These Fast Food Chicken Tenders That Outshine Culver's And Sonic Are From A Chain Famous For Roast Beef Sandwiches

Chicken tenders may follow a straightforward assemblage of meat and breading, but this only means that the ratio of ingredients and nuanced flavors matter even more. Not all tendies are created equal— which is why Tasting Table's taste tester embarked on a taste test to track down the best bite. In a definitive ranking of 10 fast food chicken tenders, Arby's chicken tenders ranked eighth, which isn't great, but they outranked those from Sonic and Culver's. 

Arby's is a fast food chain that uses 100% real chicken. Its chicken tenders are made from breast meat and are fried daily in stores. They're sold in two-, three-, and five-piece orders to suit all appetites. The breading admittedly has room for improvement, as mentioned in our taste tester's review, leaning a tad greasy and crumbly. Still, Arby's chicken tenders certainly outperformed the tenders from Sonic and Culver's. 

Sonic's Crispy Tenders weren't especially crispy. Instead, the bland breading was almost texturally indistinguishable from the mouthfeel of the meat underneath, yielding a bite with little intrigue and decidedly no crispiness. At Culver's — the chain that placed last in the ranking — the chicken tenders were coated in a smooth, flat breading that really didn't taste like anything. 

Tasting Table's taste tester isn't the only one who prefers Arby's chicken tenders. A viral TikTok by @ilovefriedchikn gives Arby's tenders a "10/10" rating, and another similarly impressed TikTok user, @justinchopelas, quipped, "These are pretty good tenders at Arby's ... I would recommend." Still, it's worth noting that other customer comments lean a bit mixed. Elsewhere on social media, a YouTube review raved, "The chicken is fried perfectly. It is tender, and it had a crunch to it. This was a really, really nice-tasting nugget." But it noted that this solid offering is undermined by its unjustifiable price point. Indeed, at an Arby's location in Chicago, the tenders cost nearly $2 each, which might feel a tad overpriced for a fast food tender (even a tasty one). 

Ultimately, there's a reason why several other fast food chains outranked Arby's chicken tenders in our lineup. Bojangles is the Southern chain that makes the absolute best chicken tenders because of its standout blend of flavorful seasonings, butter and garlic tones, and generously crunchy Corn Flake-like breading. All in all, Arby's tenders could still benefit from a blanket of dipping sauce. Tasting Table's taste tester also ranked every sauce from Arby's, and the chain's Horsey Sauce and Hickory Smoked BBQ were the favorites. Perhaps the very best chicken tenders can be made from scratch at home. If you're feeling ambitious, take a cue from Tasting Table's classic chicken tenders recipe, which comes together in just 20 minutes.