Fast Food Chicken Chains Ranked Worst To Best

As America falls more and more in love with

chicken

, the number of

chicken

chains

seems to grow by the day. However, you don't have to go out and try every restaurant. Instead, dig into this finger-licking good ranking of the most popular

fast

food

chicken

chains

, in order from

worst

to

best

. You can find Champs Chicken at gas stations and convenience stores nationwide. That fact shouldn't deter you from trying it, though, because there's plenty of great

food

to be found at gas stations. What should turn you away from Champs Chicken is the fact that they have terrible chicken.

First of all, Champs Chicken apparently hunts the skinniest chickens available. They then manage to undercook the skin and simultaneously overcook the meat. The result is mealy, greasy skin wrapped around tasteless slivers of meat. Order a drumstick and you'll feel like you're biting into a sandy shoe. Champs Chicken exists because it is conveniently located and affordable. If you really care about the taste of your chicken, you'll go some extra mile and spend a little more money to find an alternative worth eating. Boston Market has been known for its comfort food and amazing roast chicken for decades. However, in recent years, the quality of their chicken has decreased drastically.

What used to be a reliable place to find tender, juicy chicken and other delicacies is now an inconsistent restaurant where the chicken is often more rubbery than juicy and the seasoning is milder than ever. It's not just the quality of the chicken that seems to be causing Boston Market's demise. It's the fact that you can find rotisserie chicken in almost every grocery store these days. When you can get a perfectly cooked bird at Costco for $4.99, why would you venture to Boston Market for a more expensive, less appetizing meal? KFC used to be the go-to chicken place for almost everyone in the country.

But over the years, its inconsistency has caused many people to turn to other alternatives. Sometimes, you'll hit the jackpot and the chicken will turn out perfect, but those moments are few and far between these days. "It's still finger-lickin' good!" The breading in its Original Recipe is usually spicy and flavorful, but the chicken meat itself is usually greasy. If you abandon the original recipe and go for Extra Crispy, it will almost always be too crispy. Even though you want to feel the crunch, it shouldn't be difficult to bite into the chicken. Sometimes it is so cooked that the chicken meat inside has practically turned into dust.

What KFC still does well is its mashed potatoes with gravy and its flaky, buttery biscuits. So if you want to eat your sides at KFC and get your chicken somewhere else, that's perfectly acceptable. The Lee of Lee's Famous is Lee Cummings, and if that name doesn't sound famous to you, you probably know his uncle: Harland Sanders, as in KFC's Colonel Sanders. The story goes that Cummings had access to the Sanders family's spice mix, as he was the one who helped Sanders sell his chicken in the early days. Before long, he developed his own famous recipe. Of course, many assume that Lee's famous recipe has the same 11 herbs and spices as the Colonel's.

Lee's is definitely in the KFC flavor range. In fact, it may be better. Lee's contains a little more pepper than KFC and the chicken is much more consistent. It is cooked fresh, never frozen, and has a more succulent flavor than the Colonel's. The breading really shines on the breast strips. You might try Lee's for the novelty of the KFC comparison, but then you'll be pleasantly surprised by the taste to make it a regular dinner choice. When it comes to fried chicken breading, Church's Chicken offers the

best

. The freshness, the seasoning, everything is just perfect. But then, when you take a giant bite, your mouth quickly fills with disappointment.

The quality of the chicken just isn't there. While sometimes you can get lucky and get a piece of fresh chicken, most visits to Church's Chicken result in the feeling that this chicken meat sat another day or two in the freezer. Where the Church redeems itself is with its cookies. If you haven't tried Church's cookies, you're missing out. These cookies are buttery and flaky, and glazed with a gooey butter-honey heaven. Does the happiness of these cookies make up for their questionable chicken? Almost, but not quite. When it comes to chicken restaurants, Zaxby's is firmly in the middle of the pack.

While the chicken quality is excellent at some Zaxby's locations, others fail with tough meat that just tastes, well, old. It really depends on the location and time of day. At Zaxby's, if you're in the mood for a sandwich, stay away from the Chicken Fingers Sandwich. It just doesn't work. Instead, opt for their Kickin' Chicken on Texas Toast. The use of ranch dressing and their Tongue Torch sauce really offers a memorable flavor combination. While they have a lot to offer on their menu, including Zalads, Zappetizers, and sides, their traditional bone-in wings are the only other chicken offering worthy of a good recommendation.

How many types of chicken does Raising Cane's offer? Just one: chicken wings. Sure, you can have them in different size combinations or put them on a Kaiser bun on your sandwich, but the entire menu is still just chicken wings. In other words, they're a one-trick pony, and if you only have one trick, you better do it right. Luckily for Cane, they're pretty good at it. Their breading isn't too spicy, and that's probably because they count on you to dip your fingers in their “Cane Sauce.” Even on its own, Cane's Chicken holds its own with juicy fingers and the perfect crunch to make it the place you'll want to frequent.

Sometimes doing just one thing is enough when it's done well. If you're in the mood for chicken wings, look for the nearest Bonchon. However, don't expect to find traditional wings when you peruse their menu. Their perfectly seasoned chicken is double-fried for crispy, juicy wings that are some of the best you'll ever taste. You don't have many flavor options at Bonchon. It can be with soy garlic, spicy or Half N' Half. And honestly, the Half N' Half is your best option, because both the Soy Garlic and the Spicy are very good. Bonchon wings may be a little more expensive than those at major wing chains, but you get a free side, which can range from fries to rice to pickled radishes.

