Canada’s popular fast food fried chicken ranked from worst to best

We’ve ranked fast food fried chicken sandwiches before, but what about a critical look at the OG of all chicken dishes at fast food restaurants? Simple and simple fried chicken.

That’s right – no buns, no lettuce, just chicken in its true form, cooked and crispy. We are talking about chicken pieces, nuggets, fillets and fries.

For chicken purists, these kinds of orders are our jam. You can mix and match the sauces and in some cases even go for different spices. There’s nothing wrong with a pocket chicken, but sometimes that version of our favorite protein is just different.

The big question is, which one reigns supreme when it comes to quick and delicious chicken bites? Here is our arbitrary ranking of popular fast food fried chickens, ranked from worst to best.

9. Burger King

Have you ever heard a friend say they crave Burger King chicken? We neither.

There’s nothing wrong on the outside with the chicken offerings here, but personally we’d go for a piece of bone-in chicken from an alternative location to this brand’s signature chicken fries every day.

8. Tim Hortons

This one just doesn’t calculate. If it’s not a cup of Joe, a donut, or a bagel, we probably won’t order it from Tim Hortons.

Unfortunately for seasoned chicken strips, that means they are coming down the list. If we buy chicken from Tim Hortons, it will be chicken noodle soup.

7. McDonald’s

Whether you like them or not, McNuggets are an iconic fast food chicken dish and are clearly here to stay. People are usually McNuggets fans or they aren’t – it’s one or the other.

While an order from these guys is never really bad, they get a little boring and just don’t seem to slap as hard as some of the other tracks on this leaderboard.

6. A&W

While the A&W Teen Burger is our handheld of choice in this chain, you can’t really go wrong with the chicken fillets here, either. It’s sort of an intermediate chicken offering. We don’t want to, but we certainly wouldn’t refuse it.

This brand also tried to make the chicken life more accessible to vegan / vegetarian customers with the launch of its plant-based nuggets a few years ago.

5. DQ

Much like A&W, DQ is often the kind of place where you find yourself eating chicken by chance and not by choice.

By that we mean we wouldn’t necessarily be going here to get our fix, but ordering the Chicken Strips Basket with a Blizzard doesn’t feel like a chore, either.

4. Wendy’s

We prefer Wendy’s Classic Bacon Chicken Strips. There, we said it.

Sorry not sorry, but if you’ve slept on the homemade version of Wendy’s fast food fried chicken, we’re sorry for you. This deal paired with Frosty and Wendy’s frozen fries is just about the perfect meal.

3. Church chicken

Another cheap and cheerful addition to our list, Church’s has tons of locations across Canada and plans to continue to grow.

This American franchise has been serving fried chicken for over 65 years and has several branches in British Columbia, Ontario and a handful in Alberta as well. We’re fans of Church’s and think he’s a solid chicken offering on his own and also as part of a combo.

2. Popeyes

We’ve loved Popeyes’ signature tender, tender chicken for years, but we’re also big fans of the US-based chain’s new chicken nuggets. These juicy, crispy and crisp pieces are hand breaded and breaded in buttermilk.

Bites are always fried fresh and can be paired with Popeyes sauces like Bayou Buffalo, BoldBQ, Blackened Ranch, Buttermilk Ranch, Wild Honey Mustard, and Sweet Heat.

1. Mary Brown

Mary Brown’s signature chicken is actually what put it on the map, but that doesn’t mean it automatically gets # 1 on this list. We really love the chicken in this joint and to top it off? The brand is Canadian.

It is known for offering an exclusive chicken menu made with whole, fresh and local Canadian Grade A chicken, as well as dishes like taters and coleslaw.

The national quick service restaurant was founded in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador in 1969 and has since grown to operate nearly 200 locations across the country.

Big kisses from the chef to you and your chicken, Mary Brown’s!

If you’re reading this and feeling frustrated with the results, definitely don’t take a look at our list of Canada’s most popular pizza chains ranked from worst to best.