Ranked: Greatest Rooster Tenders From 11 Lickety-split-Food Chains
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Catch an myth? .
- I tried chicken tenders from McDonald’s, Popeyes, Chick-fil-A, Whataburger, Raising Cane’s, KFC, Bojangles, Zaxby’s, Wingstop, Sonic, and Cook dinner Out.
- Chick-fil-A and KFC’s chicken tenders had been comparable of their breaded texture.
- Raising Cane’s impressed me with its crispy-yet-juicy tenders and delicious signature sauce.
Some fast-meals chains possess built their complete companies on chicken tenders.
Todd Graves, for instance, turned his thought for a chicken-finger restaurant into a thousand million-greenback company: Raising Cane’s. Graves is now the richest particular person in Louisiana, with an estimated gain worth of $17.2 billion, and Cane’s is increasing all at this time, with bigger than 900 restaurants in the US and internationally and billions in annual gross sales, Forbes reported.
But numerous chains aren’t sound asleep on chicken tenders.
KFC revamped its usual recipe in October, and in February, Wingstop released modern chicken tenders that the chain talked about had been “lighter” and “crispier” than its previous tenders.
McDonald’s additionally launched its modern McCrispy Strips on Would possibly per chance per chance additionally 5. This marks the first time chicken strips had been on the menu since the pandemic.
To ogle which chain may per chance in finding the strive towards, I in contrast chicken tenders from 11 fast-meals chains from throughout the nation.
Here’s how the tenders ranked, from worst to ideal, essentially essentially based totally on model and value.
Of the full chicken tenders I tried, the ones from Whataburger didn’t fully wow me.
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A three-piece chicken cushy charge simplest $6.97 at Whataburger at the placement I visited in Austin.
The chicken tenders had been immense and completely fried.
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I knowing the tenders may per chance simplest be described as “traditional” — they weren’t the rest out-of-the-field, but I enjoyed them.
The meat interior used to be juicy, but I knowing the fried coating may per chance possess had a miniature bit more crunch.
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The chicken tenders tasted factual on their very possess, as smartly as with ranch dipping sauce. They weren’t tainted by any stretch of the imagination. Nonetheless, I did reflect the many tenders I tried had been a miniature bit crispier and had unbiased the slightest hint of more model in the batter.
Regardless, for a moderately low value, I’d surely impart these all all over again.
I additionally ordered chicken tenders from Cook dinner Out, a regional chain I visited in South Carolina.
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The three-piece “snack” charge $4.99, no longer collectively with tax.
The chicken tenders had been crispy on the outdoors.
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They had been additionally a factual size. I knowing the worth used to be additionally a immense deal for the generous piece I purchased.
Nonetheless, there wasn’t an abundance of chicken meat interior.
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These had been undeniably traditional chicken tenders, much like the ones from Whataburger, but they had been a touch too fried for my liking. Nonetheless, I knowing they had been smartly-seasoned and had a couple of peppery model.
Next up had been the crispy chicken tenders from Sonic Force-In.
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A 5-piece impart of chicken tenders charge $8.41, with the exception of tax.
The chicken tenders had been evenly fried but on the thinner facet.
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Barely than thick and juicy like one of the most necessary various chicken tenders I tried, these had been flatter. The truth is, I’d pronounce these had been the thinnest and flattest tenders out of the full ones I tried.
I enjoyed the flavour of the seasoning, but there used to be a lot to be desired when it came to texture.
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The chicken used to be on the drier facet, and there simply wasn’t a couple of it. I gravitate toward thicker, more shreddable chicken tenders, and these a miniature bit missed the trace for me.
Nonetheless, the flavour used to be surely there — the breading had a peppery essence and the tenders had been evenly fried.
Chick-fil-A’s chicken tenders had been factual … but I in actual fact unbiased gentle them as a car for the chain’s Chick-fil-A sauce.
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When it’s no longer incorporated in a meal deal, a three-piece chicken cushy expenses $9.69 at my nearest issue in Contemporary York City. For a meal, the worth bumps as much as $17.35, with the exception of tax and expenses.
One of the most necessary chicken pieces regarded a miniature bit darker and more fried than others.
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There had been small bits of fried breading scattered on the outdoors, which I always cherish with a chicken cushy.
The chicken tenders had been successfully fried but gathered juicy on the within.
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Nonetheless, they weren’t moderately as crispy as I anticipated. I main a certain crunch after I bit into the tenders, but they didn’t bring that. In the tip, it’s largely as much as interior most preference.
When I dipped them in the chain’s signature Chick-fil-A sauce, the ride used to be mouthwatering. Nonetheless, the explicit chicken tenders had been unbiased alright — it used to be the sauce that took them over the sting.
My seventh favourite chicken tenders came from Popeyes.
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A three-piece cushy combo expenses $16.89 sooner than taxes and expenses. The meal deal incorporated a immense serving of fries, a drink, and a biscuit, as smartly as masses of dipping sauces.
The chicken tenders from Popeyes had been crispy, flaky, and crunchy.
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I in actual fact loved the crunchy exterior.
The meat interior used to be flaky and moist as smartly.
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I additionally knowing the batter used to be moderately flavorful — I’d model hints of seasoning and buttermilk, though they weren’t moderately as buttery-tasting as the Chick-fil-A tenders.
Nonetheless, this meal felt pricey for simplest three chicken tenders, even though they had been immense.
I knowing the chicken tenders from Bojangles had been flavorful and immense crispy.
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A four-piece chicken tenders combo, collectively with fries, a medium drink, and a biscuit, charge me $12.97, with the exception of taxes and expenses.
I knowing the chicken tenders had been a factual size.
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The feel and model of the breading made them model like a putrid between the chicken tenders from Chick-fil-A and Cook dinner Out.