If you fancy some wings from a national chain, your best option is undoubtedly Wingstop. Whether you prefer them boneless or boneless, Wingstop wings are always plump, fresh and juicy. You will never feel like you are being shortchanged when it comes to meat. However, the real pleasure of these perfect wings comes from the flavor options. If you want to increase the heat, its Atomic wings provide it. Mango Habanero is another spicy flavor that Wingstop has perfected. However, if you're a bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy foods, don't worry, you have plenty of other delicious options.

From the mild flavor to their incredibly buttery Garlic Parmesan and their sweet yet spicy Hawaiian, there is something for everyone at Wingstop. Look, we get it, they're wings, and if you're in the mood for chicken, they probably won't give you wings, but let's give credit where it's due: Wingstop makes chicken well. Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits is the go-to spot for many fans—with all-day break

fast

and out-of-this-universe cookies, it's easy to walk in anytime and grab some delicious chicken. But alas, there's a problem that even the biggest Bo-fan will notice: consistency varies from store to store.

If you are lucky enough to have more than one Bojangles in your danger zone, you could classify them as the "good" and the "bad." This is a common problem with Bojangles: when it's good it's oh-so-delicious, but when it's not, it's just another generic chicken joint. It would be unfair to rank them too high for that. If you like spicy and flavorful chicken, you'll love Krispy Krunchy Chicken. Like Champs, KKC is often found in convenience stores and gas stations. But unlike Champs, KKC is delicious. KKC offers crispy bone-in chicken, juicy steaks and delicious sandwiches. They also have an impressive variety of sides including French fries, honey butter cookies, jambalaya, macaroni and cheese, red beans and rice, and many more.

When visiting, your best bet is to keep things simple and gorge on the chicken and biscuits, as neither side really stands out. The chicken is meaty, never stringy or dry, and the crispy Cajun coating is what you'd expect to find at a Southern food joint. Jollibee offers a wide variety of dishes on its menu, from its Jolly Spaghetti in its sweet sauce made from banana ketchup to its Halo-Halo dessert, which is surprisingly good despite being made with beans. But let's talk about the star of the show at Jollibee: the chicken. Whether you're having a chicken sandwich, boneless chicken dip, or their bone-in Chickenjoy for breakfast, this fried chicken is exactly what it should be.

It is well seasoned and never dry. In addition, the chicken skin is perfectly cooked, always crispy, never rubbery. It's what most fried chicken strives to be. You won't find fried chicken at El Pollo Loco, but rather citrus-marinated, grilled, and super delicious chicken. You can get whole pieces of chicken served with sides and tortillas of your choice, or burritos, bowls, quesadillas, and other specialties. Although their combinations are simple, they are anything but basic. What makes El Pollo Loco chicken special is that it is extremely tender and juicy, but never too soft or slimy. The skin is never rubbery or burned.

A word of warning, though: stick with beans and rice on the side. Their macaroni and cheese is not flavorful and often a little runny, while their mashed potatoes and gravy don't pair well with the citrus flavor of their chicken. And don't forget to add your sauce to kick things up a notch. PDQ stands for People Dedicated to Quality, although their service is also quite fast. Their 100 percent natural chicken is hormone- and steroid-free and never frozen, and all of that makes a big difference in taste. They don't serve bone-in chicken, instead focusing on nuggets, salads, sandwiches and strips.

Their honey butter chicken sandwich is absolutely delicious. Crispy chicken is dipped in homemade honey butter and served on a toasted brioche bun with crunchy pickle slices. They also make all of their sauces and salad dressings daily. They offer nine tempting sauces for their juicy chicken, but Buffalo Bleu and Sweet Sriracha offer a bold, intense flavor that shouldn't be missed. In 2020, PDQ announced store closures in Arizona, after closing all Oklahoma and Texas locations before that; It is a difficult period for the chain, but that does not mean that they have lost quality; Give them a try if they are in your area and you will see how delicious it really is.

If you love spicy fried chicken, Popeyes is your place. Your chicken is magnificently crispy on the outside and exquisitely juicy on the inside. Bite after bite, place after place, excellence is constant. And while Popeyes has always been known for their bone-in fried chicken, in 2019 they took the chicken world by storm with the launch of the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich. "I've been trying to make the perfect chicken sandwich forever." "And how does that make you feel?" "You know me. I had to be perfect." This sandwich became an overnight viral sensation and sold out nationwide. It wasn't complicated, but it was absolutely one of the best chicken sandwiches ever made.

Fortunately, after a brief absence, it is now back for everyone to enjoy. Even if you're not a chicken sandwich fan, you can't go wrong with Popeyes' many other delicious options. Everything is good, from the drumsticks to the spicy steaks. This is the only problem with Popeye's: if you don't like super crispy chicken, this is not for you. And despite the juicy chicken, it tastes like… well, chicken. There is no additional flavor - the spice comes from the crunchy texture. It's excellent chicken, but it has reasonable flaws. Year after year, Chick-fil-A tops the American Customer Service Index and is named the best fast food restaurant in the country.

People can't get enough of the chicken and everything else on the menu. The secret to making the chicken so good is its brine: with a vinegar base it balances the perfect flavor that really hits the palate in the right way. Chick-fil-A nuggets are also a tasty fast food treat, especially when dipped in their magically sweet Polynesian sauce. Chicken isn't the only thing on Chick-fil-A's menu, but everything is equally delicious, from the shakes to the waffle fries. When it comes to chicken, Chick-fil-A is the tastiest: no gimmicks, no sauces, no super crispy; It is simply a superior tasting bird.

Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, there will be more Mashed fast food videos coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and press the bell so you don't miss a single one.