Trader Joe's Breaded Chicken Tenderloin Breasts

Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken Tenderloin Breasts Reviews

(79 customer reviews)

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79 reviews for Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken Tenderloin Breasts Reviews

  1. Wes –

    These chicken tenders are so good! Way better than I would expect any type of frozen chicken tenders or nuggets to be. The meat was very tender and juicy – not at all tough or jerky or gristley like a lot of frozen chicken.

    The breading was flaky and soft as well.

    The chicken tenders really did taste like they could have come from a restaurant – great with TJ’s ketchup and buttermilk ranch!

  2. Rachel –

    I really enjoyed these chicken tenderloins, especially the inside. The meat tasted really good quality.

    I also liked the breading, though I would have liked it even better if it were a little more thick (like crunchy KFC-style breading).

  3. A Smith –

    Its delicious, but I wish you made them with out Soybean oil. As studies have show Soybean oil good for you and there are many Soy allergies., yet its in everything. So I have stopped eating this product.

    Tyson brand chicken strips does not contain this product. sad that trader Joes does.

    ), breading set in soybean oil.

  4. Dolly –

    Been buying for years…..much better than that Tyson or Purdue crap…..my only complaint is that 1 out of every 3 or 4 pieces comes with tough, rubbery skin in there, it’s so gross….’c’mon Trader Joe’s, why can’t you clean up the chicken better?

  5. Lori –

    I used to love these and eat them several times a week (so good). But the last three bags I’ve purchased have a strange flavor (burnt or Smokey) i’m Hopeful this is a bad batch and not intensional, because the new flavor makes them un-eatable for me.

  6. Keith Klein –

    I love these and just found out they don’t have them anymore due to a pricing issue! All the stores in my area are out of them and have no idea when they will get them back in!! Totally disappointed.

  7. Heather –

    I love them! I’m not a big fan of chicken but I need the protein from chicken. The breading is light so I don’t feel like I’m cheating too bad on my paleo diet.

  8. Vince –

    Five stars for the old version. They have a new recipe that is drenched with salt. it also comes with more calories and fat.

  9. Catherine –

    I completely agree with Vince’s Feb ccx 21st rating! 5 stars for the old version. The new version tastes horrible. I couldn’t swallow my first bite. Please bring back the old recipe!

  10. Bill –

    I agree with Vince and Catherine. 5 stars for the old version. I usually buy 4-5 bags per shopping trip. The new version is so bad, I won’t eat them. I will either take them back or throw them away!

  11. Bill –

    I agree with Vince and Catherine. The old version was great! I usually buy 4-5 bags per shopping trip. The new version is so bad, I won’t eat them. I will either take them back or throw them away!

  12. Bill –

    The new recipe is really bad!

  13. Bill –

    New recipe is really bad!

  14. Leigh –

    PLEASE bring back the old recipe! If it’s a price issue, we’d rather pay more than have this trash new recipe. The old recipe was 5 stars.

  15. Ike –

    I used to love this chicken. The last bag I bought has a terrible taste. If they did change the recipe, change it back. The new version is inedible!

  16. J. E. –

    These are so inferior to the old recipe you can’t even bring yourself to eat them. They are that bad.

  17. Brenda Hutcheson –

    Bring back old version. I buy 6 to 8 bags at a time & eat everyday but that will stop bc I had new version last night & it’s gross

  18. MPP –

    The new ones are gross – taste like they have gone bad. TJs – this is a terrible mistake. Are you going to go back to the original?

  19. Anonymous –

    The new ones are horrible! We loved the old ones! Please TJ bring the old ones back!

  20. Bill –

    They were no longer in stock this week. I asked the manager and he confirmed they had a quality issue and were working on fixing it. That gives me hope so I will give 2 stars and cross my fingers.

