And the best fast food protein of the year is…chicken. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that poultry has dominated the fast food world in 2025. From the chicken wrap “wars” spawned by the return of the McDonald’s Snack Wrap to the explosion of chicken-centric brands like Jollibee, Raising Cane’s, and Dave’s Hot Chicken, it’s definitely a moment. This week, Wendy’s announced the launch of Tendys Chicken Tenders, “premium crispy tenders made with seasoned, crispy breading and juicy all-white meat chicken” that are “crunchy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside.” They’re served with six new dipping sauces (Wendy’s Signature, Sweet Chili, Scorchin’ Hot, Creamy Ranch, Honey BBQ, Honey Mustard) and are available in three- or four-piece combos, a la carte or as a kids’ meal. Wendy’s isn’t the only fast food chain to use real chicken in its dishes. Here are 8 more.
Raise the cane
Raising Cane’s has built its brand on fresh, hand-breaded chicken tenders, real chicken strips that are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. “Fresh Raising Cane literally melts in your mouth…they only use the breast fillet part,” explains u/idontevenliftbrah. “100% of the best food in the fast food market. They actually use real chicken tenders,” another writing.
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A nuggets put the brand on the map, but the chicken strips are even better because they’re large pieces of white chicken meat. “Their offerings are 1,000 times better than nuggets, in my opinion,” one person said maintains. Seasoned the same as the breaded pieces, it contains a greater source of protein per piece.
At Zaxby’s
Zaxby’s is a Southern chain that serves hand-breaded chicken fingers made with 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.
Culver’s
Culver’s serves “very large fillets” that are all white meat, “with a thinner but very crispy coating,” according to u/Beautiful-Cat245. They’re also made to order, making them one of the freshest options. “Culver’s Chicken Tenders are freshly prepared,” said one. There are also spicy options. “Culver’s Buffalo offerings have no equal” adds another.
Thin chickens
Slim Chickens is a fast-growing chain specializing in fresh hand-breaded tenders made with real chicken. “Since moving down south, I’ve discovered Slim Chickens and Whataburger. I strongly prefer either one over any other fast food place now,” u/Zacharacamyison writes.
Church’s Texas Chicken
Church’s Texas Chicken is famous for using real chicken breast strips for the hand-battered tenders. “I like that it’s not greasy, but crispy and tasty!” a fan said. “I went to church the other day and I have to say it was the best fast food fried chicken I’ve had in a long time. Better than Popeyes and KFC in my opinion,” another added.
Papeyes
Popeyes is also popular for Cajun-style chicken tenders made from whole cuts of white meat. Notable features include spicy seasoning and crunch.
KFC
KFC Extra Crispy Tenders are made from real chicken breast. “I recently had KFC chicken tenders for the first time, and they were way better than I expected. The consistency, bite, and shape were similar to Popeyes chicken tenders, but with the flavor of 11 herbs and spices,” one person said. suggests
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