WHAT'S IN TYSON CHICKEN STRIPS?
TYSON BBQ CHICKEN STRIPS >> FAR FROM HOMEMADE™
Information updated April 2025
FROZEN READY-TO-EAT COOKED CHICKEN WAS ONCE A NOVEL THOUGHT. With the explosion of frozen food technology, frozen Fried Chicken became a popular convenience option in the U.S. . . .
During the country’s shift towards greater convenience, Chicken Strips emerged as a new format for eating fried chicken.
HOMEMADE CHICKEN STRIPS: Homemade Sweet BBQ Chicken Strips are simple: Chicken rolled in breadcrumbs with added sweetener and seasonings, then put in oil for setting or frying.
We’ll use this homemade version as a reference while we inspect what’s in frozen brands of Chicken Strips. Ingredients which are not in homemade Chicken Strips are designated as Not In Kitchen™ >> these are ingredients we would never have in our home kitchen to make Chicken Strips.
TYSON IS THE #1 BRAND: Today, Tyson is the #1 Frozen Chicken Brand in the U.S. (Source: Statista 2025)
Shown below, TYSON SWEET BBQ CHICKEN STRIPS ARE BANNED AT WHOLE FOODS FOR TWO INGREDIENTS WHICH WHOLE FOODS CITES AS “UNACCEPTABLE IN FOOD” >> Bleached Flour and Sucralose. Tyson Sweet BBQ Chicken Strips also contain numerous commercial ingredients we never have in our home kitchens including Polysorbate 80, Corn Syrup Solids, Natural Flavorings, Natural Flavor, Dextrose and Sugar x2. (Sources: Tyson Web site 4/25; Whole Foods Web site 4/25)
THERE ARE 10 SWEETENERS IN TYSON’S SWEET BBQ CHICKEN STRIPS: This product contains ten Added Sweeteners including Sucralose, Brown Sugar, Sugar x2, Corn Syrup Solids, Dextrose, Honey, Tamarind Extract and Molasses x2.
Q: What is Dextrose?
A: Dextrose is a type of sugar. Candies like Smarties are made from Dextrose:
Discover food + beverages whose ingredients are Closest To Homemade in 275+ categories. Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list.
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And we leave you with a look back at the golden days of Frozen Fried Chicken:
