This Chain Gets J. Kenji López-Alt's Stamp Of Approval For Perfect Fried Chicken Crust

The chicken craze has taken the world by storm (and yes, we've rated the top fried chicken chains). From the expansion of fast food favorites like Raising Cane's to the mega-popularity of fine dining establishments like New York City's buzzworthy Coqodaq, fried chicken is having a major moment in popular cuisine. In fact, fried chicken chains are seeing nearly twice as much growth as their competitors, according to industry reports, and that trend is showing no signs of slowing. Even though there have been many heated online debates about which fast food fried chicken reigns supreme, there's one chain that many famous food folks, including James Beard Award-winning author and recipe developer J. Kenji López-Alt, have placed in the top spot: Popeye's.

"I have been known to say that Popeyes makes the best fried chicken in any city that has a Popeyes," López-Alt stated in a TikTok video reviewing the restaurant's limited-time pickle menu. "Obviously a bit of hyperbole there, but Popeye's makes some really good fried chicken." He's far from being the only culinary authority to claim the Louisiana-founded chain's superiority — even the late Anthony Bourdain was known to frequent Popeye's for an order of spicy chicken, mac and cheese, and a biscuit. When it comes to quality, much of what sets Popeye's apart from the crowd is skin deep. "They have the crust down perfect," López-Alt stated in a 2019 interview with Vice's now-defunct MUNCHIES. "They get crispy all over. There aren't any soggy spots."

While most people would agree that fast food often pales in comparison to dishes made from scratch at home, fried chicken is one of the few items that goes against the grain. Notably, many chefs agree that restaurant fried chicken always tastes better than what you make at home — and that isn't just a ploy to get more people to eat out. Food writer J. Kenji López-Alt agrees: "Fried chicken is one of those things that is very frequently better when you get it eaten out at a place that does huge volume," he said on TikTok. The reason crispy chicken sold at high-volume establishments tastes so good has everything to do with the unique equipment used to cook it: pressure fryers. "Pressure fryers are like pressure cookers except they have oil inside," López-Alt explained, "so they keep the chicken juicier; they cook it faster; they get it crispier."

For Popeye's specifically, the fat used to fry the chicken also makes all the difference. While many restaurants will use canola or vegetable oil for frying, Popeye's is known for using beef tallow when preparing its chicken. Cooking with beef tallow (which is beef fat that's been cooked off and filtered for purity) creates a uniquely crispy crust, while also imparting a subtle meaty taste that can't be duplicated with other oils. When used alongside Popeye's proprietary blend of Cajun spices, the result is craggly, flavor-packed chicken that keeps hungry crowds coming back for more.