• Chicken fillets are the new priority of fast food chains, replacing chicken sandwiches.
• Chicken offerings have driven the growth of chains like Chick-fil-A and Raise the cane.
• KFC has just launched tenders to capitalize on growing demand.

Few things evoke childhood memories like biting into a crispy, crunchy dish tender chicken. Juicy chicken breast meat coated in golden breading and dipped in creamy sauce or sweet honey mustard – it’s comfort food at its best.

The fast food chains know this and they are going all out. 2025 is shaping up to be the year of tender chicken, driven by Gen Z’s appetite.

Five decades after its first iteration at a Manchester, New Hampshire restaurant, the humble chicken tender has come a long way from a children’s menu staple and mall food court staple. It’s a key part of the growth of international chicken chains like Chick-fil-A, Popeyes and Raising Cane’s.

As the “chicken sandwich wars” that dominated the industry in the early 2020s have subsided, chains are now gearing up for the battle of the chicken tenders.

Chicken, a huge niche of opportunities for fast food brands

Chicken’s grip on the fast food industry has tightened in recent years.

It is perceived health benefits compared to beefits relatively low cost and its popularity among Generation Z – a key demographic for fast food chains – have helped drive sales across the industry.

Growth was also fueled by the chicken sandwich wars. In August 2019, Popeyes launched a new fried chicken sandwich, which Business Insider called “juicy, crispy” with “well-balanced flavors.” When the burger sparked a frenzy among diners and sold out completely within two weeks, other chains took notice.

Between 2019 and 2021, more than twenty chains, such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Sonic and Shake Shack, launched new chicken sandwiches, Catering business reported.

Popeyes’ earnings reports highlighted the success of its chicken sandwich. Its same-store sales increased throughout 2020, increasing 19.7% in the third quarter of 2020 from a year earlier, Restaurant Business reported.

US-based chicken fast food franchises as a whole saw market growth of 8.4% between 2018 and 2023, Catering business and IBISWorld reported. Chicken sales also jumped 11% in 2022with total revenues for major chicken chains like Chick-fil-A and Popeyes increasing from $27 billion in 2018 to around $44 billion in 2022.

Chains now eyeing chicken offerings as next battleground in chicken wars

Restaurant Business reported that chicken tenders ranked higher than sandwiches among younger generations, citing a consumer survey conducted by Revenue Management Solutions.

Businesses have also capitalized on this idea.

Raising Cane’s — a chain that notably only sells chicken tenders and a few sides like coleslaw and Texas toast – is now one of fastest growing fast food brands in the country. The channel generated more than $2.3 billion in revenue during the first half of 2024, Bloomberg reported, marking a 30% jump from the previous year.

KFC is the latest chain to get on board. It released a new recipe for its Original Chicken Tenders on Oct. 18, hoping to spark what the chain called the “Battle of the Chicken Tenders.”

“The Chicken Wars started five years ago with the Chicken Sandwich, but that’s old news,” the chain said in a statement ahead of the new menu item’s release.

“We know consumers are looking for bold flavors and chicken tenders are a familiar favorite,” added Catherine Tan-Gillespie, KFC US chief marketing officer and chief development officer, in a statement.

KFC is also looking at value, another focus for consumers and brands in a context of rising prices of fast food: A three-piece combo of KFC’s new chicken tenders starts at $5.

In an apparent attempt to incite competition, KFC also released a new advertisement which depicts a medieval battle scene to determine which chain has the best chicken deals.

Beyond KFC and other chicken chains like Chick-fil-A and Popeyes, there could be another competitor: McDonald’s is also reportedly testing its own chicken tenders at some locations after testing them. disappeared from menus during the COVID-19 pandemicalthough the brand has not commented on a nationwide rollout.

McDonald’s did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

The craze has spread to the dining rooms of restaurants and grocery stores

The tender chicken wars aren’t limited to fast food menus. Casual dining chains like Chili’s think they can win over their fast-food competitors with their own versions of chicken tenders.

“Fried chicken is one of the fastest growing segments, especially with a younger consumer who prefers boneless fried chicken,” George Felix, Chili’s chief marketing officer, told Business Insider.

The chain’s chicken tenders have been on menus since the ’90s, but they were revamped in December 2022 “to better meet our customers’ preferences,” Felix said.

They’re “a grown-up version of a typical fast-food tender,” Felix said, because of flavor options like Nashville Hot and Honey Chipotle.

In grocery stores, chicken brands like Perdue also sell a variety of chicken tenders, including organic gluten-free tenders and raw chicken tenders, to cater to a wide range of customers.

“It’s not just the chicken tender of your childhood,” a Perdue spokesperson told BI at the press conference. New York Wine and Food Festival on October 20.

“You have all the different parts of premium muscle, or you can get dark meat and all these different cuts. People are also using them in more culinary experiences now,” they continued, adding that consumers are looking for “high quality”. ” versions of their favorite childhood foods.

As chicken tenders prepare for a takeover, the chicken sandwich wars are already making yesterday’s headlines.