What makes chicken tenders so unique?

Let us imagine a hunter-gatherer savoring every bite of the succulent morsel he scavenged. The burst of flavors and the silken texture of the chicken tenders appeased his hunger. His eyes widen as he realizes a new way to leave their nomadic lifestyle. And the answer was the domestication of chicken. They can make the first human settlement and feast on the pleasure of these delicacies for all eternity.

But the story never ends like that. His kin decided to establish the first settlement to grow crops rather than raise hens. Well, animal husbandry was part of agriculture. But that was never the sole reason.

What if the story was true? Then it can create the possibility of chicken tenders becoming famous much earlier in history. We had to wait until the mid-80s for it to become famous.

Let’s find out what makes it famous.

Who found it out first?

There are many claims. We have picked up two stories for you.

The greeks of New Hampshire

In 1917, two Greek immigrants started a confectionary named Puritan in New Hampshire. By 1974, the business had expanded, and so had the menu. A small extension was added at the back of the confectionary, which is still famous as the Puritan Backroom. With the start of a new restaurant, chicken tenders took first place on the menu.

They claim to be the first to put chicken tenders on the menu.

Three friends and a chicken sandwich

Two brothers, a friend, and a dream to start a pizza eatery led to making food history. They set up a restaurant on River Street in Savannah with a simple menu to serve pizza and a half-pound burger in 1976. Among the two brothers, one was a die-hard chicken lover. He wanted at least one dish to be chicken.

He started making a chicken sandwich to get the best dish for the menu. But the chicken breast he bought was bigger than the slices of bread. He trimmed the edges to make a perfect fit. But he never wanted to throw away the trimmings. So he prepared a spiced batter, dipped the trimmings, and fried them. The beautiful, golden brown snacks came out of the fryer. These were the chicken fingers at Spanky’s River Street Savannah.

The two stories occurred on two different dates and places. But which story is true? Well, both are true. The Puritan Backroom was the first to put the dish on the menu. Though others were making similar dishes, the name “chicken tenders” was a Puritan innovation.

Having said that, Spanky’s Chicken Finger remains the original chicken finger. The website’s About page still reads “Original Chicken Finger.”

Chicken tenders have many names, like chicken fingers, chicken nuggets, and chicken strips. So, a difference in name can give way to many origin stories.

What are tenders mean?

The image above illustrates the tenderloins from raw chicken breasts. Yes, you got it right. The term “chicken tenders” stems from being named after the part of the chicken they come from. This part is the “tenderloin,” a long, thin muscle on the underside of the poultry breast. As these chicken pieces are remarkably tender, they were named “tenders.”

These tenderloins are the pectoralis minor attached superficially to the major pectoralis. Confused? Let us make it simple. The breast of the chicken has two pectoral muscles, major and minor. The major is the breast part that we usually consume. There is an underlying muscle breast along the bone. It is the minor pectoral and is superficially adhered to the breast. It is also known as the hanging muscle.

The pectoral muscles help in flying. It is the connection between the rib and the upper portion of the wing. The pectoral muscle supports the up-down strokes of the wings during a flight. The major pectoralis causes the power stroke to lift the attachment.

Are chicken nuggets and chicken tenders similar?

Chicken nuggets are ground meat dipped in batter, whereas chicken tenders are whole tenderloins or breasts cut into strips and coated. So, both are deep-fried but very different in bite and taste. Yet, the terms are in use synonymously. But chicken tenders can be called chicken fingers.

The chicken nuggets came way before the chicken tenders or fingers. It results from an experiment to find a solution for the chicken industry. It’s challenging to maintain the integrity of the coated fried chicken, especially when frozen. First of all, the base of the ground meat could not hold properly without a binder-like skin. Second, the coating may separate if it doesn’t bind to the core. Freezing can make such products worse.

In the 1960s, Robert C. Baker invented the chicken nugget in search of answers. He found an alternative to chicken skin and a batter that would stick to the base under any condition. This was academic work that was never patented.

Therefore, the chicken nugget was part of a new product. It was one formed piece of ground chicken with a breading that could either be fried or cooked in the oven. This meant that it could be frozen, transported, and cooked quickly. The shape provided more surface area for the coating and the juicy interior. Several companies produced chicken nuggets as one of their products. Its popularity increased, making it a regular staple in fast-food chains.

Why do the tenderloins make chicken fingers stand out compared to chicken nuggets?

Chicken fingers gained popularity over chicken nuggets during the mid-80s. The fingers had a lot to offer. It was high in tenderness because of the breast meat. It provided a bite due to the use of whole meat. Both characteristics were lacking in a chicken nugget. The texture and the flavor can never be comparable.

The chicken tenders, or fingers made of tenderloins, are unique to the ones with chicken breast strips. The tenderloins contain more muscle fibers compared to the breast. It can hold more water and provide juiciness. The oblong shape gives the chicken finger a beautiful look.

Each chicken can give you only two tenderloins. This makes it expensive and sometimes hard to get. So, the chicken breast strips always come in handy.

But chicken nuggets still hold the market. Both co-exist.

It doesn’t matter who makes the chicken tenders or fingers first. But whoever it was, may God bless his hands. It made life more enjoyable and manageable. It is comforting for people like us who struggle to find free time. A bite of it can make anyone forget their worries. It simplifies the lives of mothers who struggle to get their children to eat daily. It’s bliss as long as you keep track of your calories and workouts.