This Is Why People Are Head Over Heels For Publix Fried Chicken

Over the last decade, with the rise of fast food chicken sandwich wars and never-ending taste-testing viral reels on TikTok, fried chicken has become a hot topic in the culinary world. Depending on who you ask, some of the best fast food fried chicken comes from Chick-fil-A, Popeye's, Raising Cane's, or Jollibee. Other well-known restaurants with fantastic fried chicken include Dooky Chase's in New Orleans, Hattie B's in Nashville, and Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles in Southern California.

One place you might not expect to find delicious, ready-to-eat fried chicken? A grocery store. But that's exactly what you'll find if you live near Publix, the Southern grocery store staple with more than 1,400 locations across the Southeast. Whether it's a professional review or a long Reddit thread, and whether it's the tenders or the bone-in version, Publix's take on fried chicken seems to consistently be a hit.

So, how exactly does a grocery store chain make such good fried chicken? Why are the reviews so positive? We thought we'd dig in a little more and find out.

When Southern Living interviewed a couple of Southern chefs, Nashville-based chef Arnold Myint said, "It's literally, for me, the best franchise or chain-fried chicken." Those are strong words for a chef who lives in a city famous for its fried chicken (see Hattie B's, Prince's, or Loveless Cafe). According to Myint, the seasoning and brine are perfect every time. "Whatever they do [for the brine] has the perfect umami hit all the way through," he says. He adds that the "crust is super crunchy, and it maintains the crunch." The chicken is so good that Myint says he'll even eat it straight out of the fridge. 

If you ever want to try it yourself, you can buy the tenders or bone-in fried chicken individually or as a family meal. The 8-piece box comes with two breasts, two thighs, two drumsticks, and two wings – all for between $10 and $12, depending on whether it's on sale. Compare that to the same bucket of fried chicken at KFC, which sells for around $21 depending on the location, and that's a pretty good deal. So if you're lucky enough to live in one of the eight Southeast states that are home to Publix, we'd highly recommend trying out the grocery store chain's famous fried chicken.