Wendy’s Is Coming for McDonald’s With Its New Menu Item—and We Tried It First

As much as I love seeing an item that has never been done before at a fast food restaurant, I have to admit that I love the drama of the competition. The chicken sandwich wars, which began with Popeyes vs. Chick-fil-A and has transformed into a fast food chain-wide feud, certainly set the precedent. However, this year, the race for the Snack Wrap was on, with multiple chains adding a crispy chicken-filled tortilla to drive-thru menus. 

While Wendy’s has had a Grilled Chicken Wrap on the menu for a while, shockingly, Dave Thomas’ chain hadn’t joined the crispy chicken wrap battle along with McDonald’s. That’s likely because Wendy’s has never had chicken tenders. Until now. 

Earlier this year, Wendy’s quietly began testing its crispy, breaded Chicken Tenders at a few restaurants. Now, the all-new tenders are officially on menus nationwide—and with three brand-new sauces.

Wendy’s Debuts New Chicken Tenders

Wendy’s has finally joined the likes of McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, and even Arby’s by adding new chicken tenders to its menu. The new crispy Chicken Tendys are made with all-white meat chicken and seasoned breading, and served alongside your choice of dipping sauce—including three new options. 

Wendy’s is releasing a Wendy’s Signature, Sweet Chili, and Scorchin’ Hot Sauce to join the new Chicken Tendys. Each sauce will be served in an all-new, larger dipping cup that provides double the amount of sauce for dunking. 

Additionally, Wendy’s fan-favorite Creamy Ranch, Honey BBQ, and Honey Mustard sauces will be available in the new dip cup. 

The new Chicken Tendys can be ordered in three- or four-piece options as part of a combo meal or à la carte, and the Wendy’s Kids Meal will also have a two-count option. Each tender order is served with two dipping sauces, with additional cups available for an additional fee. 

Along with the new, larger dipping cups, Wendy’s is introducing packaging built to hold the cups—much like Burger King’s Chicken Fries box. Each Chicken Tendys box has a slot to hold one dip cup for perfect portability. 

The new Wendy’s Tendys are available at all U.S. Wendy’s restaurants now—I tried them early, and here is my honest review.

My Honest Review of Wendy’s Chicken Tendys

Growing up, I never ate a McDonald’s Snack Wrap because I was always so enamored with the Chicken Selects. So, instead of popping that crispy tender in a tortilla, I’d simply order the Chicken Selects by themselves. 

The McCrispy Strips might not be the same as the Chicken Selects, but they did fulfill that craving for me. However, after trying Wendy’s new Chicken Tendys, I think I just found my new go-to fast food tender. 

Wendy’s Chicken Tendys are deliciously seasoned and peppery, with perfectly crispy breading and juicy chicken. They’re tasty on their own, but Wendy’s has really earned its A+ grade with the new sauces. 

The Wendy’s Signature sauce is slightly similar to the McCrispy Sauce with a peppery tang. The Schorchin’ Hot is a mix between fiery hot sauce and creamy Buffalo. And the winner for me is the Sweet Chili, which has sweet, spicy, and tangy notes.

Trust me, these Wendy’s Tendys were worth the wait.