Sonic Crispy Chicken Tenders (5 Piece): Price, Calories and Nutrition (2026)

Sonic’s Crispy Chicken Tenders are the chain’s answer to the chicken-tender wars: strips of 100% all-white-meat chicken, breaded with a seasoned crispy coating and fried to order, sold in 3-piece and 5-piece boxes with your choice of dipping sauce. The 5-piece is the full-size order, built for a real appetite or for splitting. In 2026 the 5-piece runs from $7.49 at most locations, with 430 calories for the five tenders before sauce, according to Sonic’s official September 2026 nutrition data.

Sonic Crispy Chicken Tenders (5 piece) price: from $7.49. Sonic Crispy Chicken Tenders (5 piece) calories: 430 before dipping sauce. Prices vary by location because Sonic drive-ins are franchise-operated: menu aggregators have listed the 5-piece anywhere from $5.69 to $9.75 in 2026, and the from $7.49 figure is the typical standalone menu price. The 3-piece runs from about $4.89 to $7.19. Dipping sauces are usually included with tender orders, with extra sauce cups running about $0.50 to $1. Combo meals with a side and drink push the 5-piece into the $9 to $11.50 range.

Last updated: May 25, 2026

Table of contents

• What is in the Crispy Chicken Tenders (5 piece)
• Crispy Chicken Tenders (5 piece) nutrition facts
• Crispy Chicken Tenders (5 piece) ingredients and customization
• Allergens
• Crispy Chicken Tenders vs Jumbo Popcorn Chicken
• Getting the best value on the Crispy Chicken Tenders
• Frequently asked questions

What is in the Crispy Chicken Tenders (5 piece)

Five full-size chicken tenderloins, each a whole strip of all-white-meat chicken breast, coated in Sonic’s seasoned crispy breading and fried until the outside goes golden and crunchy. These are not formed nuggets or chopped-and-shaped patties: each tender is an intact piece of chicken, which is why the texture stays juicy inside while the coating shatters. The 5-piece box is the standard dinner-size order; the 3-piece is the snack or kids-adjacent size.

At 430 calories for five tenders, the box lands in a reasonable zone for fried chicken: 20 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbs from the breading, and a strong 35 grams of protein. That protein number is the story. Few fast-food chicken orders deliver 35 grams of protein at 430 calories, and it is why the tenders work as a post-gym meal in a way the popcorn chicken does not. The sodium runs 1210 mg, which is the main watch item.

The sauce choice changes the math more than people expect. Ranch adds about 110 calories per packet, honey mustard about 90, Groovy Sauce about 110, and BBQ about 50. Ketchup is the lightest at 10. Two packets of ranch nearly double the fat of the tenders themselves, so the “healthy chicken order” lives or dies on the sauce cup. Sonic’s Groovy Sauce, a peppery mayo-style signature, is the fan favorite and the calorie bomb in equal measure.

Crispy Chicken Tenders (5 piece) nutrition facts

Full nutrition breakdown for five Crispy Chicken Tenders without dipping sauce, based on Sonic’s official September 2026 nutritional brochure.

Nutrient	Amount per 5-piece order
Calories	430
Total fat	20g
Total carbohydrates	27g
Protein	35g
Sodium	1210mg

The 430 calorie figure is about 22 percent of a 2000 calorie daily guideline, and the 35 grams of protein is genuinely high for the calorie count. Saturated fat is low at 2 grams, which is unusual for fried chicken and reflects the all-white-meat base. The honest read: before sauce, this is one of the better fried-chicken orders in fast food from a macros perspective. After two ranch packets, it is a different meal.

The 1210 mg of sodium is the number to respect. Fried and breaded chicken is always salty, and the breading carries most of it. If sodium is your concern, the tenders are not the order to build a low-sodium day around, sauce or no sauce.

Crispy Chicken Tenders (5 piece) ingredients and customization

The standard ingredient list is all-white-meat chicken tenderloins, seasoned wheat-flour breading (enriched wheat flour, spices, leavening), and frying oil. Dipping sauces are chosen at order: Groovy Sauce, ranch, honey mustard, BBQ, buffalo, and ketchup are the usual lineup.

Customization is mostly about the sauce and the count. Ask for BBQ or ketchup to keep the sauce calories minimal, or get the sauce on the side and dip lightly instead of dunking. The tenders can be ordered tossed in buffalo or honey BBQ sauce, which adds roughly 80 to 140 calories depending on the sauce. Some locations will make the tenders into a wrap with lettuce and cheese, which is a solid lower-carb-ish move if you skip the tortilla’s extra calories concern and just want the handheld format.

For the full indulgence, get the Groovy Sauce and accept the extra 110 calories per packet: it is the sauce the tenders were designed around.

Allergens

Contains wheat, soy, and gluten from the breading. The chicken itself is just chicken, but the breading is the allergen carrier. Egg and milk are not standard ingredients in the tenders, though sauces like ranch contain both, and shared fryers mean cross-contact with other breaded items is certain. Sonic’s official guidance advises customers with serious allergies to check with the individual drive-in before ordering.

Crispy Chicken Tenders vs Jumbo Popcorn Chicken

The chicken-format question, settled with numbers. Crispy Chicken Tenders (5 piece): 430 calories, 20g fat, 27g carbs, 35g protein, 1210mg sodium, from $7.49. Jumbo Popcorn Chicken (medium): 490 calories, 28g fat, 36g carbs, 23g protein, 1640mg sodium, from $5.29.

The tenders win on protein and overall macros: 35 grams of protein at 430 calories against 23 grams at 490. The popcorn chicken wins on price and snackability: it costs about two dollars less and the bite-size pieces are built for sharing, dipping, and eating in the car. Sodium is notably lower in the tenders, 1210 mg against 1640 mg.

Pick the tenders when you want a real meal with serious protein, when macros matter, or when you prefer whole strips of chicken to bite-size pieces. Pick the Jumbo Popcorn Chicken when you want the cheaper, more shareable, more dippable option, or when the tenders’ price feels steep for chicken. The tenders are the better food; the popcorn chicken is the better deal.

Getting the best value on the Crispy Chicken Tenders

• The 5-piece at from $7.49 is priced like a premium chicken order. Check the Sonic app for BOGO and bundle offers before paying menu price.
• The Crispy Tender Dinner (tenders plus Texas toast, side, and drink) is the better value if you want the full plate: the bundled price usually beats buying the pieces separately.
• Sauce strategy matters for the wallet too. Extra sauce cups cost $0.50 to $1 each, so decide how many you need when you order.
• At 430 calories and 35 grams of protein, the 5-piece is a legitimate high-protein meal. Pair it with a Happy Hour half-price diet drink from 2 PM to 4 PM for a complete lunch under $9.

Frequently asked questions

ManuBite Team. We track fast food prices and nutrition across the USA so you always know what your meal really costs, in dollars and in calories.