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The Best Chicken Tenders

Posted on September 30, 2022   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Terina Ria

Terina Ria

Chicken tenders from Pretty Bird alongside its hot honey sauce

Ali saw God in Pretty Bird chicken’s hot honey sauce. (Ali Vallarta/City Cast Salt Lake)

We had Salt Lake Tribune culture reporter Palak Jayswal on City Cast Salt Lake to give us a roundup of the best chicken tenders. Spoiler alert: The best chicken tender is not a tender.

Chickqueen

“It’s in the Chinatown Supermarket in South Salt Lake. Technically you can call these boneless chicken wings. They are consistently so good. They make them from scratch when you order. I usually go for the honey garlic boneless chicken wings. They’re crunchy, saucy, and the perfect bite of chicken tender.”

Mr. Charlie’s Chicken Fingers

“This one is kind of controversial. People were either very for Mr. Charlie’s or against it. I liked it because you can choose fried or grilled chicken tenders. I thought it was cool for people who might want that option. What really got me is the breading. It looks burnt when you order them. Then you take a bite into it and it doesn’t taste burnt, it’s super crispy.”

Cinemark at Jordan Landing

“These movie theater employees have got the magic. They fry those chicken tenders perfectly every time. You pull them apart and the chicken is perfectly cooked. You wouldn’t expect going to a movie theater and finding really good chicken tenders.”

My Pick: Pretty Bird

Chef Viet Pham knows good chicken. I mean, this is the man that has repeatedly beat Bobby Flay after all. These tenders are more on the pricey side but oh so worth it IMHO.

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