The best fried chicken sandwiches in L.A.

Since first opening in 2015, Howlin’ Ray’s has spawned dozens of Nashville hot chicken sandwich imitators—many of which I’ve tried, and most of which I’ve found lacking. The sole exception, which manages to best the original, is North Hollywood’s Humble Bird, opened by former Howlin’ employees Louis Silva and Brandon Walthrop in 2021. Even at higher spice levels, the bone-in chicken here offers a depth of flavor that manages to cut through the burn (which I haven’t found to be the case at Howlin’ Ray’s). Somehow, Humble Bird reaches heights of fried chicken sandwich excellence I hadn’t thought possible with a juicy, perfectly cooked chicken breast and the perfect ratio of slaw, pickles and “comeback” (chili-inflected ketchup and mayo) sauce. If you consider yourself a Nashville hot chicken superfan, give Humble Bird a try. You’ll be glad you did.

Holy hot chicken! Howlin’ Ray’s Johnny Zone spent his early career working with the likes of Thomas Keller and Gordon Ramsay, but he’s more famous these days for being the chef who started L.A.’s Nashville hot chicken craze. Fried up and served by a dedicated, high-energy crew that keeps morale high when lines get long (and boy, do they get long), the wildly craveable chicken sandwich doesn’t hold any punches on flavor—or heat, for that matter. While you can choose between ordering the sandwich “hot” or “not,” we can’t see why anyone would want to forgo the face-tingling euphoria of Nashville hot chicken, here with a little extra sweetness. The butter bun, cabbage slaw, pickles and Southern spread help balance out the heat to keep each bite as delicious as the last. A newer Pasadena location offers more ample seating, plus beer and wine for on-site diners, but the Far East Plaza original still accepts walk-in orders and even offers local delivery.

After closing her critically acclaimed restaurant, Nightshade, during the pandemic, Mei Lin opened up this fast-casual hot fried chicken takeout operation—and boy, am I glad she did. Perched in a Silver Lake-adjacent strip mall, Daybird’s sandwich distinguishes itself with a unique Sichuan-style spice blend that delivers a dose of heat from a different part of the globe. Coated in rice flour and fried in rice bran oil, the lightweight, crispy pieces of jidori chicken seem to shatter on first bite in an enormous fried chicken sandwich piled high with jalapeño cabbage slaw. A massive plank of breaded Jidori chicken juts out of each sandwich, so you get an all-in-one tender and a sandwich experience. In short, it’s sheer culinary genius—and if you aren’t a fan of not being able to feel the bottom half of your face after a meal, Daybird now offers a much milder Taiwanese popcorn chicken spice blend.

This Beverly Hills neighborhood joint might be an upscale chain restaurant, but the Ding’s crispy chicken sandwich by Hillstone Restaurant Group continues to occupy prime real estate in the hearts and minds of fried chicken sandwich-loving Angelenos. The combination of baby Swiss cheese, sliced tomato and a thick layer of kale salad slaw atop a chicken cutlet is still a winner today, even amid the citywide explosion in chicken sandwich options. Since Hillstone is a chain, you can also snag this same exact sandwich at R+D Kitchen and Hillstone in Santa Monica, Houston’s in Pasadena and the other Honor Bar up the coast in Montecito.

Inside a cramped West 8th Street strip mall, this new-school Korean fried chicken joint serves one of the best fried chicken sandwiches in town. While you can take or leave the regular chicken (and honestly, given the number of amazing Korean fried chicken joints, we’d leave it), Chimmelier offers a surprisingly delicious, Korean-inflected take on the humble fried chicken sandwich. A crispy chicken breast gets topped with a spicy pickled red cabbage slaw, dashi mayo, perilla leaf and lacto-fermented pickles. It’s massive and crunchy, and all those pickled goods give each bite a refreshing edge. There’s more than fried chicken, too, with sides such as chapsal cheese balls, cauliflower nuggets, and kimchi fried rice packed into a Shin Ramyun cup. You can also catch Chimmelier every Sunday at Smorgasburg in the Arts District.

We aren’t the hugest fans of the tenders and buckets at Tokyo Fried Chicken, which recently moved to Downtown L.A. from Monterey Park. Kouji Yamanashi’s Southern-style batter with vaguely Japanese seasoning strikes us as a premium mediocre version of KFC rather than anything truly exceptional. That being said, we loved Tokyo Fried Chicken’s newer fried chicken sandwich, which offers an oversized chicken thigh with Japanese-style kewpie mayo and pickles on a housemade milkbread bun. Each bite is enveloped in just enough creaminess to balance the craggy bite of chicken, and the sandwich comes with excellent seasoned housemade potato chips.

This stall inside Culver City’s Citizen Public Market serves a mouthwatering gourmet fried chicken sandwich that delivers just a touch of heat—or none at all, if that’s more your style. Inspired by chef Brandon Kida’s childhood in Los Angeles, the deep-brown crust mimics L.A.’s classic, mostly long-gone Pioneer Chicken, but the Japanese-leaning marinade nods to Little Tokyo with white soy, kombu, shiitake and bonito flakes. Go Go Bird invokes Chinatown by finishing off the chicken with Sichuan chili oil and a light dusting of chili pepper. The end result? An extremely craveworthy, only-in-L.A. fried chicken sandwich that’s worth trekking for—and navigating downtown Culver City’s confusing new lane configurations. (Tip: During rush hour, stick to Venice Boulevard and park in the Cardiff parking structure.)

