The Frozen 'Chicken' We're Glad Trader Joe's Discontinued

Practically defining the term "comfort food," frozen chicken tenders are a tasty and convenient meal option that pleases kids and adults alike. Thanks to advancements in plant-based meat substitutes, you can even find plenty of tasty chickenless brands on store shelves. That doesn't mean that all plant-based tenders are worth your hard-earned bucks, as we discovered in our ranking of frozen chicken tenders from worst to best. Our reviewer placed Trader Joe's Chickenless Crispy Tenders dead last, describing the product as "the worst thing you could eat at Trader Joe's that's not from the organic soap section." If you could cause actual, physical harm with words, Trader Joe's would be on life support right now. 

If you're afraid that this product will somehow find its way into your cart the next time you go shopping at Trader Joe's, Chickenless Crispy Tenders appear to have been mercifully discontinued, according to Reddit. This is confirmed by the product's absence on the Trader Joe's website. Somewhat surprisingly, commenters seem disappointed by the discontinuation, with one even stating, "WHAT?! These are a staple in my freezer." Another person writes, "Sad. I will miss these..."

As for where Trader Joe's went wrong with its meat-free chicken tenders, our reviewer definitely didn't mince words. Stating, "Trader Joe's should be embarrassed to sully its good name by putting it on these things," we would only ever recommend this product (were it still available) "if your mouth has an abundance of moisture, and you need something to soak literally every drop of saliva out." Someone call the burn unit, because TJ's just got roasted. 

Of course, there are plenty of plant-based chicken brands out there that have much to offer in the flavor department. In the Reddit thread mourning the loss of Trader Joe's Chickenless Crispy Tenders, a commenter mentioned Target's Good and Gather brand, which offers meatless plant-based tenders. The Quorn brand got a mention in the thread as well, as this brand features a variety of meatless chicken products like dippers, nuggets, and patties. There are also OZO plant-based chicken cutlets, a good option for people who want a healthier (and unbreaded) chickenless product. While many product discontinuations are met with dissatisfaction, we must admit that we're happy to see Trader Joe's Chickenless Crispy Tenders banished from store shelves.