I Tried Wendy’s Newest Menu Item — And It’s My Favorite Thing They’ve Ever Made

There’s a new chicken tendy in town. On Tuesday, September 30, Wendy’s announced a new chicken tender menu item for the fast-food chain, cleverly dubbed “Wendy’s Tendys.” 

As someone who prefers a chicken tender over a nugget (yes, there’s a difference), I was so excited to see Wendy’s create their own tender contender. I definitely prefer Wendy’s nuggets to the ones from other fast-food spots, so I couldn’t wait to see what their chicken tender brought to the table.

They also released six dipping sauces — because what’s a chicken tender without a condiment? I am usually just a ketchup or ranch gal, so I am jazzed about these exciting sauce variations. Check out my thoughts on the dipping sauces, and the new tendys. 

Wendy’s new chicken tenders are available in a three-piece order, a four-piece order, or two tenders in a kids’ meal. Each order comes with a choice of two sauces, but the kids’ meals come with one sauce. If you’re like me and want to taste all of the sauces, you can purchase additional dip cups.

The chicken tenders are about double the length of a classic Wendy’s chicken nugget. The new nationwide menu item also has a crispier, thicker seasoned breading. If you want to make them part of your regular order, you’re in luck, because the new white-meat chicken tenders are now a core menu item, according to the press release. I paid $7.49 for three tenders and two additional dipping sauces.

I had high hopes going into this taste test, and Wendy’s did not disappoint. When I ordered my tendys, the cashier told me they would be coming out hot and fresh in a few minutes, so I knew they would be extra delicious. Upon opening the bag, I was hit with a bold and delicious seasoning smell that reminded me of onion and garlic powder. 

The chicken tenders were much crispier than any other fast-food chicken nugget or tender I’ve ever tasted. I tasted the chicken tender without any of the sauces first, and was surprised by how much flavor was in just the tender itself. There was a serious crunch, but the ratio of breading to meat wasn’t overpowering. The chicken was much juicier than I anticipated it to be.

I’m super picky about fast-food chicken, but I absolutely loved these Wendy’s Tendys — it’s my favorite menu item I’ve tried from the chain, and I will definitely be getting them again.  

Wendy’s also launched new and revamped dipping sauces, in containers nearly double the size, because a chicken tender needs a compatible vessel for dunking. The new chicken tenders come with a choice of two sauces (or you can get all of them for an extra 50 cents each). Sauce options include Wendy’s Signature, Sweet Chili, Scorchin’ Hot, Creamy Ranch, Honey BBQ, and Honey Mustard.

I got Honey BBQ and Sweet Chilli as my two sauces. If you order online or in the Wendy’s app, it appears that your two sauces need to be the same flavor. 

I love how unique all of the sauce offerings are. There’s truly something for everyone, and some of them suit the chicken better, while others would be great with a french fry. I was bummed that my Wendy’s location only had four of the six sauces, but I’ll be back again to see what the Scorchin’ Hot and Creamy Ranch are all about. Here’s my official Wendy’s sauce ranking, from my favorite to my least favorite.

This sauce was the star of the show for me, because I think it pairs equally well with chicken tenders and fries. I’m a sucker for a good barbecue sauce, and this one certainly fits the bill. It’s a little smoky and a little sweet, and doesn’t have a kick, which makes it super versatile and yummy.

This Signature sauce is stellar. Like the Honey BBQ, I think this sauce is also delicious for french fries, but it complemented the tendys super well. This one has a bit more of a kick, and a hint of tomato and mustard flavors. It’s a bit of an orange/pink sauce, and looks very similar to Russian dressing. 

I love a good mustard offering, but don’t know if I would choose this sauce again. It’s definitely better suited to a chicken tender than a fry, and had a much thinner consistency than the other sauces. This sauce was much sweeter than the other options, and wasn’t my favorite. 

I’m not a huge fan of spice when it comes to fast food, so if you’re like me and like to keep it mild, I would recommend skipping the sweet chilli sauce. It had a super-thin and sticky consistency, and tasted a bit like ginger and hot sauce. I don’t love either of those flavors, but if you do then you’ll love this sauce.