Let’s face it: Most lunchtime fried chicken sandos will leave you in a food coma, but the Li’l Chicky Sando at this all-day café in West Adams (with a soon-to-open location in Highland Park) offers a lighter, still flavorful take on the dish. Chef Kat Turner uses tempura-fried chicken breast, creamy labneh, kewpie mayo and mint-spiked coleslaw on an oblong-shaped milk bun for one of the best fried chicken sandwiches in the city. The pickled onions and refreshing slaw counter the richness of the fried chicken for a satisfying snack or light meal.

Sure, Long Beach’s prime tiki den is full of some of the most fun drinks and best vinyl nights in the area, but it’s also home to one of L.A.’s most innovative fried chicken sandwiches. Forget a classic buttermilk brine—Bamboo Club adds Thai tea leaves to its mixture, soaking plump chicken breast in a flavorful marinade that lends the final product a creamy and familiar note, sans the sweetness from condensed milk you’d regularly find in the drink. There’s so much flavor in that tea-spiked brine, the final product gets imparted with earthy, complex notes making this chicken sandwich fun, creative and unlike any other in town. The buttery bun gets a slick of spicy house aioli, while it gets a little relief from a sweet, crisp cabbage slaw. Pair with a mai tai or three.

Once one of L.A.’s most beloved off-menu items and now one of L.A.’s iconic, no-longer-secret dishes, Night + Market’s crispy chicken thigh sandwich is a must-order whenever you’re at one of Kris Yembamroong’s party-hearty Thai restaurants. Surrounded by the curries and pastrami drunken noodles, though, you’ll want to save room for this Northern Thai-style chicken sandwich, which fries its bird skin-on for even more crunch and flavor. It’s hearty, and topped by papaya slaw, ranch dressing, cilantro and the sweet heat of jalapeños—all of which all pairs perfectly with a crisp Singha beer or any one of chef-owner Kris Yenbamroong’s favorite natural wines on offer.

This Gardena strip mall joint offers excellent fried chicken in the three ways most people enjoy: inside a sandwich, plus tenders and wings. You can get your chicken in 12 unique “flavas,” including lemon pepper, traditional, garlic parmesan and “Cali Heat,” Fyrebird’s take on a Nashville-style dry rub. While I’ve yet to try every single flavor and combination, I’ve found the quality to be remarkably consistent across all three menu items, particularly the tenders and wings. Plus, the fried chicken sandwich is easily one of the best in the South Bay, and a worthy contender for those who enjoy lemon pepper or saucy chicken flavors. Be sure to note there’s actually a patio out back for dining in—so you can enjoy your chicken minutes after it’s been plucked from the fryer basket.

At David Kuo’s new gourmet mini-mart in Mar Vista, you’ll find breakfast burritos, burgers, pizza and a surprisingly flavorful fried chicken sandwich. With elements of Taiwanese popcorn chicken, the Fatty Mart fried chicken sandwich—lifted from Little Fatty's old late-night menu—is one of the delicious fried chicken sandwiches on the Westside. Dredged in a five-spice and white pepper spice blend, Fatty Mart’s fried chicken thigh offers a lightweight sweet potato crust batter that balances out the housemade jalapeño coleslaw and Calabrian chili aioli. Compared to other sandos around town, the flavor doesn’t pack as much of a punch at first, but you’ll find yourself polishing it off to the very last bite before you even realize.

Jonathan Perez already makes some of the city’s best tacos at Boyle Heights’ Milpa Grille, but his newer brunch residency at this neighborhood bar nearby also offers one of the most delicious fried chicken sandwiches in town. The kitchen drizzles honey and salsa macha all over each piece of fried chicken, tops the whole thing off with cheesy scrambled eggs and sandwiches it between two halves of a brioche bun anointed with garlic aioli. For fried chicken sandwich lovers, it’s a destination-worthy brunch bite, available Tuesday through Saturday from 8am to 2pm. Just be careful with the heat—Perez doesn’t mess around with spice.

This Chinatown brick-and-mortar sandwich shop (with a second location in San Gabriel) sells katsu and curry hot from the kitchen, plus cold and to-go sandos, onigiri and salads from the conbini-inspired refrigerated section. When it comes to those hot sandwiches, they come scorching-fresh from the fryer with a thin layer of crispy, crunchy coating. Flashier options such as the walnut shrimp sando and the special wagyu katsu steal the spotlight, but the  classic chicken katsu deserve just as much praise, especially once they’re dunked into Katsu Sando’s tasty gochujang aioli. Here, the team uses Jidori chicken and breads and fries it to still-succulent perfection, then tops it with a light slaw before surrounding it with fresh house-baked milk bread.