I ordered chicken tenders from 5 fast-food chains and the best were from the smallest chain

Erin McDowellJan 17, 2022, 23:33 IST

Chicken tenders from Popeyes, KFC, and Whataburger.Erin McDowell/Insider; lma_ss/Shutterstock; Ink Drop/Shutterstock; NYC Russ/Shutterstock

I tried chicken tenders from Popeyes, Chick-fil-A, Whataburger, Raising Cane's, and KFC.
Popeyes' and KFC's chicken tenders were similar in their crispy texture and flavor.

Of all the chicken tenders I tried, the ones from Whataburger didn't completely blow me away.

Whataburger chicken tenders.Erin McDowell/Insider

The chicken tenders were large and perfectly fried.

Whataburger chicken tender with ranch sauce in the background.Erin McDowell/Insider

The meat inside was juicy, but I thought the fried coating outside could have had a bit more crunch.

Whataburger chicken tender.Erin McDowell/Insider

Chick-fil-A's chicken tenders were good ... but I really just use them as a vehicle for the chain's Chick-fil-A sauce.

Chick-fil-A chicken tenders in a box.Erin McDowell/Insider

Some of the chicken pieces looked slightly darker and more fried than others.

Chick-fil-A chicken tender.Erin McDowell/Insider

The chicken tenders were nicely fried but still juicy on the inside.

Chick-fil-A chicken tender.Erin McDowell/Insider

KFC's chicken tenders landed in the middle of the pack.

KFC chicken tenders.Erin McDowell/Insider

The tenders were crispy on the outside, but I thought they were slightly on the smaller side when compared to the others I tried.

KFC chicken tender.Erin McDowell/Insider

The chicken tenders were flavorful and contained a fair amount of white meat chicken.

KFC chicken tender.Erin McDowell/Insider

My second-favorite chicken tenders came from Popeyes.

Popeyes box with fries, chicken tenders, and a biscuit.Erin McDowell/Insider

The chicken tenders from Popeyes were crispy, flaky, and crunchy.

Popeyes chicken tender.Erin McDowell/Insider

The meat inside was flaky and moist as well.