If burgers are the backbone of American fast food, fried chicken sandwiches are the heart and soul. Just about every popular chain is making one, but our favorites differ from coast to coast.
Are they eating KFC in Kentucky? Does Louisiana love Popeyes? CouponBirds surveyed 2,000 Americans across the country to find the most popular fast-food chicken sandwich in every state.
From Chick-fil-A to Wendy’s, here’s where seven fast-food restaurants stand in the fried chicken sandwich wars.
Chick-fil-A
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
Which state doesn’t love Chick-fil-A? The controversial chicken sandwich behemoth is the most popular in the country by a landslide, with 53% of survey respondents naming it as their favorite fried chicken restaurant. In 2023 alone, Chick-fil-A pulled in a casual $21 billion, and that’s without even being open on Sundays.
Popeyes
- Arizona
- Connecticut
- Louisiana
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New York
- Rhode Island
Cajun and Creole flavors are what Popeyes is all about, and it’s surprising how far below Chick-fil-A the chain lands. Only nine states love Popeyes the most, but it’s nice to see Louisiana hasn’t betrayed itself in that regard.
KFC
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- North Dakota
For being the original celebrity chef, you’d think the Colonel would have popped up in more than three states. Looks like those 11 herbs and spices aren’t as much of a sought-after secret as we initially thought.
Wendy’s
- Alaska
- Maine
- Wisconsin
It’s surprising that Wendy’s even got three, since fried chicken might be last on the list of what the restaurant is known for. Maine and Wisconsin are so far from the rest of civilization that maybe this weirdness makes sense, but Wisconsin? What’s going on over there?
Raising Cane’s
- Hawaii
For as much of the Raising Cane’s gospel people seem to spread, it’s surprising to only see Hawaii here. Then again, this survey was based on a mere 2,000 people, so maybe we should take this with several grains of salt.
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Jack in the Box
- Wyoming
They’re loving Jack out there on the frontier, and as a fan of that spicy chicken sandwich myself, I tip my cowboy hat to those Wyomingites. Which is what I just learned they’re called.
Burger King
- Vermont
Burger King has upped their chicken sandwich game lately, so it’s interesting that only Vermont seems to have caught on. I appreciate the bravery of waving the BK flag when you’re sandwiched between Chick-fil-A and Popeyes country.
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