Raising Cane’s chicken fingers are a popular fast food item, but what exactly goes into making their signature breaded chicken? Here is a comprehensive look at the ingredients used to create Raising Cane’s famous chicken fingers.
The Chicken
The chicken used in Raising Cane’s chicken fingers comes from tenderloin fillets from chickens raised with no antibiotics or hormones. The chicken is delivered fresh, never frozen. Each restaurant breads and fries the fresh chicken every day.
Raising Cane’s claims their chicken is “Never Ever” – never frozen, never pre-cooked, never microwaved. The chicken is also marinated in a proprietary blend of seasonings before breading and frying. This helps ensure the chicken is juicy and flavorful.
The Breading
The breading on Raising Cane’s chicken fingers is a key part of what makes them so delicious. The breading consists of:
- Flour
- Spices and seasonings (specific blend is proprietary)
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Ground pepper
- Dried mustard
- Paprika
The flour helps the breading stick to the chicken. The spices and seasonings add lots of flavor. The salt enhances the overall taste. The garlic powder, pepper, mustard, and paprika add aromatics and complexity.
The chicken fingers are breaded by hand. Each piece of chicken is individually dropped in flour, then battered in the proprietary seasoning blend, ensuring every inch is evenly coated in crispy, flavorful breading.
The Frying Oil
Raising Cane’s chicken fingers are fried in a blend of oils including canola, soybean, and hydrogenated soybean oil. The combination helps the chicken fry up crispy and golden brown.
The frying oil is replaces several times a day and filtered regularly. This helps maintain freshness and quality. The chicken fingers are fried for approximately 4-5 minutes at 350°F to ensure they are cooked through and crispy.
The Sauce
Raising Cane’s signature Cane’s sauce is arguably the most important ingredient that makes their chicken fingers special. The sauce is tangy, creamy, and addictively good.
The Cane’s sauce ingredients are:
- Mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Worcestershire sauce
- Garlic powder
- Ground black pepper
- Vinegar
The mayonnaise and ketchup form the creamy, tangy base. Worcestershire sauce adds depth of flavor. Garlic powder and black pepper provide a punch of spice. And vinegar brightens it up.
The exact ratio of ingredients is a company secret. But it is this special sauce blend that diners rave about and what sets Cane’s apart from other fast food chicken chains.
The Toast
Along with the chicken fingers, the other star of the show at Raising Cane’s is the Texas toast. It’s not a chicken finger meal without Cane’s toast!
The toast is made from simple ingredients:
- Enriched bleached flour
- Water
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Salt
- Soybean oil
- Dough conditioners
- Wheat gluten
- Corn syrup solids
- Preservatives
This standard bread dough mixture bakes up thick and fluffy. Cane’s toasts each slice so it is hot and crispy on the outside, soft and buttery inside. A chicken finger dinner just wouldn’t be complete without this Texas toast for dipping in Cane’s sauce.
The Sides
In addition to the chicken fingers and Texas toast, Raising Cane’s servings come with crinkle cut fries and coleslaw.
The Fries
Cane’s fries are made from simple ingredients:
- Potatoes
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
- Salt
Fresh potatoes are sliced into Raising Cane’s signature crinkle cuts before being par-fried. Then when an order comes in, the fries are fried again until hot and crispy.
The Coleslaw
Raising Cane’s coleslaw is made with:
- Chopped green cabbage
- Shredded red cabbage
- Shredded carrots
- Coleslaw dressing
The dressing contains:
- Mayonnaise
- Buttermilk
- Sour cream
- Sugar
- White vinegar
- Salt
- Black pepper
This combination of crunchy fresh vegetables and creamy tangy dressing compliments the hot chicken fingers and fries perfectly.
The Drinks
To wash it all down, Raising Cane’s serves:
- Coca-cola fountain drinks
- Iced tea
- Lemonade
- Fresh brewed sweet and unsweet tea
- Milk
- Chocolate milk
- Bottled water
This variety of ice cold beverages are the perfect pairing for Raising Cane’s hot, crispy chicken fingers and sides.
Allergens
Raising Cane’s chicken fingers contain the following major food allergens:
- Wheat (breading, Texas toast)
- Soybean (frying oil)
- Milk products (coleslaw dressing, chocolate milk)
Those with food allergies or sensitivities, especially to wheat, soy, or dairy, should be aware of these ingredients when dining at Raising Cane’s.
Nutritional Information
Here are the basic nutrition facts for Raising Cane’s menu items:
Chicken Fingers
Serving Size: 3 Chicken Fingers
| Calories | 480 |
|---|---|
| Fat | 24g |
| Carbohydrates | 33g |
| Protein | 28g |
Crinkle Cut Fries
Serving Size: 1 Side
| Calories | 350 |
|---|---|
| Fat | 17g |
| Carbohydrates | 42g |
| Protein | 3g |
Coleslaw
Serving Size: 1 Side
| Calories | 140 |
|---|---|
| Fat | 12g |
| Carbohydrates | 9g |
| Protein | 1g |
As you can see, Raising Cane’s menu items are high in calories, fat, and sodium, as is typical for fast food fare. Those watching their weight or nutrients should consume Cane’s in moderation.
Quality Controls
All Raising Cane’s restaurants follow strict quality control and food safety procedures including:
- Daily health inspections of restaurant and equipment
- Routine food temperature checks
- Guidelines for proper cooking, cooling, and refrigeration
- Training programs for food safety and cleanliness
- Regulations for proper cooking oil management
- Strict hand washing and hygiene requirements
This focus on health and safety ensures the chicken fingers and other menu items customers receive are fresh and safely prepared every time you visit.
Supply Chain
Raising Cane’s manages their supply chain to deliver consistent, quality ingredients to all locations. This includes:
- Contracts with approved vendors for key ingredients like chicken, produce, oil, etc.
- Audits of vendor facilities to ensure food safety and quality standards
- Transportation monitoring from vendors to distribution centers
- Inventory controls to track ingredients
- Distribution oversight to restaurants
By coordinating their supply chain activities, Cane’s can better predict demand, prevent shortages, and ensure the timely delivery of fresh ingredients to restaurants for chicken finger preparation.
Sustainability Efforts
Raising Cane’s is committed to doing business in a way that respects the environment and conserves natural resources. Their sustainability practices include:
- Recycling used fryer oil into biodiesel fuel
- Implementing energy and water reduction initiatives in restaurants
- Using recycled/compostable packaging
- Developing bio-based cutlery and serving products
- Working with suppliers on sustainable agriculture practices
These efforts illustrate Cane’s dedication to minimizing their environmental impact as much as possible while cooking up quality chicken fingers.
Conclusion
From high-quality chicken, proprietary breading and sauce, to Texas toast and crinkle cut fries, Raising Cane’s has perfected the fresh, mouth-watering flavors of their chicken finger meals. The ingredients and cooking procedures are relatively straightforward, but it is the focus on quality preparation, food safety, supply chain management, and customer service that set Cane’s apart.
So the next time you sink your teeth into a hot, juicy Cane’s chicken finger, you can appreciate all the care and effort that went into making that craveable crispy crunch!