Fast Food Chains Are in a Chicken Craze

Chicken is having a moment. Once seen as a sidekick to burgers and fries, chicken—especially crispy chicken—is rapidly taking the spotlight on fast food menus nationwide, and NBC News reports the reason is simple: There's a huge demand. According to a recent industry report, chicken-centric chains like Wingstop were among the top performers in 2024, while chicken was featured in nearly 40% of all Grubhub restaurant orders last year. Chicken is so hot right now that chains built on beef are doubling down on their chicken offerings. Last month, McDonald's introduced McCrispy Strips, Wendy's debuted a cajun-spiced chicken sandwich, and Taco Bell brought back its wildly popular chicken nuggets.

So what's driving this chicken obsession? David Henkes of consumer research firm Technomic tells CNN, "Patrons still love burgers, but chicken is really versatile, and younger consumers have a stronger preference for chicken." Part of the reason for that preference, he said, is that there's a "health halo" around chicken—a perception that it's a healthier option than red meat despite being fried and breaded. And the versatility can't be ignored: Chicken tenders and nuggets are easier to eat on the go than sandwiches, and they can easily be customized to individual tastes with a variety of sauces. Jonathan Maze of Restaurant Business said this is a huge help to fast food chains. "It offers different flavor profiles [and] allows you to get creative without overcomplicating your operations," he said.

It's also not just the increased presence of chicken that's changing, it's the wording around it, too. A recent survey conducted by Menu Matters shows that eaters prefer foods with "crispy" and "crunchy" in the descriptions, which is why you'll see more marketing around "crispy chicken" than "fried chicken." Mentions of "crispy chicken" on US fast food menus has grown 16% since 2021, according to research firm Datassential Menu Trends, which also revealed that chains doubled the number of crispy chicken items they offer in the first quarter of 2025 versus the same timeframe in 2024. But Wingstop's chief revenue officer Mark Christenson tells CNN that he's not surprised that chicken is so popular: "Protein is obviously very big right now, and I haven't met anybody who didn't like chicken." (More fast food stories.)