Texas Staff Writer Brittany Cristiano holding a chicken tender. Right: A chicken tender combo meal from Raising Cane's.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Chicken tenders are a fast food staple. Although they are arguably less popular than a juicy burger or a batch of golden fries, the long strips of meat are offered at nearly every chain, with a few restaurants dedicated to them entirely.
Personally, a chicken finger meal has been a go-to of mine for my entire life thus far. These simple menu items were a saving grace throughout my childhood.
As a self-proclaimed chicken-tender fiend, I took it upon myself to try them at five of America's most popular fast-food chains in one crispy showdown: Chick-fil-A, KFC, Popeye's, Jack in the Box and Raising Cane's.
The Criteria
I ordered the menu items with no modifications — just plain ol' chicken strips — hopefully, fresh out of the fryer. There weren't any extra "hot" spices or condiments added.
Then, it was time to try the product based on flavor, texture and overall value. Last, I ranked each battered tender combo from the worst to the best meal.
Jack in the Box's Crispy Chicken Strips
Chicken tenders from Jack in the Box.
Brittany Cristiano | Narcity
Price: $7.35
The Verdict: Although Jack in the Box's crispy chicken strips lived up to the crunch factor, they were utterly tasteless.
It tasted similar to the bland bites I was served in my public school lunchroom. It was practically begging me to squirt some ketchup or any other sort of flavor on it — I actually tried and it did not improve.
I was appalled that it cost me over $7 only to be served what seemed like frozen chicken hastily fried up.
Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips
Chicken tenders from Chick Fil A.
Brittany Cristiano | Narcity
Price: $3.69
The Verdict: I have always been a fan of Chick-fil-A's chicken. So, I appreciated that the familiar taste I knew from nuggets and sandwiches was carried over into the strips.
I was, however, turned off by the slimy wet texture of the chicken and the light breading that fell off before the first taste.
I think a thicker coating would have pushed this tender much higher on my list, but, nevertheless, that weird sliminess turned me off.
Kentucky Fried Chicken's Crispy Chicken Strips
Chicken tenders from KFC.
Brittany Cristiano | Narcity
Price: $5.94
The Verdict: I thought the price for the sheer size of KFC's Crispy Chicken Strips was an absolute bargain. However, an affordable 5 inches of chicken is nothing when the bite leaves much to be desired.
What didn't push it above and beyond was the flavor and texture.
There was that recognizable subtle zest of flavor that screams "this was made at KFC", but the breading was falling off with every bite. The actual meat gave me that weird texture similar to CFA's, so it needed a thicker batter to coat.
Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers
A chicken tender combo from Raising Cane's.
Brittany Cristiano | Narcity
Price: $6.38
The Verdict: Admittedly so, I am a Raising Cane's lover, best known as a "Caniac," purely for their homemade sauce. However, I was curious to know how the chicken fingers tasted without it.
The chicken empire offers a nice overall bite of meat with a crunchy texture and breading. I like the overall flavor, but there was just one thing it was missing in order to transcend above and beyond other competitors.
I think that's where the iconic tangy sauce fits into the equation.
It felt sacrilegious to order chicken from Cane's without tasting every ingredient in the entire 3-Finger Combo — down to the sauce — but I promise I only judged the chicken plain.
Popeye's Chicken Tender
Chicken tenders from Popeye's.
Brittany Cristiano | Narcity
Price: $7.44
The Verdict: I know, I'm surprised too. I thought a chicken finger-only establishment like Cane's would've won the prize, but here we are.
Popeye's chicken tenders are simply the juiciest, most flavorful morsels of food I have ever tasted from a fast food chain, and I only had the "mild flavor."
Not once did I feel the need to dip the strips in a sauce and the breading remained intact for the most satisfying crunch.
If the plain tenders taste this good, I seriously can't wait to try them in every way they are offered, like spicy or blackened.
In Conclusion
As a chicken strip connoisseur, I was surprised that Raising Cane's and Chick-fil-A did not score higher. After this taste test, and the viral chicken sandwich popularity, I think Popeye's is a force to be reckoned with.
I hope you can take this chicken-fried wisdom with you the next time you're deciding on a quick meal and which drive-thru to go to.
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