Fast-food giants are ramping up chicken tender offerings to lure consumers with a low-risk, high-reward menu favorite. According to Technomic’s Ignite Menu data, nearly half of fast-food restaurants offered chicken tenders in the third quarter, a more than 5% increase from 2019. Taco Bell is testing chicken strips in tacos and burritos, and McDonald’s is trialing new McCrispy sandwich versions, set for global availability by 2025. KFC launched a "chicken tenders battle" campaign in October with a satirical ad targeting rivals and distributing free samples at competitor locations like Popeyes, Chick-fil-A, and Raising Cane's.
