Move over doughnuts and tacos, there's a new food trend in Toronto. An amazing and iconic meal, fried chicken has been making appearances on menus all across the city. From Southern-fried to Korean barbecue to juicy chicken tenders — it's a menu item diverse enough for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Now don’t call fowl on this list, because we’ve gone and dug up the top six fried chicken joints in the city...
If you haven’t been to Kensington Market to check out Chef Adrian Forte’s Northern Fried creations, get up and get down there. Dirty Bird differs from the pack in their batter: maple sugar is infused into it to give it a hit of sweetness with the crispiness. There are several staple dishes with different takes on the chicken (our favourite: The Clucker), all served with a waffle and a side. Bonus: the batter is also gluten-free.
Home of the Brave
Entertainment District
The mandate here? Make 'in your face' food that’s exceptional. Chef Nate Middleton is the creative mastermind behind the beautiful but ballsy Kentucky Handshake Sandwich - a fried chicken sandwich that comes with a chicken foot dangling out of it. If that’s not quite your speed, check out their equally impressive Chicken & Waffles. Either way, you're in good hands.
There's a strong focus on traditional BBQ methods here with dry curing, ageing, and smoking resulting in crunchy buttermilk coated chicken with a punchy seasoning and arguably some of the best southern fried chicken in town But don't just take our word for it, The Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives have also paid it a visit and agree.
The crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside Southern Fried Chicken is a staple on this Junction haunt's menu. It arrives with hearty portions of potato salad and their housemade ranch sauce and hot & honey mustard. It will no doubt leave you parched so it's a good thing you have their impressive craft beer selection (including Broken Hipster and the Instigator) at arms length.
Down on Dundas West is the fusion mastery of Chef Craig Wong - dubbed Caribbean and Asian soul food. One of the most memorable dishes on the menu is the Juicy Jerk Chicken ($19 Full Order / $13 Half) and it’s as awesome as it sounds. Rubbed in a traditional Jamaican spice, the chicken is cooked on a Portuguese-style rotisserie or if you’re feeling a little saucy, you can get it fried with sweet Sriracha sauce.
Toronto chef David Adjey opened the The Chickery in 2012 offering all-natural, fresh and never frozen chicken in a fast-casual space. Regular items include their signature buttermilk chicken fingers, parmesan spiked chicken feathers and rotisserie chicken. There are rumours that if you drop in some days during lunch time, you might see Adjey behind the fryer. Might be totally worth braving the lunchtime lineup.
