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You might think that since fast food is widely accessible and fairly affordable, the menu items would be a dime a dozen. Chefs believe otherwise, though—and usually have fiery hot takes about who makes the best fast food cheeseburgers, fish sandwiches, cold subs, fries, and beyond.
Because you deserve nothing short of the most delicious food, we’re frequently polling the pros to help draft our “Mount Rushmore” of fast food favorites—ones that are worth the drive and every dollar. We’ve already covered the best fast food fried chicken sandwich and the MVP fast food chicken nuggets. Now, it’s time to crown a victor in the classic fried chicken category. We’re talking bone-in fried chicken breasts and thighs, the kind you can often score by the bucket or the combo meal.
Our Panel of Fried Chicken-Rating Chefs
- Jing Gao, a Las Vegas, Nevada-based chef, founder, and CEO of Fly By Jing, and author of “The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp”
- Dina Deleasa Gonsar, the Whippany, New Jersey-based recipe developer behind Dish It Girl and the author of “At the Kitchen Sink”
- Dominic Iannarelli, chef-owner of Prime & Providence in West Des Moines, Iowa
- Kelly Jaggers, the Dallas, Texas-based author of “The Everything® Restaurant Copycat Recipes Cookbook”
- MacKenzie Smith, a New Smyrna Beach, Florida-based food blogger and author of “Grilled Cheese Social”
- Meghan Splawn, a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based freelance food writer and creator of the recipe and meal plan Substack Stir & Scribble
Qualities of the Best Fast Food Fried Chicken
“I think there is a difference in expectations for fried chicken versus fried chicken sandwiches or even chicken strips,” says food writer Meghan Splawn. “I tend to think some chains do one or maybe two really well, but no one chain nails all three.”
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When we say “fried chicken,” we mean golden brown pieces of bone-in chicken coated in a shatteringly crisp crust. Here are the features that make the best stand out from the rest, according to the pros:
- It’s not too greasy. A little grease is okay, and is expected nearly any time you deep-fry. But you want the chicken to taste like chicken, not oil, notes recipe developer and cookbook author Dina Deleasa Gonsar. Kelly Jaggers, the Texas-based cookbook author, admits, “If grease is running down my fingers or there’s a puddle of grease at the bottom of the bucket, I’m not interested. Well-made fried chicken should be crispy and crunchy, not soggy or oily.”
- The frying oil is swapped out frequently. Speaking of that oil, it should be refreshed often. Old oil tends to taste harshly bitter, may turn the food’s color quite dark (so they almost appear burnt), and can result in the aforementioned greasy texture.
- The meat has been brined or marinated. At its core, fried chicken is a very simple dish, “so it’s all the more important that each aspect of its preparation is perfect so the flavor and texture are spot on,” explains Chef Jing Gao. “The chicken itself has to be moist (sorry!), juicy, and well-seasoned—enough so that you can tell that the chicken has been properly marinated.” A brine is a suitable alternative to ensure that the meat remains juicy, Jaggers adds. (In case you missed it, brining involves soaking an ingredient in a salty solution to increase moisture retention in the interior. The goal with marinating is to add flavor and tenderness to the surface.)
- The coating stays on—and ideally, is flour-based rather than batter-based. If you ask Jaggers, the coating must adhere to the chicken so it doesn’t slide off before it’s out of the bucket—or with each bite. “It should stay crispy even after being boxed up and driven home, too,” Jaggers says. If Chef Dominic Iannarelli can be choosy, he tells us that the coating should be a spiced-up flour dredge (like Chef John’s rendition), not a drippy batter. The result should offer a seasoned, just-salty-enough, exceptionally crunchy, and crispy bite, Gao and Smith agree.
- Chicken is the restaurant’s focus. When poultry is the primary mission, you can taste the difference, Iannarelli believes. “Ideally, fried chicken should be a very large part of their menu. Not, ‘well, we have burgers, and subs, and grilled this or that.’ Fried chicken of some kind should encompass 80% or more of the menu, hopefully.”