The breading used to be peppery, unbiased the factual thickness, and completely encased the juicy white chicken meat interior.
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I additionally knowing the worth used to be beautiful infected about how powerful meals I purchased. The chicken tenders paired completely with honey mustard but had been additionally tasty on their very possess.
I’d surely impart these all all over again.
KFC’s usual recipe chicken tenders in actual fact impressed me with their model and value.
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I ordered a four-piece cushy meal for $13.04, with the exception of taxes and expenses, in Brooklyn, Contemporary York. I knowing this used to be a preferrred value for the quantity of meals I purchased.
The tenders had been smartly-breaded on the outdoors, though the breading wasn’t as crispy or crunchy as others I tried.
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The breading caught intently to the chicken tenders, as an replacement of having a thick or crunchy texture.
Nonetheless, the chicken tenders paired smartly with the chain’s honey mustard and modern comeback sauce. The breading had a tasty, very peppery model to it that used to be abnormal in contrast to the many chicken tenders I tried.
The chicken tenders had been flavorful and contained a formidable quantity of chicken chicken.
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Nonetheless, the marginally less crispy texture of the breading meant they didn’t arrangement out on high when put next to the final four chains I tried.
McDonald’s unbiased launched its modern McCrispy Strips.
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At my local McDonald’s in Brooklyn, Contemporary York, three McCrispy chicken strips charge $8.29, with the exception of tax and expenses.
The chicken strips had been immense and evenly lined in breading.
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The chicken strips differed from the chain’s buttermilk crispy tenders, which had been discontinued in 2020 in the beginning of the pandemic.
Rooster tenders haven’t been on the menu ever since, despite fans’ pleas to bring them abet.
The breading used to be moderately skinny, but very crispy.
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Now not like some flakier chicken tenders, each and every chunk used to be evenly lined in smartly-seasoned, peppery breading. Inside of, the chicken meat used to be thick and juicy.
Paired with the chain’s modern creamy chili sauce, which used to be particularly created to head with the modern chicken strips, these packed a respectable quantity of model. Nonetheless, on their very possess, I knowing they had been only a touch blander than one of the most necessary bigger-ranked tenders I tried.
Wingstop’s chicken tenders came in third location.
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Wingstop these days revamped its chicken tenders, and I was infected to take a look at out them out.
The chain sells its chicken in numerous flavors, from usual hot to hickory-smoked barbecue and mango habanero. Nonetheless, I ordered these chicken tenders easy.
I ordered a 5-piece chicken cushy combo at my local Wingstop in Brooklyn, Contemporary York. It charge $14.99 and came with a drink, dipping sauce, and a usual facet of fries.
The chain additionally sells four chicken tenders, which arrangement with one dipping sauce, for $10.39, plus tax and expenses.
The chicken tenders had been immense and smartly-breaded.
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The chicken tenders had been deep golden in colour and evenly fried, with small clumps of fried breading adding plot more texture to each and every chunk.
These tenders had been stuffed with precise chicken.
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The chicken cushy without problems tore aside with each and every chunk, which is one thing I behold. The breading itself used to be a miniature bit peppery, but no longer overly flavorful. They paired smartly with Wingstop’s signature ranch — my favourite of any fast-meals ranch — and the chain’s honey mustard.
Wingstop delivered immense traditional tenders, though the breading didn’t pack as powerful model as the pause two chains I tried. Nonetheless, I’d surely impart these all all over again.
My 2d favourite chicken tenders came from Zaxby’s.
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A 5-piece chicken tenders combo came with fries, a small drink, coleslaw, and a bit of Texas toast. I additionally asked for a facet of honey mustard and Zaxby’s smartly-known Zax sauce. My meal charge $14.77, with the exception of taxes and expenses.
The breading of the chicken tenders used to be much like Chick-fil-A’s in consistency, model, and texture, but I knowing these ones had more meat.
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The breading used to be crispy and flavorful, with a minute sweetness.
The chicken tenders held their very possess without sauce but had been in actual fact taken to the next diploma when dipped in the tangy Zax sauce.
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Zax sauce tastes much like the Cane’s sauce I tried from Raising Cane’s, but I learned it to be unbiased ever-so-a miniature bit less flavorful, and creamy. I additionally knowing that it didn’t possess the same kick.
Nonetheless, the chicken tenders in actual fact impressed me. They had been a factual size, extremely flavorful, and addictingly delicious. I learned myself craving even bigger than the 5 chicken tenders I was given, which is uncommon for me.
In the tip, it used to be a extremely subtle call on whether I most stylish Zaxby’s or Raising Cane’s chicken tenders.
But my favourite chicken tenders came from Raising Cane’s.
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My six-piece meal charge $16.59, collectively with tax, but a three-finger combo that involves three chicken fingers, fries, Cane’s sauce, Texas toast, and a usual drink expenses $9.59, with the exception of tax and any additions or swaps.
The chicken tenders had been immense crispy.
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The chicken tenders had been additionally thick. After biting in, I’d in actual fact look the strips of white chicken below, which, in my ride, you don’t always gain with fast-meals chicken tenders.
The chicken tenders had been crispy and juicy on the within — I needed to present them the in finding.
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I tried the tenders on their very possess and with the Cane’s sauce. On their very possess, the tenders had been simply every little thing one may per chance ask for: thick, juicy, and crispy on the outdoors.
Nonetheless, the chain is smartly-known for its chicken-complementing sauce, and after biting in, I’d surely look why. It had a minute kick to it, and it used to be creamy and surprisingly tangy. It paired completely with the chicken and used to be no longer like any numerous sauce I’ve ever tried.
In the tip, Raising Cane’s took house the in finding for me with the chain’s near-preferrred chicken tenders and beautiful prices.
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