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My go-to Wingstop lemon pepper chicken tender order, December 2, 2023. Photo by Nick Borowski.
Basic or Not, You Gotta Love’em
Basic or Not, You Gotta Love’em
by Nick Borowsk
Listen, I love trying new and exciting foods as much as the next person, but sometimes you just need some basic chicken tenders. The thing is, most people either love chicken tenders and would have them for every meal if they could, or they think that they’re mid and won’t think twice about it. I fall under the first category, so I have my fair share of knowledge regarding this dish.
I wish I could give you some exciting and elaborate backstory on how chicken tenders came to be, but like the chicken tender itself, the history is basic. There’s little evidence of the exact place and time chicken tenders were invented. However, it is known that the dish originated in America and was popularized in the 1980s (“The Surprising Rise”). One of the reasons why the history of chicken tenders is such a mystery is because the same dish is called many different names, making it hard to track the origin.
Helen Rosner, a renowned food critic, says that the three most important factors in a good chicken tender are, the “physical integrity” of the tender, the crispiness and flavor of the “breading”, and not using a dipping sauce unless necessary. I stand behind her first two points; however, I cannot get behind the third. I would argue that to reach the peak of chicken tender goodness you need a dipping sauce. I am not saying that it won’t be good without sauce. I am simply saying that even the best chicken tender in the world would be better with some dipping sauce. I see her point, chicken tenders are meant to be a simple meal with minimal add-ons; but, I don’t think dipping it in ranch or ketchup is doing too much. It’s just enough to make perfection.
Chicken tenders have been one of, if not, my favorite dish for my whole life. While I have had a lot of exceptional chicken tenders, none can compare to Wingstop. They have a wide variety of options which all contain strong flavors that just pop in your mouth. If that isn’t enough for you, Wingstop's homemade ranch is considered by myself and many others as one of the best ranch dips. Wingstop can be a little pricy, but never once has it failed to meet perfection.
Nick as a baby "chef" (December 12, 2006), probably thinking of making chicken tenders. Photo by JCPenney.
Some people will avoid eating chicken tenders because of the negative health effects, but the variety in which chicken tenders are made makes it so there is an option for everybody. Chicken is inherently a very healthy food, containing high levels of protein and vitamins with low calories (Marangoni et al.). Most chicken tenders will be unhealthy due to the breading, but there are still healthy options. With this being said, don't let the healthiness of this dish stop you from trying it. If you want a healthy chicken tender you should go for one with minimal breading and not use a sauce, or at least not a high-calorie one.
I don't think that it would be fair to talk about all the pros of this dish without also addressing the bad. Chicken tenders have a huge price markup from what restaurants buy the product at to what they sell the product at (Pitco). This is unfortunate to us chicken tender lovers, but luckily chicken is still typically cheaper than most other meats from animals such as cows or pigs.
I have always been a picky eater, which is what drew me to chicken tenders. I would always order them when eating out, even for my graduation dinner, because they were simple and basic. However, when growing up and trying chicken tender dishes with different styles and flavors I learned that there are infinite possibilities with this dish, and that has kept me loving this seemingly simple dish. For me, the beauty of chicken tenders is that you can enjoy it your way; whether that be plain and simple or flavorful and elevated. Trust me when I say there is a perfect tender for you, you just have to find it!
My Cousin and I after my graduation dinner, where I got - you guessed it - chicken tenders! June 7, 2023. Photo by Janice Borowski.
Works Cited
Borowski, Janice. My Cousin and I. 7 June. 2023. Authors personal collection.
Borowski, Nick. Wingstop chicken tenders. 2 Dec. 2023. Authors personal collection.
JCPenney. One of my baby photos. 12 Dec. 2006. Authors personal collection.
Marangoni, Franca, et al. “Role of Poultry Meat in a Balanced Diet Aimed at Maintaining Health and Wellbeing: An Italian Consensus Document.” Food & Nutrition Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 9 June 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4462824/.
Rosner, Helen. “On Chicken Tenders.” Guernica, 24 Aug. 2019, www.guernicamag.com/helen-rosner-on-chicken-tenders/.
“The Surprising Rise and Profitability of Chicken Tenders.” Pitco, 5 July 2023, www.pitco.com/blog/surprising-rise-and-profitability-of-chicken-tenders/.
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