Beyond Meat Chicken Tenders Launch at 400 Restaurants Nationwide

Beyond Meat is rolling out the long-awaited chicken tenders to nearly 400 restaurants nationwide. The plant-based food tech company has been teasing the development of its meatless chicken products, and now consumers nationwide will be able to purchase an order of completely vegan chicken tenders. Previously, the California-based company has hosted trial runs for its Beyond Chicken Tenders, but finally, the company believes that the plant-based protein matches up to the taste and texture of traditional chicken tenders.

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“We’re innovating the poultry market with the new Beyond Chicken Tenders - the result of our tireless pursuit for excellence and growth at Beyond Meat,” Dariush Ajami, Chief Innovation Officer at Beyond Meat, said. “As with all our products, Beyond Chicken Tenders offer delicious taste and an exceptional culinary experience, along with strong nutritional benefits. Innovation is at the heart of Beyond Meat, and Beyond Chicken Tenders are the latest example of our mission to create groundbreaking, tasty options that are better for people and for our planet.”

Beyond Meat continues to push its recipes to contain the highest nutritional value for its consumers: The new Beyond Chicken Tenders use simple plant-based ingredients that maximize protein content such as peas and fava beans. Each serving contains 14 grams of protein and boasts 40 percent less saturated fat than conventional animal-based chicken tenders.

Even though Beyond Meat debuted its Beyond Chicken in 2019 at a KFC in Atlanta, the limited launch left people nationwide searching for plant-based fried chicken. Now, the company’s Beyond Chicken Tenders have been developed for restaurants nationwide to redesign their menus to include a vegan chicken substitute. The new plant-based tenders were developed over the last decade with more than 200 team members to deliver tasty substitutes in all menu items from sandwiches to salads.

The plant-based chicken tenders arrive at a time when chicken demand is growing faster than the supply chain can handle. Currently, the United States is facing a widespread chicken shortage, making it an opportune time for Beyond Meat to enter the market. The innovative, nutritious option will allow consumers the ability to eat their favorite chicken meals without relying on the animal chicken market while also prioritizing a far more sustainable food option.

Beyond Meat also hopes that this nationwide rollout will help restaurants facing financial hardship following the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants all over the country have been struggling to return to normal following the COVID-19 shut down, so the company hopes that by including plant-based meat to meet the declining supply of plant-based chicken then both restaurants and Beyond Meat will profit.

“Beyond Chicken Tenders are a craveable, crispy, and delicious plant-based product that meat-lovers and veggie-lovers alike will dunk, crunch, and love,” the National Restaurant Association released in a statement awarding the Beyond Chicken Tenders the 2021 Food and Beverage Award. “In consumer testing, Beyond Chicken Tenders scored on par in likeability with the leading animal-based chicken tender, making them a must-have menu item that will elevator your menu to compete in the Chicken Wars.”

Earlier this year, Beyond Meat released its Beyond Burger 3.0 that increased its signature product’s nutritional value. The newest Beyond Burger contains 35 percent less total fat and 35 percent less saturated fat than its previous version. As the company continues to reinvent the plant-based market, it also highlights the importance of nutrition in a plant-based diet.

Consumers can now find Beyond Chicken Tenders at almost 400 restaurants nationwide including Epic Burger, Blissful Burgers, Bad Mutha Clucka, Verdine, Plant-Based Pizzeria, Melt Bar and Grilled, and many more. Currently, Beyond Meat is the top plant-based meat brand at grocery stores with its products available at 39,000 retailers and food service locations nationwide.