I tried chicken tenders from 13 different fast-food chains and ranked them based on taste and value.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
I tried chicken tenders from 13 different fast-food chains.Chick-fil-A and KFC's chicken tenders were similar in their breaded texture.Raising Cane's impressed me with its crispy-yet-juicy tenders and delicious signature sauce.
Some fast-food chains have built their entire businesses on chicken tenders.
Todd Graves, for example, turned his idea for a chicken-finger restaurant into a billion-dollar company: Raising Cane's. Graves is now the richest person in Louisiana, with an estimated net worth of $17.2 billion, and Cane's is growing rapidly, with more than 900 restaurants in the US and internationally and billions in annual sales, Forbes reported.
McDonald's launched its new McCrispy Strips on May 5. This marks the first time chicken strips have been on the menu since the pandemic.
Taco Bell is also experimenting with crispy chicken following the launch of its limited-time-only crispy chicken nuggets.
On June 17, the chain introduced its own chicken strips. These are available on their own or as part of a taco or burrito and feature the same tortilla-chip breading as the nuggets.
"Strips are familiar, super snackable, and a perfect sauce vessel! That makes them really fun to play with from a menu perspective. But we didn't want to do the same old thing. At Taco Bell, we saw a chance to take that crispy chicken experience and make it our own," Taco Bell's chief marketing officer, Taylor Montgomery, told Business Insider.
Chicken is a huge area of opportunity for the brand. Montgomery told BI that 35% of all Taco Bell orders now include chicken as the protein of choice.
"In true Taco Bell fashion, we didn't stop at strips. We wrapped them in tacos and burritos, because that's what we do best," he said. "These aren't snack-sized one-offs. They're full-sized and exactly what fans expect from Taco Bell."
I compared chicken tenders from 13 fast-food chains from across the country to see which were the best.
Here's how the tenders ranked, from worst to best, based on taste and value.
Of all the chicken tenders I tried, the ones from Whataburger didn't completely wow me.
The Whataburger chicken tenders came in last for me.
The chicken tenders were large and perfectly fried.
I paired the Whataburger chicken tender with ranch sauce.
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I thought the tenders could only be described as "classic" — they weren't anything out-of-the-box, but I enjoyed them.
The meat inside was juicy, but I thought the fried coating could have had a bit more crunch.
The Whataburger chicken tender could have been crunchier.
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The chicken tenders tasted good on their own, as well as with ranch dipping sauce. They weren't bad by any stretch of the imagination. However, I did think the other tenders I tried were slightly crispier and had just the slightest hint of more flavor in the batter.
Regardless, for a relatively low price, I'd definitely order these again.
I also ordered chicken tenders from Cook Out, a regional chain I visited in South Carolina.
The Cook Out chicken tenders were the cheapest I tried.
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The three-piece "snack" cost $4.99, not including tax.
The chicken tenders were crispy on the outside.
The Cook Out chicken tenders had a really crispy coating.
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They were also a good size. I thought the price was also a great deal for the generous portion I received.
However, there wasn't an abundance of chicken meat inside.
However, I didn't think there was enough meat inside.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
These were undeniably classic chicken tenders, similar to the ones from Whataburger, but they were a touch too fried for my liking. However, I thought they were well-seasoned and had a lot of peppery flavor.
Smashburger's chicken tenders were just slightly too fried for my liking.
Smashburger's chicken tenders were super crunchy.
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An order of three chicken tenders from Smashburger costs $9.99, excluding tax and fees. I thought this was a little pricey.
The chicken tenders were heavily fried and bigger than other ones I tried.
The breading was on the thicker side.
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The breading on the chicken tenders felt thick and crunchy.
The chicken tenders, overall, tasted dry, even when paired with sauce.
The chicken tenders tasted dry.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
The chicken meat inside and the ranch dipping sauce provided could only do so much to offset the intense dryness of the crunchy breading.
The next time I order from Smashburger, I'll stick to the chain's beef offerings.
Next up were the crispy chicken tenders from Sonic Drive-In.
The Sonic chicken tenders came in orders of three or five pieces.
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A five-piece order of chicken tenders cost $8.41, excluding tax.
The chicken tenders were evenly fried but on the thinner side.
The chicken tenders were flatter than some of the others I tried.
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Rather than thick and juicy like some of the other chicken tenders I tried, these were flatter. In fact, I'd say these were the thinnest and flattest tenders out of all the ones I tried.
I enjoyed the flavor of the seasoning, but there was a lot to be desired when it came to texture.