  21. Bill –

    Trader Joe’s are now stocking Pilgrim’s Crispy Chicken Breast Strips – Fritter Style. They are pretty good – better than Tyson’s and other brands. Hopefully, they are a temporary replacement for the original Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken Tenderloin Breasts which I hope they bring back. If they don’t bring them back, I will continue buying the Pilgrim’s product but I will be on the lookout for other brands elsewhere. John Soule’s brand, available at most grocery stores, has an assortment of pre-cooked frozen chicken in various formats that are pretty good.
    Come on, Trader Joe’s, bring back the good stuff. You know, the ***** rated Breaded Chicken Tenderloin Breasts.

  22. Qikiq –

    The Pilgrim’s Brand are AWFUL! So much fattier and greasier. Why did they change them? The originals were a staple for me and I’m lost without them.

  23. Chloe –

    I’ve only found Pilgrim in 1 local store – disappointing because these were a staple – snack tenders, sandwiches, chicken parm, etc.

    I think they were 8.99? I think many of us would pay up to 12.99 at about $1 a piece.

  24. Anonymous –

    Bring back the good Trader’s Breaded Chicken Breast Tenderloins. For years and years, we used to have these for dinner one or two times a week. Several years ago we noticed a drop in quantity and the quality of the shapes of the pieces, but we got used to it. We are very upset they are now discontinued! Much less motivation to go to Trader Joe’s now.

  25. Anonymous –

    Please bring them back the pilgrims ones are awful

  26. Anonymous –

    The new vt

  27. Carole Liberman –

    The new version of this chicken has way more fat and way more sodium. I loved the old version. I did not like the new version at all.

  28. Deb k –

    Very disappointed w new chicken tender. They taste like chemicals

  29. Brenda –

    I agree with other reviewers – tried them for the first time a few days ago and they have a fishy taste that was incredibly offputting and makes me wonder if cross-contamination was involved or the meat was just of terrible quality. Either way I won’t be buying these again. Its sad because I generally love all of Trader joes frozen products.

  30. Anonymous –

    The new chicken tenderloins are very disappointing compared to the original product. The meat is of poor quality and mushy. It’s well below the standards that Trader Joe’s has established for it’s products. I regret that I did not hold onto the receipt, because I would request a refund.

  31. Anonymous –

    The old ones were 5 stars. The new ones are so bad that I spit out the only bite I had. They taste like Band-Aids.

  32. Michael Brandt –

    I’m sorry but Trader Joe’s made needless changes to a good product. The wait wasn’t worth it. The previous Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken was fine yet the new version needlessly added nearly double the sodium per serving and five times more saturated fat. Yet these unhealthy additions to did absolutely nothing to add to the taste. That’s right the changes added nothing to the taste. They added nothing.

    Unfortunately Trader Joe’s seems to believe in the ridiculous myth that adding sodium and saturated fat to a product always enhances the taste but that myth is wrong, wrong, wrong. There is a minimal amount of sodium and saturated fat that enhances the taste to a product but adding more does nothing to add to the taste. Yes, adding more does nothing.

    Trader Joe’s should admit its error, go back to the precise recipe of the previous Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken with the reduced sodium and reduced saturated fat. If not Trader Joe’s should at least revive the previous product as Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken-Light.

    Previously I would eat 2 servings of the Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken at a meal. Now because of the unjustified and unhealthy additions of sodium and saturated fat I’ll only eat 1 serving Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken at a meal. What does that mean? It means that since I’ll be eating less Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken than I did before and therefore buying 50% less Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken than before. That’s what happens when unneeded additions of sodium and saturated fat are added to a product. I have to eat 50% less of it to maintain my health. Does forcing a longtime consumer of Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken to buy less of it really a great business decision?

    I still gave the new Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken to 2 stars because the changes at least maintained the taste. But I am very, very disappointed and upset by the needless, unjustified additions of sodium and saturated fat and that’s why I give this product only 2 stars out of 5. That’s as generous as I can be towards this very, very disappointing product.

