CARPINTERIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hardee’s®, the quick service restaurant (QSR) chain known for its history of pioneering innovations, today turns up the heat on its lunch and dinner menu with the launch of Hand-Breaded Spicy Chicken Tenders™, available now at participating restaurants system-wide.

Hand-Breaded Spicy Chicken Tenders, available in both 3-piece and 5-piece boxes, start with the brand’s classic Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™, which are made by dipping marinated, chicken breast meat tenders in buttermilk, breading them in seasoned flour, and frying them to crispy, golden brown perfection – all done by hand, all day long. The freshly cooked chicken tenders are then tossed in Cajun seasoning for a one-of-a-kind, spicy treat.

“No other major hamburger QSR makes Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders, so ours have remained a very popular menu item since they were first introduced nearly seven years ago at Hardee’s,” said Brad Haley, chief marketing officer for Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s. “In fact, not many sit-down restaurants make them either because it requires a lot more effort to dip marinated chicken in buttermilk, bread them in seasoned flour, and fry them to a crisp, golden brown, all by hand. But, as craveable as our original Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders are, the one request we kept getting from our guests was to offer them in other flavors, so we went for the heat. The Cajun seasoning on our new Hand-Breaded Spicy Chicken Tenders have a real kick, so you may need to buy a bigger drink than usual when you order them.”

Hand-Breaded Spicy Chicken Tenders are available as a 3-piece entrée for $3.69 and as a 5-piece entrée for $5.39, either of which can be ordered as a combo meal with fries and a drink starting at $5.69; prices may vary by location.

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About CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.

CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (“CKE”) is a privately held company headquartered in Carpinteria, Calif. CKE is not a franchisor and conducts substantially all of its restaurant activities and operations through its subsidiaries. Carl’s Jr. Restaurants LLC and Hardee’s Restaurants LLC own, operate and franchise the Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Green Burrito® and Red Burrito® concepts. Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s operate as one brand under two names, acknowledging the rich regional heritage of both banners. After opening their first restaurants in New York and New Jersey last spring and recent international openings in Japan, Australia and Kenya, Carl’s Jr. Restaurants LLC and Hardee’s Restaurants LLC now have a total of nearly 3,800 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 44 states and 40 foreign countries and U.S. territories. Known for its one-of-a-kind premium menu items such as 100 percent Black Angus Thickburgers®, Made from Scratch™ Biscuits, and Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™, as well as an award-winning marketing approach, the Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s brand continues to deliver substantial and consistent growth in the U.S. and overseas. The Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s system is now 94 percent franchised, with international restaurants representing 20 percent of the system. For more information about CKE, please visit www.ckr.com or its brand sites at www.carlsjr.com and www.hardees.com.