The chicken tenders lacked juiciness.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
The chicken was on the drier side, and there simply wasn't a lot of it. I gravitate toward thicker, more shreddable chicken tenders, and these slightly missed the mark for me.
However, the flavor was definitely there — the breading had a peppery essence and the tenders were evenly fried.
My ninth favorite chicken tenders came from Popeyes.
Popeyes sells its chicken tenders in a box combo with fries and a biscuit.
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A three-piece tender combo costs $16.89 before taxes and fees. The meal deal included a large serving of fries, a drink, and a biscuit, as well as a choice of dipping sauces.
The chicken tenders from Popeyes were crispy, flaky, and crunchy.
These were the crispiest chicken tenders I tried.
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I really liked the crunchy exterior.
The meat inside was flaky and moist as well.
I liked the flavor of these chicken tenders.
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I also thought the batter was quite flavorful — I could taste hints of seasoning and buttermilk, although they weren't quite as buttery-tasting as the Chick-fil-A tenders.
However, this meal felt expensive for only three chicken tenders, even though they were large.
I thought the chicken tenders from Bojangles were flavorful and super crispy.
Bojangles sells a four-piece chicken tenders meal with fries and a biscuit.
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A four-piece chicken tenders combo, including fries, a medium drink, and a biscuit, cost me $12.97, excluding taxes and fees.
I thought the chicken tenders were a good size.
The Bojangles chicken tenders had a thick breading on the outside.
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The texture and flavor of the breading made them taste like a cross between the chicken tenders from Chick-fil-A and Cook Out.
The breading was peppery, just the right thickness, and perfectly encased the juicy white chicken meat inside.
The Bojangles chicken tenders also had a lot of meat inside.
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I also thought the price was fair considering how much food I received. The chicken tenders paired perfectly with honey mustard but were also tasty on their own.
I would definitely order these again.
KFC's original recipe chicken tenders really impressed me with their taste and value.
The KFC chicken tenders came in a combo with fries and a drink.
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I ordered a four-piece tender meal for $13.04, excluding taxes and fees, in Brooklyn, New York. I thought this was excellent value for the amount of food I received.
The tenders were well-breaded on the outside, though the breading wasn't as crispy or crunchy as others I tried.
The KFC chicken tenders paired well with the sauces I tried.
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The breading stuck closely to the chicken tenders, rather than having a thick or crunchy texture.
However, the chicken tenders paired well with the chain's honey mustard and new comeback sauce. The breading had a tasty, very peppery flavor to it that was unique compared to the other chicken tenders I tried.
The chicken tenders were flavorful and contained an impressive amount of white meat chicken.
The meat was juicy, though the breading could have been crunchier.
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However, the slightly less crispy texture of the breading meant they didn't come out on top when compared to the last six chains I tried.
McDonald's just launched its new McCrispy Strips.
McDonald's launched a new version of its chicken strips.
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At my local McDonald's in Brooklyn, New York, three McCrispy chicken strips cost $8.29, excluding tax and fees.
The chicken strips were large and evenly coated in breading.
The chicken strips were about the length of my hand.
Chicken tenders haven't been on the menu since, despite fans' pleas to bring them back.
The breading was relatively thin, but very crispy.
The chicken strips were crispy yet juicy.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
Unlike some flakier chicken tenders, each bite was evenly coated in well-seasoned, peppery breading. Inside, the chicken meat was thick and juicy.
Paired with the chain's creamy chili sauce, which was specifically created to go with the chicken strips, these packed a decent amount of flavor. However, on their own, I thought they were just a touch blander than some of the higher-ranked tenders I tried.
Taco Bell also recently released chicken strips after bringing out nuggets last year.
Taco Bell's chicken strips feature the same tortilla-chip breading as the chain's nuggets.
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Taco Bell's new chicken strips are available as part of three different kinds of tacos and burritos, or on their own with dipping sauce. An order of two chicken strips cost $5.48, excluding tax and fees.
The chicken strips were thick, juicy, and the ideal level of crispy.
The chicken tenders came in an order of two.
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The chicken strips are marinated in zesty jalapeño buttermilk and breaded with crispy tortilla chips and breadcrumbs, which is the same formula as the chain's chicken nuggets, which I ranked as my favorite across six chains.
The chicken strips packed a lot of flavor.
Taco Bell's new chicken strips impressed me.
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The breading was super flavorful and I definitely got the hints of tortilla chip. The chicken inside was also moist and juicy, while the breading remained crispy.
My only real complaint was that I wanted more than two.
I'm hoping that if they prove popular among fans, the chain could offer them as a three-piece or four-piece in the future.
