The Fast Food Chain With High-Quality Chicken In Its Tacos

When we think of fast food, we often think of burgers and fries. And while they still reign supreme as the most popular fast food item, chicken is coming for the crown. These days, you'll have a really tough time finding a joint that doesn't have at least one form of chicken on the menu: Seriously, even Long John Silver's hopped on the trend. But not all offerings are created equal. To separate the hits from the misses, our Food Republic taste tester diligently compiled a list of the best and worst quality chicken you'll find at fast food restaurants. Contained within were some unexpected flops, but one chain that unsurprisingly hit the mark was Chipotle, whose chicken was praised for a trifecta of freshness, quality, and amazing flavors.

Before you jump in, we know that Chipotle isn't — technically — fast food: it's a fast casual chain, but we won't get into semantics here. Another thing that sets Chipotle apart from its competitors is how it prepares its chicken. Many lower-ranked chains, like KFC, McDonald's, and Taco Bell, coat their chicken in breading and deep fry them. While there's nothing inherently wrong with that, Chipotle breaks that mold by grilling its chicken on flat-top griddles, creating a distinctive crispy, smoky char while locking in the juices.

Another reason why Chipotle's chicken is simply on another level comes down to the time and effort that's put in. The chicken is marinated overnight, allowing the rich, smoky adobo marinade to soak deep into the meat and tenderize its texture. Chipotle also chooses its chicken wisely, opting for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. This cut is exceptionally well-suited to grilling; the higher fat and collagen content keeps the meat juicy and flavorful over high heat, making it far more forgiving than lean chicken breasts.

If you ever find yourself on the other side of the Chipotle counter, you might be surprised by the absence of freezers. This is no accidental omission. As the chain proudly tells customers, it's part of its "For Real" brand promise, which maintains that all 53 of its ingredients — including chicken — are prepared daily using fresh, real ingredients stored only in walk-in refrigerators.

According to Chipotle, in 2017 alone it purchased a staggering 140 million pounds of chicken. It's no surprise, then, that chicken is Chipotle's top-selling protein, so it's essential the chain keeps its quality top-notch. Naturally, that starts at the farms where the chickens are raised. Unlike many other major food chains, Chipotle exclusively sources chickens raised without any added hormones or antibiotics, and sustainably reared. The birds are also fed a 100% vegetarian diet. On paper, that all sounds pretty promising, and it's reassuring to see a brand committing to better welfare standards.

However, it's not all good news. In 2017, Chipotle announced it would align its chicken supply with the Global Animal Partnership's Standard for Broiler Chickens by 2024. However, the chain has come under fire for missing that pledge. Critics slammed the chain for not fully transitioning to slower-growing breeds, and for still relying on live-shackle slaughter instead of the more humane controlled-atmosphere processing. As of 2026, there's been no word from Chipotle as to whether or not it's implemented these changes, so there's still a lot of work to do if it wants to make good on its original pledge.