Credit: Mara Weinraub
I’ve tried a lot of new (and new-to-me) groceries since I joined The Kitchn. Shocking, I know. At one point, it was my job to try as many new product launches as I could get my hands on each month and then write about my favorites.
There’ve been several standouts over the years, like the Trader Joe’s double chocolate croissants I waited months for and the fancy French butter I heard about from Ina (you know, Garten). None have consistently shown up in my cart and my freezer as often as these spicy chicken tenders.
Credit: Mara Weinraub
What’s So Great About Applegate Naturals Spicy Chicken Breast Tenders?
These spicy tenders first popped on my radar — and shelves — in November 2021. Five years later, and I’m still hot for my breaded BFFs. The boneless skinless breasts are coated in a generous layer of breading made from both wheat and rice flours (plus corn- and potato starch for extra crisp), and seasoned with a mix of spices like garlic and onion powders, sea salt, and black and jalapeño peppers, among others.
They take about 18 minutes to reheat in a 425°F oven, which is how I usually prepare them. The meat is incredibly juicy and tender — not just for frozen chicken, but in life. I like to think of the breading as a cozy blanket; there’s enough of it to thoroughly coat the entire tender and really give your taste buds (and texture buds?!) a treat. It’s peppery, warm, and inviting.
I also appreciate that the bag is the exact same size as it was five years ago, and has gone up only $1 in price since then. No shrinkflation here, thank you very much. Plus, those green and orange bags are pretty easy to spot at any one of the several national and regional grocery stores where they’re sold or online at retailers like Amazon and Instacart.
Credit: Mara Weinraub
What’s the Best Way to Enjoy Applegate Naturals Spicy Chicken Breast Tenders?
Three words: fried chicken sandwich. These tenders are so good, I think they make for an even better version for a Chick-fil-A sando. So much so, I recently ordered the popular chain’s spicy chicken sandwich (with extra Chick-fil-A sauce) to compare the two.
Credit: Mara Weinraub
Turns out, I was right … mainly because I find the chicken in the OG sandwich a little too salty. It overpowers the rest of the sandwich, though I am here for the sheer amount of butter spread on the buns and will be adopting a more-is-more mantra for that in the future.
Credit: Mara Weinraub
The spicy tenders are also an easy way to add excitement (and protein) to an ’ol salad, including the kits that come bagged. I ate one of these for lunch the day after my sandwich showdown, actually, and a few later that night off a plate with the remaining Chick-fil-A sauce. There are still a few more tenders to go, but I’m saving those for the weekend.
Buy: Applegate Naturals Spicy Chicken Breast Tenders, $13.99 for 16 ounce at Amazon
What’s your favorite frozen chicken to buy at the grocery store? Tell us in the comments below.
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