While buying pre-cut chicken tenders might be a more convenient option, this should actually be on your list of fresh meats to avoid. As we recently discovered on a trip to the grocery store, buying pre-cut meat usually comes with higher costs due to the additional labor. If you’re hankering for homemade chicken tenders, we suggest shelling out on whole chicken breasts since it’s so easy to cut tenders at home.
Buying chicken breasts instead of pre-cut chicken lets you customize the size of your tenders to your liking. This is important because a package of fresh tenders was probably cut up alongside 20 others. The chef might have sliced them fast to keep up with a high quota, which could mean uneven cuts of meat and a batch of tenders that cook unevenly. Instead, some tenders taste too dry while others might be undercooked — so much for that crispy, fried dream. Uneven sizes aside, many pre-cut tenders come with additional trimmings still attached. You have to break out your knife to get rid of the excess anyway, so why not buy a more versatile meat for further customization?
Slicing chicken breast into perfect tenders is easy
Chicken tenders are two strips of meat taken from just below the chicken breast; using chicken breast instead leaves you with the same tender, white meat. To make it happen, simply place your chicken breast on a cutting board and slice it into strips using a fluid motion, cutting against the grain to preserve the tenderness of the meat. Even though this technique is simple, if you change your mind on making chicken tenders, you can save those ever-versatile chicken breasts for a slew of other recipes. Either way, you win.
While opting for a more versatile cut of meat is a smart choice, some people still might prefer to shell out on tenders instead. If you’re drowning in party prep, spending a few extra dollars might be worth the trade-off of saved time. Either way, we recommend shopping at one of the 12 grocery chains with the highest-quality meat departments for the best of flavors.
