I tried chicken tenders from 14 fast-food chains. The crispiest, juiciest tenders won me over.

I compared chicken tenders from 14 fast-food chains, including McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, KFC, Wingstop, and Taco Bell.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider I tried chicken tenders from 14 different fast-food chains.

Chick-fil-A and KFC's chicken tenders had similar textures.

Raising Cane's impressed me with its crispy-yet-juicy tenders and delicious signature sauce.

It seems like every chain wants a piece of the dunkable-chicken craze.

McDonald's launched its McCrispy Strips in May 2025, marking the first time chicken strips had been on its menu since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Then, in June 2025, Taco Bell introduced its new Crispy Chicken Strips, with Taco Bell's CMO Taylor Montgomery telling Business Insider that Gen Z was eating more crispy chicken than other generations, and "we need to evolve to where youth culture and the next generation of consumers are going." I tried chicken tenders from 14 major fast-food chains across the US to see how they compared.

When it comes to my perfect tender, I'm looking for a balance between a satisfying crunch and juicy chicken.

I generally prefer thick, all-white-meat tenders with a crisp, flavorful breading over thinner tenders and heavy breading.

Plus, amid rising fast-food prices, value for money and portion size have become more important to me than ever before.

Here's how all 14 chicken tenders ranked, from my least favorite to my favorite, based on flavor, texture, and overall value.

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

Erin McDowell/Business Insider A three-piece chicken tender cost $7.48 at Whataburger at the location I visited in Austin.

The tenders were large and perfectly fried.