9 Frozen Chicken Fingers, Ranked
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It may seem like a kid's meal, but let's be honest: there is nothing like a plate of chicken fingers and fries. After a long day or a long night, one bite will put a smile on your face, as there's something special about that breaded chicken and tender white meat combination. And the fast food titans know it. Places like KFC and Chick-fil-A are waiting to serve you up some hot and ready chicken. However, these chains aren't super healthy, and they can cost a pretty penny. With this in mind, I took a trip to the freezer aisle, and sought out nine top brands to see which offered the best frozen chicken products.
There are an array of chicken tender options to choose from that will save you money — and earn you some health points, too. Fingers or strips, breaded or crispy, they were all up for grabs. Let's see how popular brand's frozen chicken tenders stacked up this ultimate chicken ranking.
9. Applegate Organic Chicken Strips
One product had to come in last place, and for this chicken finger ranking, it was Applegate's Organic Chicken Strips. The packaging promised health and animal welfare, boasting that the strips are made without antibiotics and come from humanely raised chicken. Every three strips contained 360 milligrams of sodium and 6 grams of fat, which wasn't too high. However, these facts weren't enough to sell me on this bag of chicken fingers.
First, the box only contained eight small pieces of chicken for the large price tag of $9.99. These strips didn't really look like real chicken — or even chicken fingers for that matter — they looked more like something you'd get in a school cafeteria. Second, while the ingredient list boasted a few spices (such as organic white pepper, paprika, and garlic powder), there was limited flavor to be found. The spices were non-existent. And, while the chicken itself seemed fine, the bland breading made these quite disappointing. The breading itself was also thin and lackluster, pushing these chicken fingers directly into the bottom of this ranking.
Overall, Applegate's Organic Chicken Strips missed the mark. My take: they are over-priced and under-spiced.
8. Pilgrim's Crispy Chicken Breast Strips
Up next — with chicken fingers that at least looked like real chicken — was Pilgrim's Crispy Chicken Breast Strips. The strips looked pretty good at first glance and the product boasted that it was antibiotic-free. The bag was also filled with big pieces, but that's where the praise ends.
One bite in, and I didn't find any bold flavors within the breading or chicken. I kept eating, but there was nothing special or great about each chicken finger. Both the breading and chicken were texturally fine, but these fingers were completely tasteless. On top of the minimal flavor profile, this bag didn't have a stellar ingredient list. Several hard-to-pronounce words were included in there. Additionally, just 3 ounces of chicken contained 6 grams of fat and 500 milligrams of sodium. With such a high sodium count, I was shocked to find such a lack of flavor.
If you're looking for a great frozen chicken finger, this ain't it. I wasn't a fan.
7. Perdue Simply Smart Organics Crispy Strips
I have to say, Perdue has come a long way over the years. The brand's Organic Crispy Strips are certified USDA Organic, feature 100% natural and non-GMO ingredients, and don't contain antibiotics. On top of all that, this product was packed with spices such as paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. As for its nutritional label, these strips weren't necessarily healthy, but they weren't the worst on this list, either. In every 3 ounces of chicken, there were 6 grams of fat and 430 milligrams sodium. However, that's where my kindness for these seventh-place chicken fingers ends.
When it came to taste, these chicken fingers were pretty bland, and what was there was a little off-putting. Plus, there were so many spices listed, but I couldn't find any of them while I ate. All I could taste was a dull breading that just didn't embody the essence of a chicken finger or even fried food.
At the end of the day, these weren't the worst. Perdue's fingers are good quality, but like many others in this ranking, they have limited flavor. With all that said, these are a no for me.
6. Kirkwood Crispy Chicken Strips
The next contender was from Aldi, with the grocery store chain's Kirkwood Crispy Chicken Strips. While Aldi typically has some killer snacks, this frozen option was pretty underwhelming. At first glance, the chicken fingers seemed pretty great, featuring all white meat chicken. These fingers also have a decent ingredient list as well, with no artificial ingredients and limited unhealthy additions. In 3 ounces of chicken, there were 7 grams of fat and 630 milligrams of sodium. That's not too bad for a frozen comfort food, especially if the chicken fingers taste good.
These strips were thin and longer than most of the others, and also featured a different flavor than the rest. There wasn't much salt to report, but I did get a traditional fried flavor from the breading. The real taste came from the paprika, and that spice built up a light heat after a few bites. The chicken was fine, if a little soggy. On the exterior, the breading had a light crunch in most areas.
The flavor profile of Kirkland's Crispy Chicken Strips was a little confusing — with a little too much paprika for my taste — but I was glad there was some flavor to report. These definitely weren't the worst on this list, by far.
5. Good & Gather Crispy Chicken Breast Strips
A surprising change of pace came from Target's Good & Gather brand. I tried its Crispy Chicken Breast Strips and was thankful to find a satisfying flavor. These fingers were made without antibiotics, hormones, or steroids. For a store-brand, fingers (and their ingredient list) looked pretty good. While the nutritional profile was a little worse for the wear — with 8 grams of fat and 600 milligrams sodium in 3 ounces of chicken – I was ready for a flavor-filled treat.
