I Tried 6 Popular Fast Food Chicken Tenders and These Are the Ones I’ll Order Again

Chicken tenders are a nostalgic food of my childhood. One bite and I’m transported back to the days of summer swims and concession stand treats. Childhood memories are everything, and so is good food. That’s why I went to six local chains to find the best chicken tenders, the kind that could live up to my childhood expectations.

Growing up one of my favorite summer activities was swimming. My friend would invite me to her house and her mom would take us to their club pool. That sounds fancy, but it wasn’t. It was just like the public pool except for one thing—it had a concession stand. That simple fact though was one of the reasons I loved swimming. After playing tirelessly in the pool, we’d pop out, dripping wet, no towel, and head to the stand and order soda and a basket of chicken tenders. With chlorinated, still-wet fingers, we’d devour those tenders and then jump immediately back in the pool (never taking that recommendation of resting 30 minutes for digestion to heart). That began my love affair with chicken tenders, and my discerning palate when it comes to them.

How I Tested

While no tender could truly live up to those from my childhood, there were a few that came close. When I set about to judge, I used the following criteria.

• First, the perfect tenders needed to have a crisp exterior with the right amount of seasoning. The amount of breading couldn’t be so excessive that there was more of it than actual chicken.
• Second, the chicken inside needed to be flavorful, tender, and juicy.
• Bonus points were awarded if the chicken looked like actual chicken versus pressed meat parts.

Here are the results of my (unscientific) taste test.

The Best Fast Food Chicken Tenders, Ranked

6th Place: Sonic

This fast food chain gets so many things right, but their chicken tenders aren’t one of them. Unlike others on the list, these tenders looked manufactured. Something about their uniform-but-not-quite appearance made them seem disturbingly machine-made. They had a nice golden-brown color, but there wasn’t much breading at all and it was more crispy than crunchy. Unfortunately, they didn’t taste much better. They were flavorless, but salty and left my hands a greasy mess.

5th Place: KFC

Not much has changed over the years with this chicken-focused brand. KFC's tenders look like long, slim versions of the infamous fried chicken and they taste like it too. The color of the breading was light, but golden and it was crunchy and fun to eat. The flavor was good, but what these tenders are missing is actual chicken. It’s the thinnest slice of meat inside each of those breaded tenders, and it just wasn’t enough to satisfy.

4th Place: Dave's Hot Chicken

I thought I was doing something wrong when I was ordering just a single tender from this chicken hotspot. Turns out that one tender is the equivalent of about three or four tenders from other fast food restaurants. My tender was enormous and looked like it came from the breast of one epic chicken. I liked that it “read” chicken versus manufactured pressed meat, but the flavor was lacking and so was the exterior, which wasn’t as crispy or crunchy as others on the list. To be fair, I chose “mild” heat in order to keep things fair between the contenders, which may have been the reason these only placed fourth out of the six I tried. Next time, I’ll amp up the heat.

3rd Place: Popeyes

A box of Popeyes chicken is a good-looking thing. No two pieces look the same, the breading is golden-brown and crispy, and the big pieces of chicken inside taste and look like the real deal. I loved the crunchy exterior (that was also “just enough”) and the juicy interior and that both the breading and the chicken were seasoned well. It’s a reliable chicken tender and a solid choice.

2nd Place: Culver's

Known perhaps more for ButterBurgers than chicken tenders, I was surprised by how much I liked these. Unlike others on the list, Culver’s tenders had a deep brown exterior. That made me a little nervous, but after taking a bite, my fears vanished. The breading, which is rather light, wasn’t burnt, but instead flavorful and crispy. The chicken inside was just as flavorful and perfectly tender. I’m forever changed. (Don't forget the Signature Sauce.)

1st Place Winner: Chick-fil-A

It’s hard to beat this company that really understands how to make bland, boring chicken taste so awesome. My tenders looked great when I pulled them out of their little box—perfectly crispy and golden brown. When I tore into one, I could tell it was made from actual pieces of chicken versus something manufactured. Each misshapen tender provided a crunchy bite with a juicy interior and the seasoning was spot-on. Chick-fil-A gets it right, and in my opinion, the tenders are more delicious than the nuggets...Just saying.

Want more? We tackled frozen tenders too! Read more about the best chicken in the freezer aisle here.