Chick-fil-A's chicken tenders were perfectly crispy and juicy.
Chick-fil-A's chicken tenders are a classic for a reason.
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When it's not included in a meal deal, a three-piece chicken tender costs $9.69 at my nearest location in New York City. For a meal, the price bumps up to $17.35, excluding tax and fees.
Some of the chicken pieces looked slightly darker and more fried than others.
The breading was really crispy.
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Small bits of fried breading were scattered on the outside, which I always love with chicken tenders.
The chicken tenders were nicely fried but still juicy on the inside.
The tenders had a slightly briny flavor.
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When I dipped them in the chain's signature Chick-fil-A sauce, the experience was mouthwatering.
The chicken tenders were also great on their own, with the perfect balance of crispy breading and a delicious, briny flavor. The sauce just took them over the edge.
Wingstop's chicken tenders came in third place.
Wingstop recently launched a new recipe for its chicken tenders.
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Wingstop recently revamped its chicken tenders, and I was excited to try them out.
The chain sells its chicken in various flavors, from original hot to hickory-smoked barbecue and mango habanero. However, I ordered these chicken tenders plain.
I ordered a five-piece chicken tender combo at my local Wingstop in Brooklyn, New York. It cost $14.99 and came with a drink, dipping sauce, and a regular side of fries.
The chain also sells four chicken tenders, which come with one dipping sauce, for $10.39, plus tax and fees.
The chicken tenders were large and well-breaded.
The chicken tenders were larger than some of the other chains' tenders.
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The chicken tenders were deep golden in color and evenly fried, with small clumps of fried breading adding even more texture to every bite.
These tenders were filled with real chicken.
Wingstop's chicken tenders paired well with the chain's ranch and honey mustard.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
The chicken tender easily tore apart with every bite, which is something I look for. The breading itself was slightly peppery, but not overly flavorful. They paired well with Wingstop's signature ranch — my favorite of any fast-food ranch — and the chain's honey mustard.
Wingstop delivered great classic tenders, though the breading didn't pack as much flavor as the top two chains I tried. Nevertheless, I'd definitely order these again.
My second favorite chicken tenders came from Zaxby's.
The Zaxby's chicken tenders meal came with coleslaw, toast, and fries.
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A five-piece chicken tenders combo came with fries, a small drink, coleslaw, and a piece of Texas toast. I also asked for a side of honey mustard and Zaxby's famous Zax sauce. My meal cost $14.77, excluding taxes and fees.
The breading of the chicken tenders was similar to Chick-fil-A's in consistency, flavor, and texture, but I thought these ones had more meat.
Zaxby's chicken tenders had a slight sweetness to them.
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The breading was crispy and flavorful, with a slight sweetness.
The chicken tenders held their own without sauce but were really taken to the next level when dipped in the tangy Zax sauce.
The Zaxby's chicken tender had a lot of juicy white meat inside.
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Zax sauce tastes similar to the Cane's sauce I tried from Raising Cane's, but I found it to be just ever-so-slightly less flavorful, and creamy. I also thought it didn't have the same kick.
However, the chicken tenders really impressed me. They were a good size, extremely flavorful, and addictingly delicious. I found myself craving even more than the five chicken tenders I was given, which is rare for me.
In the end, it was a really tough call on whether I preferred Zaxby's or Raising Cane's chicken tenders.
But my favorite chicken tenders came from Raising Cane's.
Raising Cane's blew me away with their box of chicken tenders, fries, toast, and sauces.
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My six-piece meal cost $16.59, including tax, but a three-finger combo that includes three chicken fingers, fries, Cane's sauce, Texas toast, and a regular drink costs $9.59, excluding tax and any additions or swaps.
The chicken tenders were super crispy.
The Raising Cane's chicken tenders were the perfect balance of moist meat and crispy breading.
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The chicken tenders were also thick. After biting in, I could actually see the strips of white chicken underneath, which, in my experience, you don't always find with fast-food chicken tenders.
The chicken tenders were crispy and juicy on the inside — I had to give them the win.
The Raising Cane's chicken tenders were my favorite of the ones I tried.
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I tried the tenders on their own and with the Cane's sauce. On their own, the tenders were simply everything one could ask for: thick, juicy, and crispy on the outside.
However, the chain is famous for its chicken-complementing sauce, and after biting in, I could definitely see why. It had a slight kick to it, and it was creamy and surprisingly tangy. It paired perfectly with the chicken and was unlike any other sauce I've ever tried.
In the end, Raising Cane's took home the win for me with the chain's near-perfect chicken tenders and fair prices.
