Frozen Bagged Chicken Ranked Worst To Best, According To Customers

Frozen bagged chicken is a fairly popular food item in the U.S. For some people, frozen chicken has been a staple in their lives since they were children, but for others, it's something that they started keeping in their freezers as adults to provide the protein for a quick, easy meal. In fact, the frozen chicken market in the United States is forecast to reach $6 billion by 2030, according to a report from KBV Research.

With frozen bagged chicken, the options are endless. It can come breaded, grilled, or seasoned and in the form of nuggets, strips, tenders, fillets, patties, or wings. However, as one might expect, a wide selection does not necessarily translate to quality. That is why we decided to rank frozen bagged chicken from worst to best based on customer opinions. To learn more about the determination process, you can check out our methodology slide at the end of the article.

Tyson Crispy Chicken Breast Strips are a frozen, bagged chicken that does not seem to impress customers at all. The strips come fully cooked in a 25-ounce bag and have 13 grams of protein per serving, and can be cooked in the air fryer, oven, or microwave. However, even this flexibility isn't enough to salvage their reputation with shoppers, who have complained about the quality of the frozen chicken, claiming to have received bags that contain woody or gamey pieces. "The last 3 years I've seen it get worse," one Reddit user said regarding the chicken's quality. "I used to count on the Tyson chicken strips but it's a gamble if I get more than 5 edible strips per bag."

Some customers have stopped buying the Tyson product altogether, with one person attributing the move to the horrible taste and another stating they felt the frozen chicken from Perdue was superior. That sentiment seems to be a common one, with one Reddit user writing, "Oh boy, if you think Tyson is a 9/10, wait until you try...any other brand!"

Shoppers have also struggled with the Foster Farms Uncooked Chicken Breast Fillets, which come boneless, skinless, and flash frozen for freshness. The fillets are made with rib meat and contain up to 15% of a water and kosher salt solution.

In the last couple of years, customers have noticed that the frozen chicken breasts have grown to an unwieldy size, noting that it makes them difficult to use in recipes. "They're breeding them for big breasts," one commenter theorized on Reddit. Another user even claimed that Foster Farms Uncooked Chicken Breast Fillets are so massive that they can't even fit them in their air fryer. However, for those who are able to wedge the chicken breasts into the air fryer, you may want to try doing so for 20 to 30 minutes at 50 degrees Fahrenheit below the instructed oven temperature.

Alongside that unnatural growth, shoppers have complained that the protein now possesses an awful woody texture. "The last 2 packages of these frozen breasts, at least 2 or 3 of the breasts in each package have been 'rubbery' (after cooking) is the best way to describe them," a Costco member wrote on Reddit regarding the 10-pound bag of Foster Farms Uncooked Chicken Breast Fillets. "Considering the mutant size of the breasts, that's at least 3 pounds out of every frozen package." They added that when they tried to cut through the cooked chicken, the "knife 'snapped' through it like a pretzel stick instead of sliding through it like it should." Yikes.

Realgood Foods Co. Lightly Breaded Chicken Strips are liked by some but leave a lot of customers disappointed. They are advertised as being gluten and grain-free as well as containing 23 grams of protein per serving. But sadly, multiple shoppers have joked that Realgood products are really bad, with the Realgood Foods Co. Lightly Seasoned Chicken Breast Nuggets performing poorly in a breakdown of the frozen chicken nuggets made with the highest and lowest quality ingredients.

Customers have complained about the taste of the chicken as well as the smell it emits while being cooked, with one person noting it made them want to throw up. "These are appallingly mediocre. There is absolutely no comparison for [Chick-fil-A]," one Reddit user stated. "They're not even Burger King. They're among the most mediocre tendies I've ever had." The chicken strips have also been described by others as being visually unappealing due to the poor battering, with one Reddit user even describing it as "sawdust chicken" and another claiming that they felt guilty feeding it to their dog.

Admittedly, some customers are shocked by the complaints, stating they purchase Realgood Foods Co. Lightly Breaded Chicken Strips on a regular basis with no problems. However, there are some who feel like the number of tenders per bag has shrunk as of late.

