10 Best Fried Chicken Chains In The United States

Chick-fil-A is immediately recognizable. Their original chicken sandwich has skyrocketed the chain in popularity, and it upholds a reputation of having the nicest and friendliest staff in the industry. They also have their own iconic sauce which is delicious. Unsurprisingly, you can find Chick-fil-A restaurants almost everywhere, with over 3,000 of them in the country.  

Popeyes is right up there with Chick-fil-A when it comes to fried chicken and for good reason. When Popeyes was first created, it didn’t open with tremendous sales in the 1970s. However, over time, it began getting increasingly recognized as a staple of the fried chicken industry. Popeyes may be #1 on this list, depending on where you put it versus a Chick-fil-A crispy chicken sandwich. Many believe Popeyes beats their rivals, but as we prefer Chick-fil-A’s, Popeyes sits #2 for now (it’s the sauce). However, outside of that, Popeyes is still one of the best-fried chicken chains in the country. 

Opinions might be mixed sometimes regarding KFC, though it’s one of the more recognizable fried chicken chains in the country for good reason. Colonel Sanders is the mascot and founder of the company, and he got this whole thing started by serving homemade chicken near a motel many decades ago. He created something called an 11-spice blend, which remains used to this day and helps KFC get its unique taste that you can’t find anywhere else. And anyone who has had KFC knows that spice blend tastes fantastic. Another reason why KFC remains at the top of the list is that they offer numerous buckets of chicken, and when you can get up to 16 pieces to take home, it’s easy to feed the family.

This is probably the first major surprise on the list because not many people are familiar with Jollibee. It’s a chain that may have fallen under the radar, though they have created a very unique combination of chicken that has catapulted them up these rankings. Their chicken is called Chickenjoy and when you taste it, you’ll know why. Many compare the chain to a mix of KFC and McDonald’s. When Jollibee first opened in the United States, there were thousands of customers who waited in line for over eight hours just to get their first taste of the chicken. More locations are being added to the country as we speak, though as of right now, there aren’t many to be found in comparison to places like Chick-fil-A, KFC, and Popeyes. 

Huey Magoo’s has become more popular in recent memory, and they have crowned themselves as one of the best-fried chicken chains in the entire country. They have given themselves the home of the “Filet Mignon of Chicken” which is quite a high bar for them to self-set. Luckily, their chicken is darn great – but it doesn’t have the sauce of Chick-fil-A, the comfort of Popeyes, or the blend of KFC (not quite). Their website says that they were voted as having the best fried chicken in the nation – which is up to you to decide. So, if you’re still looking for a new fried chicken place to try, Huey Magoo’s could be a great new option for you to check out. 

PDQ is another fried chicken chain that started under the acronym Pretty Darn Quick but has since been switched up a little to become People Dedicated to Quality. They have fried tenders that are crisp and light, and offer a fast-friendly service that is second to none on this list. PDQ is another one of those fried-chicken chains that have risen in popularity over the years, and with how great their fried chicken is today, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they make top-5 in future revisions of this list.

Raising Cane’s dips its toes into nostalgia with its focus on chicken fingers. Todd Cook was the founder of the restaurant, and his whole idea for it was to create something that only sold chicken fingers. He believed in the business that he set out to make and eventually Raising Cane’s over time has become one of the best fried chicken chains in the country. It’s a very simple strategy but it’s an effective one, and they’ve been bringing in tons of celebrities to further endorse the property over the years.

Checkers have continued to offer their “fry-seasoned tenders” that are crispy and tasty. The restaurant chain also offers its famous fry batter that delivers a specific taste that you only get when eating at Checkers. Checkers isn’t usually spoken about as the best-fried chicken chain in the country, though they absolutely deserve to be placed inside the top 10 when talking about their chicken. Not only is the flavor intense, but the chicken coating is something fried chicken fans should try.

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Church’s doesn’t have nearly as many restaurant locations as some of the other fried chicken chains that are on the list. However, they don’t allow that to hold them back from being one of the better locations in the country. Their chicken is more affordable in comparison to some of their rivals like KFC and Popeyes, and they boast two separate types of fried chicken with their spicy and original versions. To make it even better, they have a smokehouse chicken as well, with unique side offerings like fried okra. In 2020, Church’s was another fried chicken chain that jumped into the chicken sandwich rivalry, but they need to up their sauce game to get higher on this list. 

Zaxbys has a strong sauce game, offering countless options, which is great if you like to customize your chicken sandwich or dip your tenders. Amazingly, Zaxbys has one sauce that’s exclusive to each restaurant, so if you want to try them all, you need to travel. At the end of 2023, they had 1,000 locations in the United States. Their chicken tender platter remains one of the most popular items on their menu and for good reason – as their chicken is tasty. They have wonderful service and attention to detail and are one of those fried chicken chains that are certainly on the rise.

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