I ordered chicken tenders from 8 fast-food chains and ranked them from worst to best

Erin McDowellJun 21, 2024, 02:56 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, KFC, Bojangles, Zaxby's, and Cook Out.
Popeyes' and KFC's chicken tenders were similar in their crispy texture and flavor.

I compared chicken tenders from eight different fast-food chains from across the country, and a lesser-known — but quickly expanding — chain took the top spot.

Chicken is a hugely popular item at many fast-food chains, and some chains have built their entire business off this one menu item.

Todd Graves, the richest person in Louisiana with a net worth of $9.1 billion, is the founder and CEO of the chicken-tender restaurant chain Raising Cane's. Graves opened his first restaurant in 1996, and Cane's is growing rapidly, with more than 750 restaurants in the US and internationally and $3.7 billion in annual sales, Forbes reported.

While Raising Cane's isn't the only chain that offers chicken tenders, it may very well be the best.

Here's how eight fast-food chicken tenders ranked, from worst to best, based on taste and value.

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

Whataburger chicken tenders.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The chicken tenders were large and perfectly fried.

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

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

Whataburger chicken tender.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I also ordered chicken tenders from Cook Out, a regional chain I visited in South Carolina.

Cook Out chicken tenders.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The chicken tenders were crispy on the outside.

Cook Out chicken tender.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

However, there wasn't an abundance of chicken meat inside.

Cook Out chicken tender.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

KFC chicken tenders.Erin McDowell/Business 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/Business Insider

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

KFC chicken tender.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

My fourth-favorite chicken tenders came from Popeyes.

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

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

Popeyes chicken tender.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The meat inside was flaky and moist as well.

Popeyes chicken tender.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I thought the chicken tenders from Bojangles were flavorful and super crispy.

Bojangles four-piece chicken tenders meal.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I thought the chicken tenders were a good size.

Bojangles chicken tender.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The breading was peppery, just the right thickness, and perfectly encapsulated the juicy white chicken meat inside.