And the top fast food protein of the year is…chicken. It’s no surprise that poultry dominated the fast-food arena in 2025. From the excitement surrounding the McDonald’s Snack Wrap resurgence to the rise of chicken-centric establishments like Jollibee, Raising Cane’s, and Dave’s Hot Chicken, chicken is clearly in the spotlight. Recently, Wendy’s unveiled their latest offering – Tendys chicken tenders. These are described as “crispy, premium tenders crafted with seasoned, crispy breading and succulent, all-white-meat chicken,” promising a delightful crunch outside and tender juiciness inside. Accompanied by six new dipping sauces (Wendy’s Signature, Sweet Chili, Scorchin’ Hot, Creamy Ranch, Honey BBQ, Honey Mustard), they are available as three- or four-piece combos, individually, or as part of a Kids’ Meal. Wendy’s isn’t the only chain serving real chicken tenders. Here are 8 more options.

Raising Cane’s

Raising Cane’s has made its reputation on fresh, hand-battered chicken tenders that are crispy outside and juicy inside. “Fresh Raising Cane’s literally melts in your mouth…they use the tenderloin part of the breast only,” says u/idontevenliftbrah. “100% best tenders in fast food market. They actually use real chicken tenderloins,” another user adds.

Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A is renowned for its nuggets, but their chicken strips are even more noteworthy, being sizable servings of white meat chicken. “Their tenders are 1000x better than the nuggets IMO,” someone insists. With seasoning akin to their breaded nuggets, these strips offer a more substantial protein punch per piece.

Zaxby’s

Zaxby’s is a Southern chain serving hand-breaded chicken fingers made from real meat. Famous for its crispy tenders and flavorful sauces, it was one of the first fast food chains to center its menu around chicken fingers. The chain also offers Texas toast, coleslaw, tea, lemonade, and “tater chips.”

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Culver’s

Culver’s serves up “very big tenders” that are all white meat, “with a thinner but very crispy coating,” according to u/Beautiful-Cat245. They are also made to order, making them one of the freshest options. “Culver’s chicken tenders are fresh made,” says one. There are also spicy options. “Culver’s Buffalo tenders have no equal,” adds another.

Slim Chickens

Slim Chickens is a fast-growing chain specializing in fresh, hand-breaded tenders made with real chicken. “Since moving south I’ve discovered Slim Chickens and Whataburger. Strongly prefer either of them over any other fast food now,” writes u/Zacharacamyison.

Church’s Texas Chicken

Church’s Texas Chicken is famous for using real chicken breast strips for hand-battered tenders. “I like that it’s not greasy, but crisp and tasty!” one fan says. “Went to church’s the other day and I gotta say it was the best fast food fried chicken I’ve had in a long time. Better than Popeyes and KFC imo,” another added.

Popeyes

Popeyes is also popular for Cajun-style chicken tenders made from whole cuts of white meat. The standout features include spicy seasoning and crunch.

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KFC

KFC’s Extra Crispy Tenders are made from real chicken breast. “I recently had the KFC chicken tenders for the first time, and they were a lot better than I expected them to be. The consistency, bite, and shape were like Popeyes’ chicken tenders but with the flavor of the 11 herbs and spices,” one person suggests