The Best Fast Food Fried Chicken, According to Chefs
If we widened the selection pool to include supermarkets, Publix fried chicken would have earned several votes from our chefs. In fact, Splawn is such a huge fan she shared, “We served it at our wedding 14 years ago! And I still really love it for quick weeknight dinners too.”
For the purpose of this face-off, we’re zooming out on nationally available fast food fried chicken, and with those parameters in place, the winner by a landslide is Popeyes.
“When it comes to fast food fried chicken, no one does it better than Popeyes. They’ve really nailed the salty, peppery, crispy coating, adored by this Southerner,” Splawn says. “Plus, Popeyes chicken is always juicy and tender, even the breast pieces, which are often dry at fast food places.” The moistness she’s talking about is likely due to the 12-hour marinade the brand boasts about on its website.
Allrecipes/Debbie Wolfe
Iannarelli adores the “light Cajun influence” in the seasoning for the marinade and the coating, and Smith appreciates the fact that you can choose between classic or spicy and opt for wings, breasts, or thighs. Regardless of which piece or spice level you choose, “the crispy coating is thick yet not too heavy,” Smith says. “It’s so flavorful and the crispiness is unbeatable.”
Gao echoes that sentiment, noting that “Popeyes’ crust really knocks it out of the park. It has the crispiest breading that’s never soggy, greasy, or underseasoned.” No wonder Popeyes came out on top during our team’s taste test, too.
Although Popeyes is the clear victor with four votes, a few other restaurants are worthy of an honorable mention, according to our panelists. “There are so many chains that make excellent fried chicken, and it really depends on what I'm in the mood for on a given day,” Gao clarifies.
The following runners-up also deliver on quality, crunch, juiciness, and flavor:
- KFC: The breading is solid here, but where the colonel really shines is with his chicken. “It’s well-seasoned, juicy, and so flavorful,” Gao says. Those 11 herbs and spices really make an impact, and the low-temperature pressure cooking process really preserves the flavor and moisture.
- bb.q Chicken: With more than 3,500 locations worldwide, this Korean fried chicken restaurant earns raves from Jaggers, who praises the fact that they double-fry the chicken. “First, it’s cooked at a lower temperature to ensure the chicken is cooked through and the crust is set. Then, it’s fried a second time at a higher temperature to achieve a very crispy, golden crust,” Jaggers says. The result is “a delicious, well-seasoned, golden, extra crunchy coating that adheres to the chicken pieces well.” One of the hallmarks of Korean fried chicken is the sauces—each piece is dunked in a sauce before being served. “You might think the sauces would make the chicken soggy, but because of the double-fry technique, the sauces do soak in as quickly and the chicken stays crisp.” At bb.q Chicken, your sauce selection ranges from mild honey garlic to tingly “wings of fire” or hot mala.
- BonChon: This Korean fried chicken chain is expanding across the U.S. (with nearly 150 shops stateside and more than 300 globally), and Gonsar is glad this is the case. Applauding the even coating and overall flavor, she celebrates the fact that “the chicken is tender and well-seasoned. You can taste the different spices used, and I love that they offer different signature sauce options to coat the crust.”
What to Eat With Fast Food Fried Chicken
The chefs tell us that the side dish offerings at these top contenders are just as good. Still, you need not order everything on the menu to make a marvelous meal.
We love Splawn’s style: “If I'm grabbing fast food chicken, it's almost always to feed my family of four in a hurry, so I'm not even reheating the chicken when we get home! I find that opting for the family pack of chicken pieces and some select sides and partnering those with something like a big salad at home makes the chicken taste even better.”
Consider the following DIY salads and sides to build a budget-friendly and balanced meal:
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Creamy Kale Salad
- Restaurant-Style Coleslaw
- Chef John’s Ultimate Mashed Potatoes with Homemade Chicken Gravy
- Cajun Sweet Potato Fries
- Simple Macaroni and Cheese
- Chef John’s Red Beans and Rice
- Basic Biscuits
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