6 Chain Restaurants With the Best Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Fried chicken connoisseurs understand the importance of a buttermilk marinade. When you marinate the pieces of chicken in the creamy solution, it ensures that they are juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and have the finish that most people appreciate. Where can you get the best buttermilk fried chicken? Here are 6 chain restaurants that serve the best buttermilk fried chicken.
Bojangles
Bojangles serves hand-breaded, buttermilk-marinated chicken that is pressure-cooked daily and best straight from the fryer. “Bojangles chicken is fabulous when it’s hot and fresh,” writes one Redditor. The only con? You won’t find them everywhere. “Love Bojangles. Wish they had them on the west coast,” adds another.
Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel’s traditional “Chicken Fried Chicken” is hand-breaded and delicious. One diner maintains that it is “very good” on Reddit, adding that the poultry pieces are “light, flavorful and juicy.” Another adds, “I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was. And the honey drizzled on it knocked it out of the park.”
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
12-hour buttermilk marinade, signature crunch.
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen prides itself on its signature chicken marinated for 12 hours in buttermilk, breaded with a “crunchy southern coating,” and “fried until golden brown.” “Popeyes makes the best chicken,” one Redditor shared. “Totally agree! I’ve even purposefully tried other fried chicken every chance I get to see if it may outrank Popeyes. Not even close! The mix of spices, crispiness, and juiciness is unmatched. Damn it, now I want some,” agreed another.
Gus’s World Famous
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken is hailed for its proprietary buttermilk-cayenne blend, hand-fried until crispy, resulting in spicy Southern-style fried chicken. “Best chicken and fixings I’ve had by far,” one Redditor states. “Agreed. Best fried chicken I’ve had, ever,” another agrees.
Raising Cane’s
Raising Cane’s has built its brand on fresh, hand-battered chicken tenders, crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, after a 24-hour buttermilk brining process. “Fresh Raising Cane’s literally melts in your mouth…they use the tenderloin part of the breast only,” says u/idontevenliftbrah. “100% best tenders in fast food market. They actually use real chicken tenderloins,” another writes.
Zaxby’s
Zaxby’s is a Southern chain that double-dredges its hand-breaded chicken fingers in buttermilk and seasoning. Famous for its crispy tenders and flavorful sauces, it was one of the first fast-food chains to center its menu on chicken fingers. The chain also offers Texas toast, coleslaw, tea, lemonade, and “tater chips.”