For The Most Flavorful Frozen Chicken Tenders, Add One Buttery Ingredient (It's So Easy)

No matter how old anyone gets, chicken tenders will always hit the spot. While they may not be the most sophisticated of foods, there is no denying that they are tasty, especially when served fresh from the fryer. Frozen tenders can come close, but they need to be cooked the right way and served with the best sauce. Or, you can toss them with one simple ingredient to really take things to the next level: garlic butter

Garlic butter is full of earthy, addicting flavor that can easily be transferred right onto your chicken before cooking. Just a light coating can transform a boring frozen tender into a rich, indulgent treat with a much better mouthfeel and a deeper, more savory aftertaste reminiscent of garlic bread. The melted butter can also help add moisture to the chicken and crisp up any particularly dry batters if applied before cooking.

But you can also just toss the tenders with the melted garlic butter once they come out of the oven or air fryer. All you need is a good recipe, like our simple yet delicious Three-Ingredient Garlic Butter recipe and some frozen tenders. To help you decide, here are 10 frozen chicken tender brands and our thoughts on each.

To make some garlic butter for frozen chicken tenders, just melt a few tablespoons of butter in a pot and add a handful of minced garlic. Fresh is best as jarred garlic can be quite muted. As for the butter, use the good kind. Kerrygold nabbed the top spot in Tasting Table's ranking of 12 unsalted butter brands and it's known for its superior texture and flavor. Garlic cooks very quickly — the garlic butter should be ready in less than a minute.

If you want to add it before cooking, brush the frozen tenders with a tiny bit of the melted butter before placing in the oven or air fryer. You don't want to use too much as the garlic could overflow onto the tray and burn otherwise. Once they're crisp, toss the tenders with the rest of the butter. If you don't feel like dirtying a pan to cook the butter separately, you can cream the butter with garlic paste in a bowl and then let it melt over the hot tenders. Most grocery stores also sell pre-made garlic butter if you're in a hurry.

A sprinkling of parmesan pairs perfectly, as does some fresh parsley. You can incorporate other flavors into the butter too, including lemon, cajun seasoning, chili, or paprika. This trick also works with fresh tenders, as well as uncoated chicken pieces. But if you want to keep things easy, here are some other ways to upgrade frozen chicken tenders.