  33. Anonymous –

    They strongly smell (and vaguely taste) like chemicals rotten food or chemicals when heated.

  34. Anonymous –

    New recipe….truly awful

  35. Joann –

    I am so disappointed with the new tenderloins. As others have mentioned, the old version was a 5 out of 5 rating…perfect! The new coating on the chicken is thick and has no flavor. It also has a strange smell when cooked.. I can’t help but think the change was meant to save cost for Trader Joe’s but I think with all the negative opinions from customers hopefully they will realize this was a mistake. If Trader Joe’s returns to the original version I will be back but until then it’s a no for me.

  36. FM –

    They taste like toilet

  37. Anonymous –

    Just tasted these, and was wondering if there was something off with my prep or this batch. But same as the other reviews, it actually has a taste of toilet or sewage. Disgusting.

  38. Debbie Wake –

    Was a huge fan of the old tenderloins. Just purchased the “new” ones and they are AWFUL! Have thrown them in the trash. PLEASE go back to the old recipe….PLEASE!

  39. Lexi –

    PLASTIC! These new ones taste like plastic & chemicals. My family and I would devour the old recipe all of the time & now we have two new bags in the freezer just sitting there because they’re awful. I’d return if I remembered to save the receipt. Please bring back the old ones! No tenders from other markets ever came close to their quantity & quality! That is long gone now. Just gross.

  40. Ania –

    They have destroyed this tasty chicken by replacing it with a very tasteless version. So sad. So flavorless.

  41. Anonymous –

    used to love this brand of chicken tenderloin. Ever since they switched to this new kind, its inedible. Each piece is tougher than chewing on a tractor tire. Will never buy again.

  42. Anonymous –

    My family always loved the Trader Joe’s breaded chicken tenderloins. I recently bought three bags and just opened the first bag. We knew something was terribly off as soon as we took our first bite. The packaging was slightly different from the old version but I assumed it was the same product as before. I opened another bag thinking something was wrong with the first bag and cooked the chicken. The second bag tasted just as bad as the first. They have definitely changed this chicken and not for the better. It was completely inedible. We threw the chicken away and will not ever buy this product again unless they bring back the previous chicken recipe that was so delicious. I am so disappointed.

  43. Susan Walker –

    TRADER JOE! What happened to our old chicken (pictured)? The new version of your breaded chicken breast tenderloins is terrible. Way too salty and they left a pool of grease on my plate. Please bring back the old recipe. We can’t (nor should we) eat this sorry replacement.

  44. Sarah Holland –

    PLEASE bring back the old version!! The new ones smell like old, musty basement. Completely inedible. I’ve bought two bags now hoping that I just got a bad bag and NOPE, they’re awful through and through.

  45. pat pinkin –

    This is the first review I have ever written. I can’t believe quality control at TJ’s would even allow this inferior product on their? shelves. Returning the bag of chewing, gross, fat laden chicken. What were you thinking

  46. Michael Levin –

    I loved the old TJ’s Breaded Chicken and enjoyed it for years. The latest version is HORRIBLE–it’s like a mouthful of salt, some of it’s very tough to chew, and it has a strange disagreeable taste–you couldn’t make it worse if you tried. I miss the old Breaded Chicken (the Pilgrims temp replacement was good too), and will NEVER BUY THIS AGAIN! PLEASE TJ, BRING BACK THE QUALITY!

  47. Matt Herold –

    These reviews are interesting. I too was a HUGE fan of the original version for years and also ate it 2-3 nights a week (tip: douse with Frank’s Buffalo sauce).
    I did also suffer through the supply chain / quality issues and agree with what everyone has written about how awful the replacements were. First Pilgrim’s Pride which tasted ok but much more sodium (and I don’t even look at the labels, I could taste it) and then another weird brand or TJ branded version that didn’t taste good.
    They seem to have gotten the message and are now stocking bags that look very similar to the original ones and I think they are pretty much back to what they used to be, thankfully. The chicken is high quality. As one reviewer noted at times you do get some gristle or skin which is kind of gross but given the overall quality of these strips it’s not a big deal.
    I air fry them until they are crunchy (425 for about 20 minutes) which takes care of the rubbery parts. If they are undercooked the rubbery parts are very unpleasant.

