14 Fried Chicken Joints In Sydney That Will Deliver To Your Door
Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
1. Mary's
"Eat where the magic happens" is Mary's mission statement and, for anyone who's had a mouthful, it's hard to argue with them.
Co-founders, Jake and Kenny, opened their first restaurant together in 2013 in Newtown and expanded with Sydney eateries in the CBD, Circular Quay and Chippendale. Satiate your finger lickin' fried chicken cravings with the Larry bird, a side of mash and loads of good ol' fashion gravy.
2. Wings & Tins
At Wings & Tins, the offering is simple; chicken, fries and ice-cold beers to wash it all down.
Choose from 17 crunchy, munchy wing recipes, nine kinds of fries and more than 60 different tinnies — from IPAs, pale ales, sours, lagers, stouts, pilsners, ciders and everything in between.
My personal favourites? The whisky maple wings, with a rich, sticky bbq sauce, blended with whisky and real maple syrup. Plus, a side of saucy cheesy fries, topped with melted cheese and smothered in aioli and buffalo sauce.
3. Johnny Bird
This Crows Nest-based kitchen specialises in free-range fried chicken, OTT burgers, craft cocktails and an impressive selection of local beers.
If you're looking for a flavour sensation, get your hands around a Lost In Translation burger — with katsu fried chicken, Tokyo slaw, bulldog katsu sauce and kewpie mayo.
4. Flying Tong
Flying Tong is about the simple things; chicken and beer — but they do it better than most. Get your lips around the original fried chicken tenders, with three sticky sauces to choose from; sweet chilli, soy garlic or spicy bomb.
If you're looking for something a little more ~fancy~, you can't go past the gochujang-marinated chicken tacos, with cabbage, pickled onion and coriander. Or tuck into the Seoul sliders, with fried chicken, kor-slaw, American cheese and gochujang mayo on a brioche bun.
5. Butter
Butter is a hybrid sneaker, fried chicken and champagne bar in Surry Hills — but since you're not planning on showing off a ~fresh pair of kicks~ anytime soon, we'd suggest ordering-in their classic Butter box.
With your choice of any three-piece meal or mouthwatering chicken sandwich, this spread includes one crispy fried wing, shoestring fries, corn on the cob with miso butter and plenty of pickled cucumber.
6. Gami Chicken
Gami (Korean translation: "beautiful taste") was born from a four-man team's friendship, 10 years of hard work and a lifelong dream to spread a shared love of Korean fried chicken far and wide.
A 17-store expansion around Oz later and Gami Chicken is still all about the simplicity of good chicken and great beer. Treat your tastebuds to the chicken katsu and chips, deep-fried Korean dumplings or classic boneless chicken with cabbage coleslaw and pickled radish.
7. Thirsty Bird
Thirsty Bird boasts some of the crispiest fried chicken throughout Sydney — specialising in classic Southern-style fried birds, overloaded burgers and plenty of fan-favourite sides like waffles with maple syrup, tater tots, mac 'n' cheese and mash 'n' gravy.
If you're seriously hungry, go for the big kahuna, with fried chicken, grilled pineapple, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato and special sauce, and compliment it with a side of sweet potato waffle fries and plenty of roast chilli sauce.
8. Ayam Goreng 99
Ayam Goreng means "fried chicken" in Indonesian and it's their traditional recipe of marinated fried chicken that's made this Kingsford-based restaurant a foodie institution.
The deep-fried chook is hard to go past, with a crisp coating of mixed spices and tender meat that is ultra moist and seriously ~yommy~. Serve it up alongside their handmade "Sambel Terasi" (that's spicy belachan chilli sauce) and you've got yourself an iso-meal that beats out your back-shelf pantry goods.
9. The Milk Bar by Cafe Ish
Come for the 'gram-worthy burgers, stay for the "freakin' awesome" fried chicken wings and a side of hand-cut fries, topped with spicy mac 'n' cheese.
This Redfern-based foodie haven has been frying up the goods since 2012 and their menu boasts an impressive selection of delicious burgers, craft beers, hand-made donuts and supershakes.
I'll take one of everything.
10. Thievery
To help get us all through the lockdown, Middle Eastern mainstay and Glebe favourite, Thievery, has collaborated with none other than Butter to release a limited-edition takeout menu.
Choose from fried chicken with a side of Thievery hummus; crispy fried chicken thigh Halal snack pack; harissa-marinated BBQ bird; and an array of seriously horni fried chicken sandwiches.
11. Chir Chir
Originating from Seoul, the Chir Chir franchise is South Korea’s largest chain of restaurants — known for their signature freshly-cooked Korean fried chicken dishes.
Choose from wings, tenders, nachos crackles, cheesy chicken and honey butter cubes. Or, make no choice at all, and order in the lot!
12. Chicken & Sons
Established in 2015, Chicken & Sons' was born from the founders' three key principals; never serve the kind of food you wouldn't eat yourself, only cook with the best possible produce and always offer great value for money. And with chicken joints all around Sydney, I think it's safe to say they've succeeded in drawing some fans.
Get your chompers 'round the cheese-filled chicken with brie and confit garlic butter; buttermilk fried chicken tenders with chipotle aioli and pickles; or the Big Bird burger, with double-fried chicken breast, cheese, lettuce and a seriously tasty secret sauce.
13. Juicy Lucy
Juicy Lucy is a classic Aussie chicken shop, with a South-Asian twist. Try the double-cheese-stuffed fried chicken with Indonesian-style sambal, lettuce and pickles. Or go for one of the celeb-inspired options, like the Lil Kim burger, with fried chicken, kimchi and Korean BBQ sauce, or a Bruce Lee wrap, with crispy skin chicken, chips, gravy and double cheese.
14. And finally, KFC. That's right, you heard me.
Look, she ain't fancy. And she's certainly not looking to fool you with a blue-cheese sauce side or truffle fries.
But when the chips are down — and you fall outside the delivery area for all these other joints — it's KFC that has your back. So settle in with a bucket of the Colonel's best stuff and chow down.
