QVC's Viral Chicken Tenders Are One Expensive Impulse Buy

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Did you know that QVC (Yep, the TV shopping network) sells chicken tenders? Neither did we, until we saw a viral video on TikTok, where user @suitelifeoflisa eats an air-fried chicken tender, explaining that she was at her grandmother's house. "They're literally, like, so good, like, I've never had chicken tenders this good that you like, make yourself," she says. When she asked her grandmother where the tenders were from, she was shocked to learn that they were from QVC. Yep — that QVC.

@suitelifeoflisa

QVC?? 😭

♬ original sound – lisa🍕

She wasn't kidding — you can indeed buy Heartland Fresh Tater-Crusted Chicken Strips from QVC, as I eventually learned, in three or six-pound quantities. They're done chicken-fried chicken style, which confusingly refers to the fact that they're breaded like chicken-fried steak, and served with white gravy (also like chicken-fried steak).

But you may want to sit down when you hear about the price. While they're currently on sale, that three-pound bag originally cost $85, while the six-pound bag retails for $121. Holy smokes. Grandma must have paid a boatload for those chicken tenders. The Takeout was offered a three-pound sample to see what we thought, and considering my non-stop curiosity when it comes to this kind of stuff (like which Totino's Instant Ramen cups are worth buying), you know I had to jump on them. Was this just a case of hyper-exaggeration for internet clout, or were these things really that good?

When it comes to preparing QVC chicken tenders, they're just like any other frozen strip. The instructions simply say to air fry them at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes. I have multiple devices capable of air frying, but my basket device tends to perform better in terms of crispness (as opposed to my countertop oven, which bakes better), so I went with that. 

I flipped them a few times while they cooked, and during the heating process, I prepared one of the two white gravy powder packets that came with the tenders. This was slightly more involved; you whisk the powder with a half-cup of cold water while bringing 1 ½ cups of water to a full boil on the stove. When the water reaches a boil, you stir in the powder and cold water mixture and it thickens immediately into a peppery white gravy, kind of like instant pudding. 

I also whipped up a Raising Cane's copycat sauce, as that recipe is just a mix of mayo, ketchup, plenty of black pepper, a pinch of garlic powder, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. (You're welcome.) If you're not in the mood to mix anything, a store-bought sauce is fine too.

After 12 minutes in the air fryer, it was time to give these things a shot. QVC portions on the large end for chicken tenders; each one is noticeably heftier than something you'd get from a fast food restaurant (McDonald's McCrispy strips certainly don't stand out from the flock). The meat isn't juicy, but remains slightly moist despite being cut from all-white meat.

The breading, however, is where opinions might get a little spicy, because these tenders feature a very hard and thick shell. I know some people covet heavy breading, while others only want a bare whisper of a crumb on their tenders. This falls on the breading-heavy side, which could potentially be a turn-off for some tender enthusiasts. And there's nothing supremely remarkable about the seasoning; they're pretty much just your classic chicken tender, though they are pretty good on their own.

That leads us to that gravy packet. Unfortunately, it's flavorless. It looks like a substantial sauce, feels like one, and is thick and smooth like any good gravy should be. But it literally tastes like creamy starch; the black pepper flecks don't contribute anything at all. I am actually somewhat baffled as to how they got the gravy to look this good, yet taste like so little. You're better off using one of our favorite store-bought barbecue sauces or whipping something up on your own.

The more I bit into the tenders, the more they grew on me. They were moist, substantial, and three of them could easily make the base of a meal (I imagine they'd be a great DIY Snack Wrap centerpiece). I would be happy eating them on occasion, until my mind wandered back to the price. Even on sale, a three-pound bag that costs $77 is wild. That comes down to a whopping $25.66 per pound for chicken tenders (and that's even with free shipping), which is downright heart-stopping.

I'm going to compare this to the price of a popular store-bought brand, Just Bare chicken tenders, which come in 24-ounce bags. Two Just Bare bags is the equivalent to one three-pound order of Heartland Fresh tenders. And the purchase for three pounds of Just Bare tenders comes out to $26.98, which is a touch over a third of the price of the QVC tenders. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the Heartland Fresh tenders just fine, but at that price, they better come with a tin of caviar or something to make you feel better, because — ouch. There's no way I can endorse being gouged that much for a product that's pretty much ubiquitous by now.

But that's the magic of QVC, I guess. You have a whole network dedicated to doing nothing but selling stuff, 24/7, and there's a reason it's still around today. There is another place I can think of that sells chicken tenders and a whole lot of other food that's arguably easier and doesn't involve shipping. I hear it's called a supermarket. Sorry grandma, you got fleeced. And as for the rest of us, it's just a reminder to take any endorsement you hear on TikTok with a grain of salt, otherwise you might be dipping it into some flavorless gravy.