Chicken tenders (also known as chicken goujons, tendies, chicken strips, chicken fingers, or chicken fillets)[citation needed] are chicken meat prepared from the pectoralis minor muscles of the animal.[1][2] These strips of white meat are located on either side of the breastbone, under the breast meat (pectoralis major).[3] They may also be made with similarly shaped pieces cut from chicken meat, usually the breast, or sometimes just pulverized chicken flesh.[4]
Chicken tenders are prepared by coating chicken meat in a breading mixture and then deep frying them, in a manner similar to the preparation of schnitzel.[5] They are a very popular snack or main course due to their convenience and have become a staple across the United States. Chicken tenders are a popular fast-food snack in the U.S.[6] Some of the most popular fast-food restaurants that sell chicken tenders include Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, Chick-fil-A, Church's Chicken, KFC, Popeyes, Zaxby's and Culver's.[7]
Batter-coated deep-fried golden fingers with a dipping sauce, served in an American Chinese restaurant
History
Chicken tenders were first made at the Puritan Backroom in Manchester, New Hampshire, in 1974. Charlie Pappas salvaged chicken pieces that had been trimmed from larger cuts of chicken, marinating and frying them to create chicken tenders.[2][8]
Other restaurants in Savannah, Georgia, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have challenged this claim with later assertions to the invention of chicken tenders, although the consensus supports the claim in Manchester.[9] In 2023, Manchester was officially declared the "Chicken Tender Capital of the World" by Mayor Joyce Craig.[10]
Mass production
Chicken tenders are a mass-produced product in the United States.[11][12] They gained popularity in the mid-to-late 1980s as an alternative fast food choice to chicken nuggets, since they retained more chicken meat.[13] Production can involve coating chicken meat with spices, polyphosphate and breading or crumbs, flash-frying the product to hold the breading in place, and then freezing it[11] prior to shipment for consumer, retail and commercial use. Tyson Foods is one such company that mass-produces chicken fingers.[12] Some are manufactured with a specific flavor profile, such as with a Buffalo-style hot sauce flavor.[12] They are also manufactured with flavors such as Honey BBQ and Parmesan Herb Encrusted.[14]
Variants
Chicken tenders are sometimes grilled rather than fried; they may accompany salads or pasta.[15]
The chicken tenders invented at the Puritan Backroom in 1974 were marinated in duck sauce, and marinated "Manchester chicken tenders" can be found at other restaurants in the Manchester area.[16]
