Fried chicken is one of those foods that invites endless experimentation, whether it is piled onto a sandwich, tossed in a sticky sauce, paired with waffles, or served alongside rice and classic Southern sides. Reddit is packed with home cooks showing off their crispiest batches and boldest ideas. These 16 photos highlight the many ways people turned fried chicken into something worth snapping a picture of before digging in.
Fried Chicken With Fries
This fried chicken plate came piled into a takeout box alongside a generous serving of fries, with the deeply browned, craggy coating drawing most of the attention. The post sparked a long discussion about Nashville hot chicken, but one reaction captured the appeal perfectly. Reddit user jorph wrote, “Oh dang, I’ve never even seen chicken that looks this good, let alone tried.”
Homemade Fried Chicken Thighs
These homemade fried chicken thighs got their extra-craggy coating from a double-batter method. The creator pounded the chicken, soaked it in seasoned buttermilk, coated it in seasoned flour, then added an egg to the remaining buttermilk before dredging the chicken a second time. After resting, the thighs were fried at about 350 F. Reddit user SashimiBreakfast praised the result, commenting, “My goodness, I can see that crunch, fantastic job!”
Homemade Fried Chicken and French Toast
This homemade plate swapped waffles for French toast, pairing crisp fried chicken with syrup-soaked slices for a sweet-and-savory combination. The poster explained that they grew up eating chicken and waffles in New Orleans but improvised with French toast after moving to Korea and not having a waffle maker. Reddit user GandalftheFright praised the result, commenting, “The crisp on that chicken looks perfect, ultra satisfying crunch.”
Homemade Fried Chicken Sandwich
This homemade fried chicken sandwich used halved chicken breasts fried in canola oil at 190 C, then paired with slaw and mayo on a toasted burger bun. The creator added Cajun seasoning to the flour and hot sauce to the buttermilk, and said the finished chicken came out crispy on the outside and moist inside. Reddit user A-AronBalakay clearly approved, commenting, “Awesome stuff! What kind of bun? I’d eat this in like 4 bites.”
Homemade Fried Chicken Nuggets
These homemade fried chicken nuggets came in several versions, including barbecue, plain, garlic Parmesan, and Buffalo, alongside baked macaroni and cheese and herby potatoes. The generous spread got plenty of attention in the comments, with Reddit user enfrozt writing, “Whoever you’re feeding with this is incredibly lucky.”
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Homemade Kimchi Fried Chicken Sandwich
This homemade fried chicken sandwich got a Korean-inspired twist with kimchi piled over the crispy chicken, plus mixed lettuce tossed with mayo and Thai sweet chili sauce. The poster kept the build fairly simple, letting the crunchy chicken and tangy kimchi do most of the work. Reddit user theangryburrito clearly approved, commenting, “I need this in my life. Looks so good.”
Homemade Fried Chicken
This homemade fried chicken stood out for its deeply browned, extra-crispy coating, with several commenters comparing its appearance to Nashville hot chicken. While the original poster did not leave much recipe detail behind, the photo got plenty of attention for that crunchy-looking crust. Reddit user TroubleQueen991 summed up the reaction, writing, “That looks nothing short of AMAZING. I am almost drooling staring at this picture lol.”
Homemade Laziji Szechuan Style Spicy Fried Chicken
This homemade laziji, also known as Chongqing chicken, featured twice-fried pieces of chicken tossed with dried chiles for plenty of heat and crunch. The poster said they used fewer chiles than a very traditional version to make it more practical for home cooking, but it was still “pretty spicy and numbing.” Reddit user ryanleebmw was impressed enough to ask, “Are you able to post the recipe, OP? This looks incredible!”
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Korean Fried Chicken
This Korean fried chicken order came as a half-and-half combination of sweet chili and garlic soy, giving the tray a mix of sticky, sweet heat and savory flavor. The poster said it came from Chick and Beers in New Malden, London, and commenters quickly focused on the glossy sauces and crispy coating. Reddit user bakanisan summed up the reaction simply, writing, “You got half & half? I’m drooling!”
Bonchon Style Sweet Garlic Soy Korean Fried Chicken
This homemade Korean fried chicken was inspired by Bonchon, with drumsticks double-fried for extra crunch and coated in a glossy sweet garlic soy sauce made with soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, garlic, sesame oil, and butter. It was served with steamed rice and kimchi, while toasted sesame seeds finished the chicken. Reddit user dekacube thought the homemade version even improved on the restaurant experience, commenting, “These actually look saucier than any wings I’ve ever gotten at any Bonchon… You nailed it.”
Homemade Fried Chicken Sandwiches
These homemade fried chicken sandwiches used chicken breast cutlets coated in panko and Parmesan, then fried until crisp and piled onto toasted brioche buns with sweet gem lettuce, pickles, and homemade sauce. The poster also shared a seasoned egg wash with soy sauce, garlic, onion, paprika, cayenne, salt, and MSG. Reddit user PmMeYourNthAccount was impressed enough to say, “They look quality i’d be happy to pay decent money at a place for scran that looks like that.”
Homemade Korean Fried Chicken
This homemade Korean fried chicken used potato starch to help create an especially crisp, deeply browned coating, with the poster saying it made a noticeable difference in both texture and color. They followed a Brian Lagerstrom recipe and noted that the spicy sauce was brushed onto the chicken after frying. Reddit user SupermotoArchitect summed up the appeal simply, commenting, “This is my weakness.”
Homemade Sriracha Honey Fried Chicken Sandwich
This homemade fried chicken sandwich used boneless chicken thighs marinated in buttermilk and hot sauce, then double-fried for extra crunch before being drizzled with a sriracha honey sauce. It was finished with Kewpie mayo ranch, shredded lettuce, and pickles on toasted brioche buns. Reddit user LopsidedCrazy2303 later tried the recipe and said, “This is by far the best chicken sandwich I have ever had.”
Homemade Fried Chicken With Fried Rice
This homemade plate paired crispy fried chicken with fried rice and a simple vegetable side, with the poster even asking Reddit to rate the plating from one to five. Most of the debate ended up focusing on the rice, but the chicken itself got much warmer feedback. Reddit user for_dishonor wrote, “Chicken looks amazing, though.”
Homemade Fried Chicken Sandwiches
On their third try at fried chicken, this home cook pounded the chicken evenly, brined it for 24 hours in buttermilk, hot sauce, pickle juice, and spices, then coated it in a seasoned flour mixture before frying. The sandwiches were finished with spicy pickles and a mayo, hot sauce, honey, and pepper sauce. Reddit user RollingOut liked the oversized cutlets, saying, “I love that this delicious looking chicken hangs over the edges.”
Spicy Fried Chicken With Red Beans, Rice, and Fried Okra
This homemade Southern-style plate paired spicy fried chicken with red beans and rice plus crisp fried okra. The poster said the chicken was marinated with cayenne, MSG, salt, pickle juice, and egg whites, then passed through a wet flour-and-cornstarch batter before a final dry dredge. Reddit user kain459 was especially impressed by the crust, asking, “That fried chicken…..holy…sweet Jesus…..may you share how you get such an amazing batter?”
