Dairy Queen is raising the stakes in the chicken tender battle by bringing back two popular chicken baskets to its menu. Starting last week, fans at participating locations can enjoy the Buffalo Sauced & Tossed Chicken Strip Basket and the Honey BBQ Sauced & Tossed Chicken Strip Basket.
Each basket includes four chicken strips, fries, toast, and a dipping sauce. These limited-time offerings arrive amid a crowded market, where many fast-food brands are heavily promoting chicken items.
The move has been well received by customers on social media. One Instagram user shared, “Had my Dairy Queen fill this week, sauced and tossed honey BBQ tenders basket with a side of onion rings – my favorite basket.”
Dairy Queen’s renewed focus on chicken comes after McDonald’s launched chicken strips across all its U.S. restaurants. However, the competition for chicken lovers began last year when KFC challenged rivals with a bold campaign promoting its chicken tenders. KFC even sent workers to Chick-fil-A and Raising Cane’s locations in Louisiana and Georgia to hand out samples.
KFC U.S. President Catherine Tan-Gillespie said at the time, “We have the world’s best-tasting fried chicken tenders, so I felt that we should kick off a fight.” More recently, she offered a limited-time $5 chicken tender deal for KFC Rewards members, with a subtle jab at burger chains.
While Dairy Queen may be a latecomer to the “chicken tender war,” its regular chicken strip basket has been a menu staple since 1995. Known mostly for its desserts, the chain’s classic chicken basket remains a customer favorite. Available nationwide, the regular basket comes in 4- or 6-piece options, similar to the limited-time baskets.
For those with a sweet tooth, Dairy Queen continues to offer fan favorites like the S’mores Blizzard. This popular treat returned on March 31 after requests from Rewards members.
Looking ahead, Dairy Queen is gearing up to celebrate National Hamburger Day. From May 26 to June 1, DQ Rewards members can enjoy Signature Stackable burgers for just $0.99 at participating locations through the mobile app.
Despite these promotions, the chain recently faced setbacks with store closures. Earlier this year, Dairy Queen shut down 12 locations in Texas. A local manager confirmed six stores closed on March 24 in Hemphill, Jasper, Kountze, Huntington, Lufkin, and Longview Eastman. The company also reported six additional closures on the same day, though locations were not specified.
This wave follows the February closure of 25 other Texas stores, marking ongoing challenges for the brand in the region.
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