All you vegetarians out there, scroll to another story. Because this one is about that first bite into a succulent piece of chicken, piping hot, embedded in its perfectly spiced, crispy golden coating. Your fingers will get greasy, you’ll run through a dozen napkins, you’ll get crumbs everywhere, but it’s worth it, because a piece of fried chicken—if it’s done right—can be a form of prayer to the barnyard gods. The best experience is in your own or someone else’s kitchen, but if you have to find your chicken via fast food, the best place to go is Jollibee, according to USA Today 10 Best. The top 10 list of best fast food chicken spots was first selected by the paper's editors and dining experts, then put to readers to vote. It is giving us a literal understanding of the phrase winner, winner, chicken dinner.
Jollibee, a fast food chain that started in the Philippines and now has 100 U.S. locations. The first one opened in Daly City, California, in 1998. Jollibee serves a lot of items off its menu and the standout is Chickenjoy, a marinated and hand-breaded fried chicken that comes with savory gravy on the side. As with most places, you can order it regular or spicy. For Filipinos, it’s nostalgic food with much more juicy chicken than you find in other fast food places in the U.S.
In second place is Pollo Campero, a Guatemalan company which began in 1971 and came to the U.S in 2002 with a location in Los Angeles. It’s now grown to about 140 restaurants. Their fried chicken comes with either a dinner roll or tortillas, and the sides are better than the typical American French fries: you can order yuca fries, sweet plantains, or Campero beans made with ancho and chipotle peppers.
The third-best fried chicken right now is Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken. This Ohio-based franchise offers honey-dipped hand-breaded chicken that is then pressure-fried. Southern-style sides include smoky green beans, baked beans and, of course, flaky biscuits.
Of course, now that you’ve read this far, you’re obliged to be dreaming of fried chicken so hot it almost burns your fingers and your tongue—we know we are.
The top 10 best fast food fried chicken:
1. Jolliebee
2. Pollo Campero
3. Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken
4. Church’s Texas Chicken
5. Guthrie’s Chicken
6. Krispy Krunchy Chicken
7. Golden Chick
8. KFC –we knew we’d see you somewhere, old man chicken!
9. Chick-fil-A
10. Popeyes