LDNGuide
17 Spots For Great Fried Chicken In London
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
A tempting golden-labradoodle-like exterior, crispy coating, and juicy meat inside. Few things have the same kind of presence that fried chicken does in London. From six hot wings for three quid to crispy bags of Taiwanese crunch, these are the spots to head to when you’re craving fried chicken.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Few things warm the soul like a group of friends alongside a basket of fried chicken, and CheeMc is one of London’s go-to spots for such a pleasure. The low-key Korean restaurant has locations in Elephant and Castle and Soho and is best known for its KFC that comes in seven different flavours. Our favourite is the honey chilli, which is equal parts sweet and spicy, though the spicy gochoo is also great. Particularly because it’ll have you fighting back tears for multiple reasons when it comes down to that last wing.
photo credit: Jake Missing
The golden, jagged fried chicken from Maureen’s is the kind that you’ll find yourself wistfully dreaming about while sitting in the office or laying in bed at home. Maureen runs her Brixton home kitchen like a Jamaican restaurant and her fried chicken takes finger licking to a whole new level. What seasoning and technique has been applied to these addictive drumsticks and thighs? We can’t say for certain. All we know is that this chicken exists in our heads permanently. Glowing, juicy, and waiting to be stripped to the bone.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
According to the internet, there are over 8,000 fried chicken shops in London, but there’s only one Chick King. Or at least one that you should definitely be seeking out. This rain-or-shine Tottenham takeaway is pilgrimage-worthy for many people. The chicken is succulent (but never greasy), seasoned to perfection (but never too salty), and supremely crunchy (but never a risk to those of us with fillings).
photo credit: Mike Tsang - Fresh Mike Studio
You could get a pile of fried wings or a pot of popcorn chicken at Sichuan Fry, but its fried chicken comes into its own when sandwiched—and covered in tingly spices. Our go-to order at the Hackney fried chicken joint (from the people behind Dumpling Shack) is the hot Sichuan sandwich. Everything works in exquisite harmony: the soft potato bun; the crunchy, juicy, hot chicken thigh; sweet and spicy mala-spiked honey sauce; and tangy pickles and slaw.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Kaieteur Kitchen’s often elusive fried chicken is worth seeking out. The Guyanese spot in Elephant and Castle has an ever-changing, ever-delicious menu that doesn’t guarantee the inclusion of its spiced golden chicken. The crunchy fried pieces are served on and off the bone, with a batter that takes no prisoners and a subtle hint of peppery seasoning. Ask for some scotch bonnet and mango chilli sauce on the side—and take some home with you while you’re at it.
The chicken broasted at this excellent Syrian spot in Willesden Green is the kind of thing you’d happily travel across London to get your hands on. From the crunchy, sweet breading that clings to every succulent piece of meat, to the selection of pickles, the pot of creamy toum, and the chipped potatoes that come with it, it’s moving and memorable stuff. You might be tempted to get a single-person half-chicken order. Don’t. The spices in this chicken make it taste even better the next day.
Covered in a thin, lightly spiced, crispy batter, the crunch on the chicken wings at this homely Malaysian spot inside Queensway Market is going to erase any tolerance you may have once had for mediocre fried chicken. Below that crispy exterior, you’ll find enough tender, juicy meat to actually satisfy you. And the best part is, if you prefer your chicken with no bones, there are some equally delicious boneless chicken bites on the menu.
As Londoners, we’re inherently suspicious of huge food halls. Especially one with such close proximity to Oxford Street. And yet, Arcade Food Hall (from the group behind Brigadiers and Hoppers) has mastered it. As well as table service and a well-stocked bar, you’ll find Manna and its excellent Nashville hot chicken. The move here is the bun with an imperfectly formed piece of fried chicken breast, deep red and glistening from the cayenne-heavy hot oil, a slice of cheese, some much-appreciated pickles, and an orangey-pink creamy house sauce. Get a side of waffle fries as well, because…waffle fries.
Tongdak’s menu has seven different chicken seasonings, from honey butter and garlic soya to yangnyeom and white spices. But the star of the show at this Korean spot in New Maladen is the fried original. Made to order, you’ll get a mix of drums, flats, and wings, hand-battered and fried to golden, crispy perfection, which is well worth the 20-30 minute wait (on a quiet day) for them to be freshly prepared.
Inconsistency is a perennial problem when it comes to fried chicken, but not when it comes to Bao’s Taiwanese fried chicken. The batter is light but significant, more rain jacket than parka, and the ratio of white meat to crunch is pretty, pretty good. Hot sauce-wise, we’re talking a sharp vinegary number drizzled on top. Ask for some extra on the side and ask for another portion of chicken after your first. Four or five pieces won’t touch the sides.
A restaurant that doesn’t market itself as a fried chicken expert (and yet somehow manages to serve some of our favourite in London), Imone is a small Korean spot on New Malden High Street that serves addictive kan pung gi. Apart from the fun-sized fried chicken bites, the incredible smoky, spicy sauce is the reason why we love this dish. Yes, you’ll try to pace yourself. You’ll try to politely pretend you’re OK with your friend taking another piece. But ultimately, this chicken is so good that you’ll be willing to fight for the last piece.
The south London fried chicken shop chain is an undisputed heavyweight when it comes to consistent (and consistently absurd-value) hot wings and pieces, fried and coated in a peppery spice mix. A single spicy wing will cost you 80p or so and it’s pretty much always a good way to spend a few quid.
An order of Dominican fried chicken at La Barra is a glorious celebration of the fact that you will be doing absolutely nothing for the foreseeable. The Elephant and Castle restaurant underplays its humbly named five-piece plate of chicken considering it also comes with plantain and a pile of chicharrónes, which makes it look like it could feed you through the apocalypse. The chicken, coated in a thick vortex of swirling deep-fried crunch, is superb. Just don’t forget to drizzle it with lemon, get some homemade chilli sauce on the side, and cancel all plans.
OK, let’s get down to the facts about Kricket’s Keralan fried chicken. Keralan cuisine is known for its use of chillies, curry leaves, and turmeric. Another fact: chicken thighs taste fantastic when marinated in all of the above. The spice mixture is punchy and the skin has a crunchy, almost dusty, texture—in the best way possible. Plus, the curry leaf mayonnaise that comes on the side is highly dippable.
Smoking Goat’s chilli fish sauce wings are serious business. They’re sweet, they’re sour, they’ve got a crunch that can do serious damage to the top of your mouth. And the sauce—golden in colour and in feeling—is something we’d happily pour all over ourselves. Get to this Thai restaurant in Shoreditch, stat.
This Taiwanese chicken spot in Chinatown lives to serve central London’s crispy chicken needs. We like Good Friend’s popcorn best, or you can get a big old flattened, crispy breast if you’re really hungry. After that, the only decision to make is which of the 11 seasonings you should shake over your chicken. Plum and chilli is our move.
Even if your go-to chicken shop order is a burger or strips, there’s no way you want to miss out on the hot wings at Eden’s Cottage. In fact, if you’re around Finsbury Park and getting your hot wings somewhere else, you’re missing out. They’re consistently excellent at this glowing chicken shop. The bread coating is never greasy, there’s always the perfect amount of crunch, and the chicken itself packs the kind of subtle heat you only get with an expert marinade.
