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

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…