Long John Silver’s: A Seafood Chain’s Chicken Catastrophe
Long John Silver’s chicken tenders are made with the same signature batter that their fish is made with, and sadly, the oiliness that is so off-putting with many items on their menu is also a problem with this chicken. These tenders feel like they don’t belong on the menu of a seafood-focused restaurant. By the end of your first tender, you’ll realize that you might as well have gone with the seafood – their Wild Alaskan Pollock is more flavorful than these peculiar chicken tenders. The fishy batter taste combined with dry chicken creates an unfortunate dining experience. The texture feels off, almost like they’re trying to make chicken taste like fish instead of embracing what makes good chicken tender great.
Del Taco: When Chicken Strips Fall Apart
The biggest offense these strips commit is the batter – it’s less a breading and more of a loose sleeve that separates from the chicken after a single bite, and the chicken itself is rubbery to the point of being inedible. Del Taco might excel at Mexican food, but their chicken game needs serious work. The strips arrive looking defeated before you even take a bite. The coating slides off like an ill-fitting jacket, leaving you with naked chicken that has the texture of a rubber band. These are the most skippable chicken strips of all time. Even drowning them in Del Scorcho hot sauce can’t salvage this disaster.
Dairy Queen: Stick to the Ice Cream
These DQ chicken strips aren’t terrible, but they’re not good either – the chicken is meaty and thick, but the overall flavor of the breading is pretty bland and desperately needs salt and pepper. When your main business is soft-serve ice cream, maybe chicken shouldn’t be the priority. The strips taste like they came from a freezer bag and were prepared without much thought. While not offensive, they’re forgettable in every way. When you compare the soft-serve chain’s tenders to other fast food chicken, they literally and figuratively pale in comparison, and DQ’s chicken has decent crisp but not a lot of flavor.
Sonic: Living in the Past
When it comes to its chicken tenders, Sonic is still living in the past – these tenders taste like what you’d find in the freezer aisle at your local grocery store, with chicken that is dry, stringy, and poorly seasoned. For a chain known for innovative sides and drinks, their tenders are disappointingly basic. The coating tastes mostly like flour and black pepper without any real depth of flavor. The chicken isn’t dripping with juice or umami, making it seem like yet another fabricated freezer product – all things considered, the best word to describe them is underwhelming. Even Sonic’s impressive sauce selection can’t save these lackluster strips.
Arby’s: Surprisingly Spicy Disappointment
These bad boys are totally coated in pepper, making them a potential hazard for anyone ordering chicken tenders in search of a more neutral-tasting food, but unlike some competitors, they were much more palatable and edible. Arby’s attempts at chicken feel like an afterthought to their famous roast beef. The overwhelming pepper coating masks any actual chicken flavor, creating a one-note experience that burns more than it satisfies. While not the worst I’ve tasted, they’re hardly memorable. The texture is decent, but the aggressive seasoning makes them unsuitable for anyone seeking classic tender flavors.
McDonald’s McCrispy Strips: The Comeback Kid
The chicken itself was a quality, all-white, single hunk of meat that was flavorful, tender, and juicy – I was quite pleasantly surprised with how good the chicken itself was. McDonald’s returned to the chicken tender game in late 2024 after years of absence, and the results are mixed. The breading, however, was quite another story – it wasn’t bad, but it was underwhelming. They are coated with crispy golden-brown breading and bursting with a bold, new black pepper flavor, and the first bite was surprisingly tasty and even spicy without the help of a dip. The Creamy Chili Dip elevates the experience significantly, but on their own, these strips are just okay.
Popeyes: The Surprising Stumble
I’m sure you’re just as surprised as I am to be finding Popeyes in the second-to-last slot – its chicken tenders tasted almost like they let an intern in the back try out a new experimental recipe, with coating reminiscent of Frosted Flakes and flavor extremely lacking. This was perhaps the biggest shock of my taste test. For a chain renowned for incredible fried chicken, their tenders feel like a completely different product. The coating looks and tastes wrong, almost sweet when it should be savory. While the tenders are long, they look almost like pieces of fried fish more than tenders. It’s baffling how the same kitchen that produces amazing bone-in chicken can deliver such disappointing strips.
KFC: Original Recipe Meets Mixed Results
KFC’s chicken tenders are crunchy, a great size and shape, and an honest price, but the reason these are third and not any higher is because of the spice level. The Colonel’s famous blend of eleven herbs and spices translates surprisingly well to tender format. In 2024, the chain upped the ante with its new Original Recipe Tenders, and in its press release, the Colonel and his team wrote about their iconic KFC Original secret Recipe of 11 herbs and spices. While the flavor is distinctly KFC, the heavy pepper coating might overwhelm those seeking milder chicken. The texture and size are excellent, making these a solid choice for spice lovers.
Chick-fil-A: The Consistent Performer
In second place is none other than Chick-fil-A – if you weren’t aware the chain had chicken tenders, you’re definitely not alone, and I surprised myself by discovering I like them even more than the nuggets. The chain that built its reputation on chicken sandwiches proves it can do tenders right too. Chick-fil-A’s Chick-n-Strips are so close to being the best in fast food, but the quality control is all over the place – when it’s good, it’s great, with chicken so juicy that it melts in your mouth and breading full of rich floral black pepper notes. The inconsistency keeps them from the top spot, but at their best, these tenders are exceptional.
Raising Cane’s: The Undisputed Champion
These are some of the best fast-food chicken tenders we’ve ever tried – I appreciate the focused, simple menu at Cane’s, showing that the chain is dedicated to doing one thing right, with chicken tenders that are always shockingly hot and fresh. Raising Cane’s proves that specialization beats diversification. The exterior is crisp and flavorful but not too heavy on the batter, and when dipped into some Cane’s Sauce, you’ll taste why so many people rave about the chain – the creamy, peppery, and Worcestershire-forward Cane’s Sauce has a tangy flavor and silky texture unlike most generic chicken sauces. And to no one’s surprise, Raising Cane’s takes the cake – Cane’s does simple better, with top-tier quality and the best sauce from any chain. After sampling tenders from coast to coast, one thing became clear: focus matters more than flash. The chains that specialize in chicken or treat it as a cornerstone menu item consistently outperform those that offer tenders as an afterthought. Raising Cane’s dominance isn’t just about one great sauce – it’s about understanding that sometimes doing one thing exceptionally well beats doing everything mediocrely. What surprised you most about these rankings? Have you tried tenders from all these chains, and do you agree with the results?
