Ranked: Finest Hen Tenders From 10 Quick-Meals Chains

A 3-piece hen tender price solely $6.97 at Whataburger on the location I visited in Austin.

I believed the tenders may solely be described as “basic” — they weren’t something out-of-the-box, however I loved them.

The hen tenders tasted good on their very own, in addition to with ranch dipping sauce. They weren’t dangerous by any stretch of the creativeness. Nevertheless, I did suppose the opposite tenders I attempted had been barely crispier and had simply the slightest trace of extra taste within the batter.

Regardless, for a comparatively low value, I would positively order these once more.

The three-piece “snack” price $4.99, not together with tax.

They had been additionally a great measurement. I believed the value was additionally an incredible deal for the beneficiant portion I acquired.

These had been undeniably basic hen tenders, just like those from Whataburger, however they had been a contact too fried for my liking. Nevertheless, I believed they had been well-seasoned and had loads of peppery taste.

A five-piece order of hen tenders price $8.41, excluding tax.

Relatively than thick and juicy like a few of the different hen tenders I attempted, these had been flatter. In actual fact, I would say these had been the thinnest and flattest tenders out of all those I attempted.

The hen was on the drier aspect, and there merely wasn’t loads of it. I gravitate towards thicker, extra shreddable hen tenders, and these barely missed the mark for me.

Nevertheless, the flavour was positively there — the breading had a peppery essence and the tenders had been evenly fried.

When it is not included in a meal deal, a three-piece hen tender prices $9.69 at my nearest location in New York Metropolis. For a meal, the value bumps as much as $17.35, excluding tax and charges.

There have been small bits of fried breading scattered on the surface, which I all the time love with a hen tender.

Nevertheless, they weren’t fairly as crispy as I anticipated. I wished a definite crunch after I bit into the tenders, however they did not ship that. Ultimately, it is largely as much as private choice.

Once I dipped them within the chain’s signature Chick-fil-A sauce, the expertise was mouthwatering. Nevertheless, the precise hen tenders had been simply alright — it was the sauce that took them over the sting.

A 3-piece tender combo prices $16.89 earlier than taxes and charges. The meal deal included a big serving of fries, a drink, and a biscuit, in addition to a alternative of dipping sauces. 

I actually favored the crunchy exterior.

I additionally thought the batter was fairly flavorful — I may style hints of seasoning and buttermilk, though they weren’t fairly as buttery-tasting because the Chick-fil-A tenders.

Nevertheless, this meal felt costly for under three hen tenders, though they had been massive.

A four-piece hen tenders combo, together with fries, a medium drink, and a biscuit, price me $12.97, excluding taxes and charges.

The feel and taste of the breading made them style like a cross between the hen tenders from Chick-fil-A and Prepare dinner Out. 

I additionally thought the value was honest contemplating how a lot meals I acquired. The hen tenders paired completely with honey mustard however had been additionally tasty on their very own.

I’d positively order these once more.

I ordered a four-piece tender meal for $13.04, excluding taxes and charges, in Brooklyn, New York. I believed this was a wonderful worth for the quantity of meals I acquired. 

The breading caught carefully to the hen tenders, reasonably than having a thick or crunchy texture.

Nevertheless, the hen tenders paired effectively with the chain’s honey mustard and new comeback sauce. The breading had a tasty, very peppery taste to it that was distinctive in comparison with the opposite hen tenders I attempted.

Nevertheless, the marginally much less crispy texture of the breading meant they did not come out on prime when in comparison with the final three chains I attempted.

Wingstop just lately revamped its hen tenders, and I used to be excited to attempt them out.

The chain sells its hen in numerous flavors, from authentic scorching to hickory-smoked barbecue and mango habanero. Nevertheless, I ordered these hen tenders plain.

I ordered a five-piece hen tender combo at my native Wingstop in Brooklyn, New York. It price $14.99 and got here with a drink, dipping sauce, and a daily aspect of fries.

The chain additionally sells 4 hen tenders, which include one dipping sauce, for $10.39, plus tax and charges.

The hen tenders had been deep golden in coloration and evenly fried, with small clumps of fried breading including much more texture to each chunk.

The hen tender simply tore aside with each chunk, which is one thing I search for. The breading itself was barely peppery, however not overly flavorful. They paired effectively with Wingstop’s signature ranch — my favourite of any fast-food ranch — and the chain’s honey mustard.

Wingstop delivered nice basic tenders, although the breading did not pack as a lot taste as the highest two chains I attempted. However, I would positively order these once more.

A five-piece hen tenders combo got here with fries, a small drink, coleslaw, and a chunk of Texas toast. I additionally requested for a aspect of honey mustard and Zaxby’s well-known Zax sauce. My meal price $14.77, excluding taxes and charges.

The breading was crispy and flavorful, with a slight sweetness.

Zax sauce tastes just like the Cane’s sauce I attempted from Elevating Cane’s, however I discovered it to be simply ever-so-slightly much less flavorful, and creamy. I additionally thought that it did not have the identical kick.

Nevertheless, the hen tenders actually impressed me. They had been a great measurement, extraordinarily flavorful, and addictingly scrumptious. I discovered myself craving much more than the 5 hen tenders I used to be given, which is uncommon for me.

Ultimately, it was a extremely powerful name on whether or not I most well-liked Zaxby’s or Elevating Cane’s hen tenders.

My six-piece meal price $16.59, together with tax, however a three-finger combo that features three hen fingers, fries, Cane’s sauce, Texas toast, and a daily drink prices $9.59, excluding tax and any additions or swaps. 

The hen tenders had been additionally thick. After biting in, I may truly see the strips of white hen beneath, which, in my expertise, you do not all the time discover with fast-food hen tenders.

I attempted the tenders on their very own and with the Cane’s sauce. On their very own, the tenders had been merely the whole lot one may ask for: thick, juicy, and crispy on the surface.

Nevertheless, the chain is known for its chicken-complementing sauce, and after biting in, I may positively see why. It had a slight kick to it, and it was creamy and surprisingly tangy. It paired completely with the hen and was not like every other sauce I’ve ever tried.

Ultimately, Elevating Cane’s took residence the win for me with the chain’s near-perfect hen tenders and honest costs.