Frozen chicken tenders are a $1.8 billion retail category expanding at a 3.0% three-year compound annual growth rate, and Conagra Brands is leaning into that momentum with a new entry under its Banquet flag. The company has launched Banquet MEGA Crispy Chicken Tenders in Original and Spicy varieties, a 22-oz. bag carrying approximately 11 tenders and a suggested retail price of $7.49.
For c-store operators building out frozen and refrigerated sets, the timing and price point matter. The SKU targets the heat-and-eat occasion directly — air-fryer ready, 16g of protein per serving — and slots into a price tier that competes squarely with QSR value meals without requiring back-of-house prep labor.
The Category Numbers
Circana data cited by Conagra puts frozen prepared chicken household penetration at 62.3% of U.S. households buying at least once annually — a wide base that translates to repeat traffic. Consumer spending at chicken-focused quick-service restaurants topped $56.5 billion in the 12 months ending June 2026, up 5.0% year-over-year, signaling sustained appetite that frozen formats are positioned to capture when shoppers want the flavor profile without the drive-through. Chicken tenders also appear on more than a quarter of all U.S. restaurant menus, with a 27.0% menu penetration rate according to Datassential.
The protein angle reinforces c-store relevance. Circana's eating-trends research shows 48.0% of all U.S. consumers are actively seeking more protein — up 6.8 percentage points versus a year ago. Among Gen Z specifically, half of adults are looking to add protein, a 14.0% increase year-over-year. That cohort marks 23.0% of its annual eating occasions as heat-and-eat meals, a usage pattern that maps directly onto the c-store stop.
C-Store Shelf Fit
For operators managing a frozen set, chicken tenders are a proven velocity driver alongside pizza rolls and frozen burritos. The frozen-and-refrigerated foodservice segment at c-stores has grown as chains invest in air-fryer and roller-grill programs, but branded frozen SKUs in the cold case serve a different shopper — the grab-and-go customer stocking up for a quick weeknight meal rather than consuming on-site. Banquet's MEGA line, with its oversized-portion positioning, speaks to value-per-dollar perception at a moment when inside-sales basket sizes remain under pressure from broader consumer trade-down behavior.
Ayesha Narula, VP/GM at Conagra Brands, noted that convenience and easy prep rank among the primary drivers of the category's growth. The prep method data backs that up: 38.0% of frozen chicken is prepared at home in a conventional oven, with air fryers close behind at 37.0% — two appliances now standard in most households and increasingly present in c-store foodservice programs as well.
Sauce attachment is another commercial angle worth watching. Ranch leads menu pairings at 21.0% of occasions, followed by Buffalo at 18.0% and honey mustard at 17.0%. At home, ketchup accounts for 51.0% of sauce pairings. Operators carrying condiment sets adjacent to frozen chicken displays have a natural cross-sell opportunity.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
