9 Fast-Food Chains That Use Real Chicken for Their Tenders—Not That Mystery Meat
Tenders, nuggets, fingers, strips—when it comes to the fast-food fried chicken scene, there are many options to consider, but they're not all created equal. For instance, there are menu items like McDonald's Chicken McNuggets, which are made with a blend of ground chicken tenderloin, breast, and rib meat. Then, you've got the fast-food chains that solely use one cut of meat—and keep it in that form. Chicken tenders can fall into this category.
Technically, this form of chicken is made from the pectoralis minor, which is a small piece of meat found under the chicken breast. Chicken fingers can be made from this meat, too. However, some restaurants will use breast meat and call their product "tenders." Meanwhile, others aren't as forthcoming about revealing what's in their chicken.
Although fast-food chains are known for their processed menu items, there are several places that take additional measures to enhance the quality of their food. Here are seven fast-food spots that serve up chicken tenders made with real, whole pieces of chicken.
Elevation Burger
Just because "burger" is part of the name doesn't mean customers can't satisfy their chicken tender fix at this fast food chain. Elevation Burger offers multiple menu items made with chicken tenders, such as the Elevation Chicken Sandwich, BBQ Cheddar Chicken Sandwich, and the Sriracha Chicken Sandwich. These sandwiches come with a choice of crispy or grilled organic chicken tenders, which are made with cage-free chicken.
Elevation Burger's nutritional information shows that the chicken tenders are made with five ingredients: organic chicken tenders, organic canola oil, organic corn starch, salt, and organic white pepper. The tenders are then coated in a gluten-free flour blend (made with garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, white sorghum flour, and fava bean flour), salt, chilies, baking powder, and spices.
Shake Shack
While this chain is famously known for its burgers and shakes, it also currently has three chicken offerings: the Chicken Shack, the Avocado Bacon Chicken, and the Chicken Bites. Although it's specified that the first two items contain chicken breast meat rather than tenderloin meat, all three of them feature whole white meat chicken that is "hand-breaded and crisp-fried to order in cholesterol-free soy oil," according to Shake Shack's website.
So, are any of these technically tenders? No. But are they made with whole meat? Yes.
A&W Restaurants
Often associated with its famous root beer brand, this restaurant chain serves burgers, fries, and, yes, chicken tenders. The chain's website houses a Menu Ingredient Statement, which discloses the recipe of its hand-breaded chicken tenders. The document lists chicken tenderloins as the first ingredient, followed by the marinade and breading ingredients. "Juicy, 100% white meat Chicken Tenders breaded by hand and fried to perfection," is exactly how the company puts it. More health-conscious guests can opt to have their tenders grilled instead of fried.
Chick-fil-A
It's not surprising that a fast-food chain that's all about chicken uses whole pieces of chicken meat. According to Chick-fil-A's website, the company "sources 100% real whole boneless breast of chicken that has never been ground or separated, and that contains no fillers or added steroids or hormones." Take the chain's Chick-n-Strips, for example. These are made with boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins that are seasoned, breaded, and pressure-cooked in 100% peanut oil, which the company says "enhances the flavor of the chicken."
Popeyes
Whether Popeyes' chicken tenders should actually be called "tenders" is debatable. A 2022 class-action lawsuit alleged that the chain falsely advertised the menu item because it's actually made from chicken breast meat as opposed to the tenderloin. So, while these may not be true "tenders," the advertisement referenced in the lawsuit states that the chicken is made with "100% whole breast meat." So yes, breast or tenderloin, it's real chicken and not mystery meat.
Popeyes' chicken tenders are marinated in the chain's Louisiana herbs and seasonings, hand-battered in a crunchy southern coating, and fried until golden brown.
Raising Cane's
Raising Cane's superfans—aka "Caniacs"—can take comfort in knowing that the chain is committed to how it prepares its chicken fingers. The restaurant chain notes that it uses premium, fresh, never-frozen chicken breast tenderloins that marinate for a full day before being hand-dipped and fried to order. The chain is also stringent about never using heat lamps or cutting corners.
Church's Chicken
The menu at Church's Texas Chicken is about as simple as it gets: there's a chicken sandwich, there's bone-in chicken, and there are chicken tenders. Everything can be made into a combo, and ordered in the original or spicy variety. The sandwich is made from breast meat, the combo meals come with a choice of legs, thighs, and tenders, and the tenders are whole cuts of 100% white meat chicken breast. Simple, sure, but it's been working since 1952.
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen's chicken tenders are slept on, say loyal fans who can't get enough of the juicy, crispy, delicious bites. A classic for nearly 30 years, Dairy Queen's chicken strips are made from "100% all white meat tenderloin chicken", the company says. Fans especially love the Chicken Strip Baskets, which include Texas Toast, dips, gravy, and fries.
Jollibee
Home of the famous Chickenjoy fried chicken and dubbed the best fried chicken in America, Jollibee's chicken tenders are hand-breaded and made from all white-meat chicken tenderloins. According to the company, you have to eat it to believe it. "We are talking next-level tender. Golden crispy outside, juicy inside," Jollibee promises, and delivers.
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