The Difference Between Chicken Tenders And Chicken Strips Few People Know

Chicken strips, chicken tenders ... aren't they the same thing? They are not, and to understand the key differences, it helps to be familiar with aspects of a chicken's anatomy. A chicken's breast is composed of two central muscles, one large and one small; the smaller muscle is known as the "tenderloin."

Chicken tenders come from the tenderloin meat, and they live up to their name; they are naturally soft, juicy, and tender, making them easy to rip apart before dipping the chicken into sauce. As they only come from this one area of the chicken, their shape is usually uniform. On the flip side, chicken strips are typically cut from the ribs, thighs, and/or breast muscles. In other words, chicken tenders are all chicken strips, but not all chicken strips are chicken tenders. Tenders could be seen as more desirable; the softness of the tenderloin muscle allows chicken tenders to be baked, fried, or grilled without becoming tough.

While chicken tenders and chicken strips have distinct qualities, one thing joins them together (another unintended pun): meat reformation. While we discussed the difference between whole-muscle tenders and strips above, you may also find products marketed as tenders or strips that are made of reformed meat. This involves blending various chicken parts with fillers, binders, and possibly mechanically separated chicken (MSC). The parts used are typically from less desirable and/or valuable areas of the bird, which are beautified to give something more appealing and familiar to consumers.

Chicken strips are more often made from MSC because, by definition, they can be cut from different parts of the bird. Yet chicken tenders are not immune to this practice; companies may advertise premium "tenders" which, in reality, are reformed, scraped-together chicken. Consumers can easily spot reformed meat, which has a spongy texture and uniform look; the muscle fibers in whole-muscle chicken are easy to see and run in a single direction. Additionally, ingredient lists that include phrases like "mechanically separated chicken," "chicken broth powder," or additives all indicate reformed meat.

While this practice may raise an eyebrow, it does have several benefits. The added binders in reformed meat allow for consistent cooking and make the flesh more tender, like an actual chicken tender. Using what would be discarded areas of the chicken also reduces food waste — which costs $384 billion in the U.S. alone — and thus helps the planet.