Looking in the bag, the pieces were all different sizes. Some were big and some were small. After the suggested cooking time, the flavor was there. While the texture felt a little off to me — chewy and soggy in some areas — the breading was out of this world. I tasted a simple salt and spice mix that was balanced and not overpowering.
While Good & Gather only placed fifth on my list, I would still recommend them. These chicken fingers had great taste, and they can be found in Target's freezer aisle, which is easy and convenient. They aren't the best, but they can promise you a pretty good chicken finger experience with every bite.
4. Great Value Fully Cooked Crispy Chicken Strips
I know sometimes I beat up on Walmart and its Great Value brand, but I have to say, Great Value's Fully Cooked Crispy Chicken Strips were pretty good! They feature no added hormones and are inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure quality.
Opening the resealable bag, I found an array of chicken finger sizes. These fingers also featured a lighter breading than most, but with a whole lot of flavor. The main ingredient in the flavor profile was pepper. It was a little too much for me, but since so many other options had no flavor to speak of (or just the traditional paprika), the pepper was a welcome change. The chicken texture was good, too. It tasted natural and unprocessed. However, when it came to nutrition, these were definitely the worst of the bunch. Just a single piece of chicken contained 5 grams of fat and 490 milligrams of sodium. Woof.
Be that as it may, these chicken fingers tasted good and seem like a pretty good choice for your next craving. If you like pepper, these are definitely for you!
3. Tyson Crispy Chicken Strips
I wasn't really surprised that Tyson's chicken tenders made it into my top three, but I was a little shocked to find that the quality held up to the hype around the name. The brand's Crispy Chicken Strips — made without added hormones or steroids and featuring 100% natural white meat chicken — were a solid frozen finger experience.
While these strips featured 10 grams of fat and 500 milligrams of sodium in 3 ounces of chicken, the flavor was there and worth the nutritional label's shortcomings. I definitely got a salty flavor from the breading, but not so much that it made me want to stop eating. This option was another one with a flavor I couldn't place, but the profile was good, nonetheless. Let's just call it a "fried breading taste." The chicken's texture was great, too, there weren't any processed or weird bites to report.
Tyson reflects its popularity and hype with these chicken strips. While the salt did start to build after a couple of bites, it wasn't a deterrent and it contributed to a balanced flavor. These are tried-and-true chicken fingers, with that fried goodness you know and crave. I highly recommend them for kids and adults alike.
2. Real Good Foods Lightly Breaded Chicken Strips
My top two picks for the best frozen chicken fingers were truly surprising, starting with Real Good Food's Lightly Breaded Chicken Strips. I had no idea they were gluten-free until I started writing up the article — they tasted that good! These chicken strips offered a whopping 23 grams of protein in 4 ounces of chicken, along with only 2 grams of fat and 390 milligrams of sodium. They also had the healthiest ingredient list in the bunch, without any artificial flavors. If you want me to keep going, the chicken was made without added hormones, too.
The breading is made from gluten-free chickpea flour and whey protein, but this turned out surprisingly well. While the tenders were a little soggy in some places after 20 minutes of cooking, they were still crispy and tasty. The breading wasn't super flavorful, but the fingers did taste real and healthy. These aren't your deep-fried, sodium-filled fingers, and that was a nice relief from many of the others on this list. The chicken was juicy and delicious. I couldn't stop eating them. Who knew I'd love the healthiest option in this lineup?
Overall, I couldn't believe how good these were. These fingers offer real unprocessed chicken and are the perfect frozen option for an array of condiments and dips. Dress them up or keep their natural charm shining through.
1. Signature Select Crispy Chicken Strips
Signature Select's Crispy Chicken Strips (an Albertsons product) took first place, shocking the heck out of me. These strips had the best flavor by far. Made with 100% natural white meat chicken, and no antibiotics, hormones, or steroids, we were off to a good start. The bag also showcased a decent ingredient list with limited additives, as well as bold spices like paprika.
The crispy breading on the outside had a great flavor profile, with both salt and spice. I especially liked that the spices and salt didn't build up on my palate. The juicy chicken inside was a nice contrast to its crispy exterior. While the outside was a little greasy and fatty in some places, the taste that came from these textures was delicious. The pieces of chicken were also bigger than other products in this ranking. In 3 ounces of chicken, there were 8 grams of fat and 600 milligrams of sodium, putting them closer to the unhealthier side of the list. But hey, sometimes you have to forgo the healthy for the tasty.
With so many top chicken brands out there, I was deeply surprised by a grocery store's line taking the gold. I highly recommend Signature Select's Crispy Chicken Strips.
How we chose the best frozen chicken fingers
For this article, I sought out, bought, and taste-tested all the products you see here. I focused mainly on the flavor profile and texture of each chicken tender product, but their nutritional information was also taken into account, as well. Mainly, I was looking for that quintessential fried flavoring with a real juicy chicken base.