that they aren’t always the same.
The texture of the tender will change from bite to bite, going from too soft to so hard that it will feel like you’re eating dirt with pebbles in it.
Second, the breading is just terrible. It has a chalky taste that will get into every part of your mouth and be annoying.
If you have to eat these chicken things, make sure you have a lot of sauces to help you get through it.
Instead of these gross pieces, get one of Sonic Drive-In’s cheap corn dogs instead. The corn dogs are much better and much cheaper.
Then wash it down with the famous Cherry Limeade from Sonic.
15. Chicken tenders from Champs Chicken
Champs Chicken is a handy place to buy fast food chicken because it is in corner stores, gas stations, and other convenient places.
But this ease of use will cost you. Even though their chicken costs are fair, the quality is terrible.
Since Champs Chicken is the worst chicken fast food chain in America, it’s not surprising that its chicken pieces are the worst of the worst.
The first thing that will turn you off about these tenders is how wet they feel.
If you’re brave enough to bite into it, you’ll find that the inside tastes like old chicken that has spent most of its life under a heat lamp.
If you choose their chicken tenders because your local Champs Chicken is easy to get to, you’ll soon learn that these deep-fried, chicken-based horrors are more likely to end up in the trash than in your stomach.
Conclusion
There are a lot of choices when it comes to fast-food chicken tenders.
But with our final list of the best and worst fast-food chicken tenders, you can be sure you’re making the right choice to satisfy your cravings.
This list has something for everyone, whether you want Chick-fil-A’s amazing tenders or just a quick fix from McDonald’s.
Just don’t eat too much and don’t forget the dipping sauce.
FAQs – Fast Food Chicken Tenders
How do you make chicken tenders?
Chicken tenders, also called “chicken fingers,” are strips of breaded and deep-fried chicken breast meat. They are a popular fast food that is usually served with a sauce to dip it in.
Which fast food places sell chicken tenders?
Chicken strips are sold at a lot of fast food places, like McDonald’s, KFC, Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, Wendy’s, and Burger King.
What is the best chicken tender fast food?
The best chicken cut from a fast food place is a matter of personal taste. But Chick-fil-A is often thought to have some of the best chicken strips because their breading is crispy and the meat is juicy.
What makes the chicken strips at Chick-fil-A so good?
Chick-fil-A’s chicken strips are made with whole chicken breast meat that is hand-breaded and cooked in peanut oil. This makes the outside crispy and full of flavor, while the inside is juicy and soft.
Where else can you get good chicken tenders at fast food places?
Raising Cane’s, Zaxby’s, and Bojangles’ are some other fast food places that have good chicken pieces.
Where else can you get bad chicken wings at fast food chains?
Church’s Chicken and Carl’s Jr. are two other fast food places with bad chicken pieces.
How important is it that chicken pieces are breaded?
The breading is important for chicken tenders because it gives them structure and flavor. A good breading should be thin and crispy, with good seasoning, but not too thick or strong.
How important is the chicken cut dipping sauce?
The dipping sauce is important because it can make the chicken tenders taste better. A good dipping sauce should go well with the taste of the chicken without making it taste like nothing else.
Can chicken strips be a good choice for your health?
If chicken tenders are baked or grilled instead of fried and come with a side of veggies or a salad, they can be a healthy choice. You can also make them healthy by making the bread with whole wheat or almond flour instead of white flour.
What qualities should a good chicken tender have?
The inside of a good chicken tender should be juicy and soft, and the outside should be crispy and well-seasoned. It shouldn’t be too thick or too salty, either.
How do chicken strips from fast food compare to other fast food?
Chicken tenders from fast food restaurants tend to have more calories, fat, and salt than salads or grilled chicken sandwiches. But they can still be part of a healthy diet if you eat them in moderation.