Who has the best chicken tenders? We ranked 6 fast-food brands.

Burgers might be the reigning kings of fast-food dining, but in recently chicken has been taking a big (s)wing at the throne.

To keep up with customers’ seemingly insatiable demand for breaded bird, recently McDonald’s introduced its latest iteration of crispy chicken strips. The strips are made with actual pieces of chicken, unlike its classic nuggets, which are made from a paste-like product fried in a tempura batter. Changes at the nation’s far-and-away biggest chain don’t come lightly, and company executives said it’s the first new permanent menu item to debut in the United States since 2021.

But it needed to reenter the fray to avoid being clowned by competitors: McDonald’s is struggling to hold its footing as prices rise and diners watch their spending. Meanwhile, upstart and established chicken chains are expanding.

I enlisted a colleague for tasting (and moral) support, and we tried the new McDonald’s chicken strips alongside options from five other top chains to see where the chicken falls in the pecking order.

6. Raising Cane’s

I was intrigued by the hype that surrounds this chain, which hails from Louisiana. But these strips were a letdown, and they wound up being our least favorite of the bunch. The breading was unappealingly pale, with no discernible spices (visually and on the palate), and, worse, there were random bald patches. Maybe the rave reviews Raising Cane’s garners on social media have more to do with its creamy, spicy sauce and those thick slices of Texas toast that accompany combo meals? The meat itself was juicy, but the overall impression had us raising another question: Where’s the flavor? ($2.29 for 1 chicken finger)

5. McDonald’s

The new chick on the block — and the impetus behind our strip-sampling experiment — was a big step up from our last-place bird. With this one, we liked the peppery coating, and the meat was tender. But the shape, which was relatively flat compared with its rounder, more substantial competitors, wasn’t as appealing. Despite the marketing push McDonald’s has given the new item, these tenders are hardly a game changer. Still, the Golden Arches managed to somehow hit its famous nostalgia button, even with a new entrant: Its decent, basic strip reminded me of the ones I used to get at our pool’s snack bar when I was a kid. ($5.59/3; $6.89/4)

4. KFC

The Colonel’s secret formula of 11 herbs and spices was evident here, with a markedly more seasoned exterior than most of this flock. The strong flavor gives the tenders more of a classic fried chicken feel, so if you’re looking for a more neutral, sauce-conveying vehicle, these might not be the strips for you. ($3.29/1; $19.99/8)

3. Wingstop

Wingstop was another new-to-me chain, though it has been expanding from its Texas roots since its founding in the ’90s. The chicken chain might be named for its signature bone-in options, but it has recently been focusing on tenders, reformulating the menu item to optimize it for sauce-dipping. Although we tried it solo, we appreciated the crisp, craggy texture on its own merits. (And I could see how all those nooks and crannies would allow sauce to cling.) Fortunately, the meat was tender, offering a nice contrast from the exterior. ($8.79/4; $13.99/7)

2. Chick-fil-A

Fans of this chain could no doubt pick its bird out of a lineup: The marinated protein has a darker, nubbier exterior and distinctive flavor that some rumors attribute to pickle brine. While that’s probably the stuff of urban legend, because the ingredient list doesn’t include vinegar, the listed sugar, salt and MSG are more likely what gives its offerings that familiar, salty-sweet note and juicy texture. ($4.25/2; $6.09/3; $7.89/4)

1. Popeyes

Since that viral sandwich from 2019 that made everyone on your social media feeds go cuckoo for chicken, Popeyes has been the chicken specialist to beat. Sure, its current pickle-spiked menu came off as stunt food, but the tenders here are standard-bearers. They’re crispy, even long after you’ve left the drive-through window, and the breading hits that Goldilocks balance of light but still substantial. The meat was flavorful and briny with none of the stringiness or mushy qualities of a lesser bird. Seems that even after the sandwich wars have abated, Popeyes is still the bird to beat. ($8.79/3; $11.19/5)