- There are plenty of fast-food restaurants across America that will satisfy your chicken cravings.
- Chick-fil-A is a classic favorite known for its nuggets, chicken sandwich, and signature sauce.
- Bojangles, which is known for its chicken and biscuits, has a loyal following in the South.
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When a craving for fast-food chicken hits, there are plenty of restaurant options. Fast-food stops like Chick-fil-A and PDQ offer up nuggets and sandwiches, while KFC and Popeyes serve crispy fried chicken on-the-go.
Whether you're in the mood for grilled nuggets or buffalo wings, here are the 10 best fast-food spots for chicken.
Popeyes' fried chicken is available in spicy or mild flavors.
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen opened in 1972 to sell spicy, New Orleans-style chicken. Then it grew into the second-largest chicken chain in the US.
Popeyes' fried chicken is crispy, tender, and full of flavor — possibly, even better than KFC's. From the menu, you'll want to dig into the chicken tenders. You can order them mild, spicy, or blackened depending on your mood.
The chain also made waves recently with its new chicken sandwich that sold out instantly.
Wingstop lets you choose from multiple sauces and dry rubs.
"Wings from the wings experts" is the motto of this Texas-based chicken chain. Wingstop opened its doors in 1994, and since then, it has expanded to more than 1,250 restaurants worldwide and its growth hasn't slowed down. With a menu full of wings, fries, and sides, you can't go wrong here.
Customers can mix-and-match boneless and classic wings, then choose up to two flavors to douse them in. Go sweet with the hickory-smoked barbecue classic, or turn up the heat with spicy Korean Q. Some say that Wingstop reigns supreme in the spicy chicken wing war.
Chick-fil-A's menu is relatively simple.
Chick-fil-A is a classic favorite fast-food restaurant based in Atlanta, Georgia. Chick-fil-A is now the third-largest restaurant chain in the US and continues to scare rivals with its growth.
Fans of the chain recommend the Chick-fil-A nuggets, spicy chicken sandwich, and famous waffle fries — all dipped in the chain's signature Chick-fil-A sauce.
Chick-fil-A is not without controversy. The chain continues to receive backlash for its CEO's 2012 comments in opposition to same-sex marriage. The chain also continues to donate to groups that critics say are anti-gay. But its controversy does not always dissuade customers, with Business Insider readers saying the chain has the best food, customer service, and bathrooms.
Zaxby's offers everything from wing and tenders to grilled chicken and sandwiches.
Zaxby's boasts "absolutely craveable chicken."It's not the biggest chicken chain in America, but it is growing rapidly. Zaxby's has an extensive menu filled with wings, tenders, grilled chicken, chicken sandwiches, and a whole heap of sides.
If you're indecisive, Zaxby's offers a combo deal where you can try wings and things to get a taste of different items and flavors. It's all about dunking the chicken in the signature sauces at Zaxby's, and luckily, you can calculate your "saucenality" before making a choice.
Buffalo Wild Wings has a lot of options for fans of spicy food.
Sure, Buffalo Wild Wings is more of a bar food kind of place, but it also specializes in all things chicken. The chain started in Columbus, Ohio, in 1982 and you can now find one in each state. Buffalo Wild Wings is in the middle of a comeback after the Arby's parent company Inspire Brands acquired the restaurant in 2018. This includes adding a take-out window to increase emphasis on its to-go business.
But what makes Buffalo Wild Wings worth it? Variety. It has a huge selection of dry rubs and sauces to toss your wings in, depending on how spicy you can handle your food. The classic buffalo wings are a good place to start if you're having trouble navigating the menu.
Read more: We tested Buffalo Wild Wings against its biggest competitor — here's the verdict
Bojangles is a Southern chain known for its chicken and biscuits.
Bojangles was founded in 1977 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has expanded to over 728 locations in the South. The chain is known for its chicken and biscuits and says that its chicken is never frozen. It also has a reputation for adding a Cajun flair to its meals. The regional chicken chain has been on an expansion spree over the past two years, hoping to catch up to its rival, Church's Chicken.
The menu is simple with options such as the Cajun filet sandwich and two-piece dinner with a leg and thigh. But it's all about Bojangles' chicken supremes, which are crunchy chicken tenders that go great with a freshly baked biscuit.
You can order spicy or original chicken combos at Church's Chicken.
At Church's Chicken, you'll be greeted with big portions and a "down-home" flavor. The chain first opened as a "fried chicken to-go" restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, in 1952. Now, it has over 1,000 locations worldwide.
The menu is simple and a popular order is a two-piece combo or the tender strips. Each meal comes with the option to choose between spicy or original chicken.
Raising Cane's is the go-to restaurant for chicken fingers.
Raising Cane's is one of the lesser-known chains on this list, but it shouldn't be overlooked. The chicken restaurant started in Louisiana and has since spread across the South, with just over 430 locations in America.
It's all about fried chicken here as it offers a limited menu of chicken fingers, fries, coleslaw, and toast. But what it lacks in options, it makes up in quality. Its focus is on cooking crispy chicken fingers, which are even placed onto a sandwich. Raising Cane's provides a tasty Southern meal that gets better when you dunk everything in Cane's sauce.
KFC's fried chicken is rolled in a secret blend of herbs and spices.
The Louisville-based chain began cooking crispy fried chicken over 70 years ago. Now, the Kentucky company has expanded to over 21,000 locations in 130 countries. KFC's slogan is "Finger Lickin' Good!" and many people seem to agree.
The fried chicken is rolled in a secret blend of herbs and spices and then pressure cooked for a better taste. Popular items include the extra crispy chicken bucket, popcorn chicken, and the crispy colonel sandwich. The president of KFC's US business told Business Insider that the chain plans to innovate its menu in 2019 to include options such as chicken and waffles and Cinnabon biscuits.
PDQ offers a variety of sandwiches, including Honey Butter and Grilled Chicken.
PDQ stands for "People Dedicated to Quality" and that's the mission at this fast-food restaurant. It first appeared in Tampa, Florida, in 2011 and has since expanded to locations across 11 states.
PDQ likes to keep it fresh and fast by using farm-fresh chicken. The menu is full of nuggets, tenders, salads, and a variety of sandwiches, including Honey Butter Chicken and Pimento Crunch.
- Read more:
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