  48. D Gizzle –

    Tastes like plastic. Disgusting. Very surprised Trader Joe’s is selling such a poor quality product.

  49. Tania J –

    Like so many others I too liked the old version….the new one….WAY to much fat and sodium and breading….GROSS!!!

  50. ashley –

    inedible! too salty . Please bring the old recipe back!!!

  51. Roberta –

    This chicken has been a staple in my freezer for year. I was completely disappointed in the new chicken. I threw 2 bags out! The color, texture and taste is, for lack of a better word, gross! The reason for shopping at Trader Joe’s is to pick up this chicken, ending in a full carriage-no more!

  52. D Thrall –

    Was really hoping for some yummy chickie tendies until I made some this afternoon. I thought something was off with the taste & thought it might’ve been my oven but the mystery has been debunked after reading other reviews…very off putting, like a strange port-o-potty chemical flavor. Still love you though TJ <3 just change the recipe please!

  53. Bruce –

    New chicken recipe is terrible. We wil not purchase again Pleas bring back the old recipe. Thanks

  54. Jim –

    The one star reviews should be no star reviews everything said is true. My kids love chicken strips but not these! as surprised as I was I decided to try them to see what the fuss was about and they seriously taste like a bandage smells. These cant be for human consumption and should be lab tested for carcinogenic chemicals

  55. Katie –

    The latest version of these is disgusting please bring back the version pictured on the bag

  56. Abby –

    Absolutely disgusting. First bite tasted like a wet towel

  57. Abbie –

    No amount of sauce will be able to salvage these chicken tenders lol I’ve had them last night with the sriracha bbq sauce and the taste still came out weird.

  58. Travis –

    Nearly inedible. I’m forcing myself to finish the bag I bought cause I don’t want to waste food, but they are possibly the worst chicken tenders I’ve ever had. Salty, dry, the coating is hard. Will never buy again: buyer beware.

  59. SF –

    If I could give negative stars that’s what this new recipe deserves. The new breaded chicken is terrible. Please bring back the old recipe. I’ve been a loyal customer of Trader Joe’s. I’m shocked that they would change a perfectly good product in favor of an inferior one.

  60. Bad Chicken –

    The new chicken tenderloins are just AWFUL. For over a year now there has been so many negative reviews on this board about this chicken. But it seems as though Trader Joe’s management does not read this board, because they’re still selling this inferior product.

  61. Billy –

    I swear i thought i was eating soap. I asked my wife if she had recently cleaned the oven explaining the taste. Absolutely nasty.

  62. Tom –

    It used to be pretty good. I just purchased a bag recently after quite some time of not having it. I guess it was because I kept forgetting that it existed. This time I was very disappointed. It seemed like there’s much more breading than before and the quality is almost similar to McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets. Seemed like there were some gristle and something fatty looking.

    The meat of it is not that bad, but I definitely would not buy this again. I felt like it was a good value for the price with how much I was getting. I have some left now so I’ll use it up. Right now I’m on a strict budget so I can’t afford to buy something else in its place. I’ve noticed that the reviewers, since 2021, have almost all given it one or two stars. Not surprising! Before that it had a lot of great reviews.

  63. Emily –

    My family thought these were breaded with sawdust. The chicken itself seems moist and flavorful but the breading tastes rotten.

  64. Gail –

    The new version is terrible. I used to enjoy these, and they made for a quick and easy dinner with vegetables or potatoes. These taste awful. I bought a bag a couple months ago and thought maybe I just got a bad batch. I just bought this package, and they’re the same awful thing. I rarely throw away food, but these are going into the garbage.