Frozen prepared chicken wings are known for being terrible due to their flabby, chewy, and stringy texture once cooked. It doesn't help that not picking the right pre-packaged option can be one of the mistakes that ruins your frozen chicken wing experience. Foster Farms Take Out Crispy Wings don't appear to be the right choice as they have received a fair amount of complaints, even if some shoppers do seem to enjoy them.

The wings — which come with an included classic buffalo sauce packet — are ready in the air fryer in just 16 minutes. Some customers like how the wings turn out in the air fryer or oven and describe them as delicious, even restaurant-quality, and worth the money. However, the wings have received a lot of criticism for their quality. Inconsistency is a big issue. A Costco member was given false hope when they got a good batch of wings after previously pausing purchases due to their chewiness and weird flavor. However, right after the good batch, they went to repurchase the wings and encountered the same problems as before. "Mine were really fatty and slimy even after cooking [them] in the air fryer," one commenter shared on Reddit.

Reviewers are also dissatisfied with how easily the bones of the wings break apart, their abundance of salt, and the fact that they have to be cooked for a long time in order not to be terrible. Additionally, customers felt that the wings they received were simply not worth the price and said it would be better to just prepare and cook raw wings for yourself.

Sticking with frozen, bagged chicken that has a little bit of spice, the Skinny Butcher Spicy Crazy Crispy Chicken Breast Patties have received mixed reviews from shoppers. A customer who tried the spicy chicken patties gave them a six out of 10 rating when used in a sandwich, but a two out of 10 rating when eaten solo. They noted that the chicken item wasn't worth the price and were disappointed to learn the patties were made from ground chicken rather than whole pieces. "I have a bag in my freezer. I made 2 and did not like it so now I'm trying to build up the courage to finish the rest lol," one commenter said. "The texture is whatever, but I REALLY did not like the taste."

There are reviewers who think Skinny Butcher Spicy Crazy Crispy Chicken Breast Patties are better than competitor patties, describing them as crispy and claiming to enjoy their spice level. However, others often complain about the patties being overly processed and granular, not crispy, too spicy, and covered in unpleasant breading.

Convenience-wise, the patties are easy to prepare. They are fully cooked and can be heated in the air fryer for 16 to 18 minutes at 375 degrees, in the oven for around 30 minutes at 400 degrees, or in the microwave for around three minutes before flipping and cooking it for another 30 seconds. However, customers have noted that the nutritional profile of the Skinny Butcher Spicy Crazy Crispy Chicken Breast Patties isn't exactly strong, despite the brand's name.

Perdue is one of the famous brands behind Walmart's Great Value products, which many customers discovered in 2010 when Perdue Farms issued a recall that didn't include any Perdue-branded products, only Great Value ones. In 2024, Perdue issued another frozen chicken recall when over 167,000 pounds of nuggets and tenders were deemed to potentially contain metal.

The panko breaded chicken breast nuggets from Perdue popped up in our research and received just as many complaints from shoppers as they did compliments, if not more. Some shoppers loved the chicken nuggets, claiming that they're a go-to staple. "For price and 'air fry-ability' I've found no better chicken nuggets," one Reddit user wrote. "Kid loves them and every now and then we'll fry them and put them in a salad." According to the packaging, the nuggets should be cooked in the air fryer for six minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

The frozen chicken item has also been described as crispy and juicy. However, there are reviewers who take issue with the texture and taste of the nuggets, stating that they are rubbery and somewhat sweet. Some shoppers have also had issues with the nuggets seemingly inflating when being cooked, then flattening when cooled, which has a negative impact on the texture.

The Rim Rock Farms Uncooked Chicken Tenders are a frozen, bagged chicken item that some shoppers enjoyed but many found fairly middling. The tenders are chicken breast strips made with rib meat and contain 17 grams of protein per 100-gram serving.

Customer opinions on the frozen bagged chicken range from high praise to lukewarm approval. It's been noted that the chicken tenders need to be cooked longer than instructed in order to be crispy, with one person stating they air fry them for an extra three minutes. Some extend the cooking time even further. "The package says 25 minutes in the oven, I do 40 lol for the ultimate crisp," one Reddit user shared.

