Welcome to the Chicken Tender Review blog. The purpose of this site is to document, review, and rate chicken tenders from a variety of sources. First, I think it is important to provide some definitions and to outline the scope of this site, as well as the criteria I will be using to rate the tenders. I must also clarify, up front, that I have no training in food criticism, cooking, professional writing, web design, nutrition science, or any related fields. I have only my passion for quality chicken tenders to rely on.
What is a chicken tender?
Chicken tenders, also sometimes known as chicken fingers, chicken strips, or chicken fillets, are generally strips of chicken breast meat, that are breaded and fried.
What is NOT a chicken tender?
Similar items such as fried chicken breast or other on-the-bone chicken, chicken nuggets, chicken wings, schnitzel, chicken fried steak, or other similar meat products are not chicken tenders. As a result, these will fall outside the scope of this blog. This is not out of any disrespect to any of these dishes, but allow a more apples-to-apples comparison. Apples are also not considered chicken tenders as they are a fruit.
How will the chicken tenders be rated?
I will taste-test chicken tenders from each location two times (in order to reduce the chances that a one-off error produced a bad sample). I will order and consume the tenders "plain", which means I will not utilize any sort of sauces, including dipping sauce. Also, if the location has the option of Spicy and Mild, I will order Mild. When tasting the tenders, I will rate them on the following dimensions and provide a final score (which will not simply be the sum of the various factors). Each piece will be rated on a ten point scale, as will the final score.
1) Breading
The coating should be crispy, but not too crunchy. A cross section of an idealized chicken tender should contain more chicken than breading. The breading should not be too dry, nor too soggy.
2) Juiciness
The juiciness of the chicken itself is paramount, and is generally the single greatest indicator of the overall quality of the chicken. Dry chicken strips will be marked down.
3) Spiciness
Although I will be using the "mild" version of chicken strips if available, that does not mean that the strips need be bland. The saltiness and spiciness of the tenders contribute greatly to the quality of the meal.
4) Texture/Consistency
The texture of the chicken is also important. Encountering a rough spot, bone, or something inedible that needs to be spit out is a major penalty.
How will the chicken NOT be rated?
Not included in my ratings will be nutrition information, cost/value, portions, service, and convenience. If one of these factors is significant, I will mention it but it will not generally impact the final rating.
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