  65. Mallory –

    New frozen breaded chicken tenderloins are awful.
    Please bring back the old version.

  66. Mandy –

    These were inedible!! They tasted rotten like they had gone bad and the odor was kind of fishy? Worst thing I’ve ever had from TJ’s. I thought I just got a bad batch but according to other reviews I didn’t

  67. Anonymous –

    soooooo disgusting

  68. KVH –

    New version is awful. Please, please bring back the original. Even if you have to charge more per bag. Please.

  69. Nick –

    Everybody is right, these are actually horrible. Don’t know what it is but they’re like a weird kind of chewy and just don’t feel like chicken. Do not buy

  70. Dave –

    The new ones are totally disgusting. I used to eat the old ones, which were delicious, several times a week. I haven’t been able to find any replacement. I hope TJ can work with their supplier to improve the recipe or find a new one that makes a better product.

  71. Dude –

    Absolutely not good! I felt like I was eating a brick of salt. The crunchy texture is great it’s just so salty!

  72. Jason –

    I’m not sure what the other people are eating or if my area (Oregon) Joe’s has a different supplier or what but the last few bags I’ve had were back to the old style that were so good. These actually taste like fried chicken, like the kind “mom” makes. Not like the gross Tyson, Foster Farms, Cisco etc. stuff that all tastes the same with the same lame coating. I know there was a couple years where there were supplier issues and the quality went downhill, salty etc then TJ replaced them with a non-TJ brand that was ok but not as good. The last few I bought as recently as 1/2/23 are back to the original quality, or at least very close. The packaging is light colored and greenish like shown in this review. Hope this helps.

  73. DC Area –

    Tried again for first time since the first (terrible) reappearance. They have improved a bit–I think they taste nearly the same as the Pilgrim’s Pride ones that were briefly stocked. The consistency on the one I ate was like actual tender chicken and it tasted fine for what it is. But it was very very oily, which the originals weren’t, and tasted much saltier. this bag isn’t so bad that I’ll go back just to return it, but isn’t something I’ll buy again unless they change further.

  74. Brian Batkiewicz –

    We enjoyed the first 2 times we had. But now fatty and the breading isn’t good. The pieces are huge also. Never buying again.

  75. Sue Hilmi –

    Delicious, but must be baked or air fried, do NOT microwave, that’s when they come out gross. I put them on top of my Cesar salad with garlic croutons and real aged Parmesan strips!

  76. Jeff –

    Disgusting, I never had the old recipe everyone is talking about but this one is gross. It has a weird smell and aftertaste and is unbelievably salty. I searched for this and found this website just because I thought something was wrong with my batch .

  77. Ana Hammond –

    PLASTIC , CHEMICALS? This is what I get for trying to buy processed meat and not make it myself . The first time I bought it for my son , I thought it was because I recently cleaned the oven . (Oven cleaner is what came to mind ) But nope , 2 Bags now and have cooked dozens of other things in the oven to perfection , it’s this poisonous chicken !!! I say poison because they are both 100 percent inedible! Really smells and worse over ; tastes , like it is laced with chemicals and /or melted plastic !!! Had to throw away all of it which is incredibly disappointing given the higher cost of food in general . Who is manufacturing this for you TJ ? And are they trying to kill Americans or what ?

  78. Anonymous –

    Why does it have weird synthetic taste. I air fried at first and thought I needed to clean out my air fryer like old grease. But it doesn’t change however I cook it. It’s like a melted metal, or bad oil taste. Had to throw out after multiple trials – my poor cells, I’ll treat you better.

  79. Mark –

    I still miss the original version. The old ones made a great snack, but the new ones are almost inedible. idk why it’s so hard to find a good chicken strip product – the old TJs were so much better than Rocky, Tyson, Foster Farms, Applegate, & Good n Gather. Still hoping a better product returns-if you’re listening TJs buyers

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