Wendy’s Has Chicken Tenders & 6 New Sauces to Dip Them In—Here’s a Food Editor’s Review

The tenders are salty and very generously breaded. Their exterior is super crunchy and craggy with notes of onion, garlic and black pepper. As tasty as it is, the interior does feel a bit dry and skimped, like there’s not enough meat to support the amount of breading. However, I do like the nostalgic taste and appearance of the Wendy’s Tendys; they’re like the tenders you’d find at a baseball game or pool snack bar. They definitely look better than what you’d expect from a major fast food chain.

Wendy’s launched the Tendys alongside six new dips, ranging from rich and creamy to tantalizingly spicy. Here’s my ranking of each sauce:

• 6. Honey Mustard: I like how balanced it is between zingy and sweet, and it tastes like it has a mayo-y base. However, there’s something almost astringent in the finish that makes me like it less than the others.
• 5. Creamy Ranch: This ranch dressing is very buttermilk-forward, thick and herbaceous. Ranch lovers will adore it, but some may find the texture borderline gelatinous.
• 4. Wendy’s Signature: It’s giving tangy, ketchupy burger sauce with a mustardy, peppery edge. I’d prefer this on a burger TBH, but it makes a solid pairing for chicken nuggets or Tendys, too.
• 3. Honey BBQ: Smoky and tomatoey without being overwhelming, this is a crowd-pleasing BBQ sauce if there ever was one. It’s tame enough for picky kids to enjoy, yet nuanced enough for grown-ups to order extra.
• 2. Scorchin’ Hot: It looks like an extra-bright Buffalo sauce. I detected something cheesy about its flavor (think a spicy version of Kraft mac and cheese powder), and there are indeed cheddar, Romano and blue cheeses in it. For the name, I think it should be spicier, but it’s savory and has a silky texture.
• 1. Sweet Chili: This is exactly what you’d expect from a sweet chili sauce. I feel like the spicy chicken nuggets would pair particularly well, but the candied element of the sauce, along with the vinegary profile and approachable heat, make it an easy win, regardless of what you pair it with.