However, there are some reviewers who say that while they enjoy the chicken tenders from Rim Rock Farms, they prefer other brands. Others are even more critical and say they are nothing special. "We didn't like them and the remaining became puppy food," one Reddit user said. There are a few ways that customers recommend upgrading the protein, such as by adding salt and pepper, pairing them with Chick-fil-A sauce, and using the tenders in salads, breakfast sandwiches, or homemade KFC bowls.

The Kirkland Signature Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts come boneless and skinless in a 10-pound bag. The bag of the frozen chicken states that the breasts contain up to 15% of water and a kosher salt solution and are ice-glazed, a process that is intended to prevent freezer burn as well as changes in taste or texture. Customer responses to the wholesale club's frozen chicken breasts are fairly positive, but there are some critiques.

Kirkland Signature Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts are a frequent purchase for some shoppers, who attribute that to the protein's consistency, size, convenience, juiciness, and taste. "I like the thin sliced ones because they're easier to thaw and cook with," one reviewer shared on Reddit regarding why they like the frozen chicken. "I previously bought fresh chicken that came in a bunch of 2 per package and cut them apart, put the ones I wasn't going to use right away in the freezer. It worked well but more work and not as convenient as the thinly sliced ones."

Other customers have added that the protein thaws and cooks better than expected, noting it can be easily elevated with seasonings and is great for crockpot recipes. There are some who complain that the solution the chicken contains makes the texture of the meat chewy and overpowers its flavor. There are also critiques about the protein being easy to overcook and having a rubbery or woody texture. However, as one commenter noted, the texture issues may be limited to when you accidentally overcook the chicken.

Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks are a frozen, bagged chicken product that generally receives positive reviews, though the occasional complaint does pop up. The Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks are sold in a 4-pound bag at Costco, which seems to be where a lot of shoppers pick them up. In fact, a lot of Costco members refer to the chicken breast chunks as a favorite and a constant buy. "Just [Bare] actually tastes like non processed chicken," one commenter said on Reddit. "Truly lightly breaded and is fantastic!"

In addition, there are other customers who describe the protein as juicy, tender, and comparable to Chick-fil-A, especially when paired with Chick-fil-A sauce. Some also claim to have never received woody chicken from Just Bare. As an added bonus, the chicken breast chunks have 16 grams of protein in each serving and come fully cooked.

Admittedly, there are some complaints out there about how expensive the chicken is and the fact that it can be greasy and sometimes fail to crisp up while cooking. However, the general consensus is far more positive than that of many competitors. "The coating tastes too sweet for me, but I still prefer them over nuggets that are 90% batter," one Reddit user said.

During our deep dive into the frozen bagged chicken world, it didn't take long to notice that Bell & Evans Breaded Chicken Breast Tenders are overwhelmingly enjoyed and recommended by customers. Shoppers have dubbed Bell & Evans' product as the best frozen breaded chicken money can buy. "Genuinely tasty with golden breading that delivers satisfying crunch and holds up well," another reviewer said on Reddit while describing the tenders. "Clean ingredients show in the quality. Not overly thick or greasy. Seasoning is mild but pleasant."

The tenders are made with 100% whole breast meat, marinated in water and sea salt, and breaded in wheat flour, water, cane sugar, dried yeast, sea salt, black pepper, and paprika. That's it. Like many of the products on this list, the uncooked tenders can be prepared in the oven or air fryer. However, uniquely, there is also an option to pan-fry them in a skillet.

Others have specifically stated that the refreshingly simple chicken from Bell & Evans is better than Just Bare and blows every other brand out of the water. Customers also enjoy the fact that the tenders aren't made with added fillers or rib meat. Reviewers note that the tenders are slightly more expensive than some competitor products, but also claim that they are absolutely worth the price and that once you buy them, you'll never look back.

In order to rank frozen bagged chicken from worst to best, we looked through online reviews and conversations on Reddit where customers shared their opinions about different brands' versions of the frozen protein. We documented which products reviewers were not impressed with, gave conflicting reports on, and thoroughly enjoyed.

From there, we delved into what shoppers had to say about the frozen bagged chicken's flavor, quality, price, texture, and more in order to gain a more well-rounded picture of the product. We then used all that information to determine where the different types of frozen bagged chicken belonged on the list. In addition, we took note of any ways that shoppers recommended upgrading or cooking the protein.