Chicken tenders are thin strips of boneless, skinless chicken breast that are typically breaded and fried. They are often served with dipping sauces, such as ketchup, barbecue or buffalo sauce, or honey mustard. Chicken tenders are usually tender and juicy, making them popular with both adults and kids.

Chicken fingers (also known as chicken goujons, chicken strips, chicken tenders, chicken nuggets or chicken fillets) are chicken meat prepared from the pectoralis minor muscles of the animal. These strips of white meat are located on either side of the breastbone, under the breast meat (pectoralis major).

Some people think that chicken tenders are just strips cut from the breast of the chicken. But in fact, the tender or tenderloin is an independent secondary muscle that lies directly under the breast. Sometimes the whole breast is removed, which includes the tender; sometimes they are removed separately.

A Manchester, New Hampshire restaurant called The Puritan Backroom, they invented chicken tenders in 1974.

(If you see something referred to as “chicken strips,” they are probably chicken fingers.) These are not to be confused with chicken tenders, which are made from an actual cut of meat: the pectoralis minor, a small muscle that runs directly under the chicken breast. This is also called the “inner filet.”

Fried chicken tenders are an excellent source of selenium, niacin, vitamin B6, and phosphorus, each providing more than 40% of your daily value set by the FDA.

(If you see something referred to as “chicken strips,” they are probably chicken fingers.) These are not to be confused with chicken tenders, which are made from an actual cut of meat: the pectoralis minor, a small muscle that runs directly under the chicken breast.

Chicken nuggets are "further processed products." Tenders are made from the tenderloin of the bird.

(If you see something referred to as “chicken strips,” they are probably chicken fingers.) These are not to be confused with chicken tenders, which are made from an actual cut of meat: the pectoralis minor, a small muscle that runs directly under the chicken breast.

Tenders are made from the pectoralis minor, or tenderloin, of the bird. In contrast, tenders - which were popularized at a New Hampshire diner in the 1970s - come from a specific part of a chicken: the pectoralis minor muscle, aka the tenderloin. "The chicken tenderloin is a white meat subset of the chicken breast.

So why are chicken fingers such a staple of modern fast food? There are a few reasons, including convenience, versatility, and limitless flavor options. When it comes to flavors, liven it up with spices and seasonings to the breading. But the main attraction is the sauce used for dipping.

Downsides. Not all types of chicken are created equal. For example, fried and breaded varieties like chicken nuggets, popcorn chicken, and chicken tenders are typically high in unhealthy fats, carbs, and calories ( 11 ). Some types of chicken are also heavily processed, such as lunch meats.

The tenderloin is generally removed from the breast and sold separately. Chicken tenders are quite, well, tender compared to other parts of the bird. That's not the only thing that sets them apart: They're more caloric than plain chicken breasts and they have more sodium.

Not all breaded and fried chicken pieces are the same: classic chicken tenders should be made from the chicken breast's tender (more on that below), while nuggets are primarily made from the ground and processed chicken meat including breast and thigh meat that is then formed into nuggets, dinos, and even rings.