The Best Fried Chicken in Melbourne

Ah, Fried Chicken!

The tantalising aroma. The enticing golden crumb. Then there’s the delight of that mouth-watering crunch as you take your first bite. And finally, there’s the brilliant combination of crispy coating and succulent chicken meat – piping hot and oozing juices.

Honestly, as no fuss meals go, it’s hard to beat.

Luckily for the ever-hungry of Melbourne, there seem to be an endlessly-increasing number of chicken joints to try. From fiery takes on New Orleans recipes in American-style diners, to knobbly nuggets of chook drenched in sticky sauce at Chinese eateries. And, of course, to the crunch and zing of boldly seasoned drumsticks in countless Korean restaurants.

This is truly a great time to be a cooked chook fan.

But with so much choice, where do you start eating? Well, have no fear – we’ve done all the hard work for you.

So read on to find our comprehensive guide to the best Fried Chicken in Melbourne.

Belles Hot Chicken

Location: Galleria Melbourne, 147 Elizabeth St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: (03) 9670 7478 See Website For Further Locations

We are opening our look at the best fried chicken in Melbourne with a strong entrant – Belles Hot Chicken. Currently with 3 branches in Melbourne – including the original Fitzroy spot – plus more interstate, these guys have perfected Nashville-style fried chicken. Heck, their restaurants even look like old-skool American diners.

Not surprisingly, there’s a lot of love that goes into each batch of crispy chook. Brining, carefully drying, coating in a spiced batter, frying, and then treated to additional wallop thanks to a sliding scale of 5 added heat intensities. These range from the ‘Southern’ with notes of Cayenne and Paprika to the aptly named ‘Really F’ing Hot’. The latter comes liberally doused in Habaneros – seeds and all – so consider yourself warned!

Whatever your preferred level of heat, you’ll get chicken (Wings or Tenders) that’s juicy and full of flavour inside a delicious, crunchy shell. Those Tenders, as well as Thigh Meat, also appear the Hot Chicken Sandwiches. Our fav is the Buffalo where Thigh, Buffalo Sauce, Cheese, House Slaw, Dill Pickles and Ranch Dressing come together in a soft Milk Bun.

Needless to say, the kitchen does some great Sides and Snacking options too. The Belles Salt Fries are an obvious addition, but we’re also big fans of the Mac & Cheese Bites with a portion of Blue Cheese Sauce.

Finally, in true US Fried Chicken tradition, Belles Hot Chicken serves a mean cold Beer and more. On a hot day with a bunch of mates and a Belles Bucket – Wings, Fries, Slaw, Gravy and more – the Belles Boozy Slushies good down particularly well. Give the Whisky Babylon – Ned Whisky, Plum Kombucha, Coke, Bitter & Fresh Lemon – a go and see if you agree.

For the Best Fried Chicken and Wings in Sydney, see here

SamSam Chicken & Beer Melbourne

Location: 209 Swanston St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: 0451 691 174

This is our first Korean Fried Chicken entry, but it certainly won’t be our last.

The outlet in the CBD and it’s sister venture – SamSam Chicken & Beer Box Hill – have been knocking out their Korean specialities for more than a decade. And the strong reviews keep on coming.

Just like hundreds of similar spots, all over Seoul and Busan, SamSam Chicken offers a bright and buzzing dining space, a wide choice of flavoured Chicken, yummy Korean Sides and ice cold Beer.

Whether you need a reliable Meat Thermometer to make sure you’re frying your Chicken throughly enough, or a Mandolin to slice your veggies super fine, we’ve got you covered. Click here for an extensive range of useful Kitchen Tools & Gadgets

A must-try is the signature SamSam Chicken with Radishes & Coleslaw. From this basic you open a Pandora’s Box of possible variations. Would you prefer Bone-in, or Boneless? What taste profile do you fancy? Soy Garlic? Hot Spicy? Snow Cheese? Would you like a Watermelon Ade with that? If you can’t decide and are part of a group – or have a huge appetite! – the 8Eight Colour Chicken is winner. This gives you all of SamSam’s sauces to match as you wish with their light, but crunchy, Fried Chicken.

Now you might be aware that we are suckers for a Korean Side Dish, and SamSam Chicken doesn’t disappoint. Their Signature Kimchi Fries are worth the trip to Box Hill Alone, coming as they do with Bacon, Sour Cream, Mozzarella Cheese, Jalapeno, Spicy Mayo and punchy Caramelised Kimchi. And don’t forget to include a plate of the Corn Cheese. It’s great with the Chicken.

Love Korean food in general? Then see our roundup of the Best Korean BBQ Restaurants in Melbourne

F.A.T. Fried and Tasty

Location: 360 Lygon St, Brunswick East, VIC 3057 Ph: 1300 328 462

Over in trendy Brunswick East, this eatery might be sparse on the furnishings, but it’s big on Southern Fried flavours.

It’s not easy to get the right balance between heat and taste, but the crew here have mastered it. The Chicken pieces are fabulously tender and full of flavour inside their gnarly coating. They do their Chook with Original, Hot, Buffalo or the house special Peach Hot Sauce. And if that’s not enough pep for you, they also have serves of Dipping Sauce such as Hot Sauce Mayo and Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce.

Along side the mountains of Fried Chicken, there’s a solid selection of poultry-based Burgers. Whilst it’s hard to go past The Brunswick with its Crispy Fried Chicken, Bacon, Beetroot, American Cheese, Lettuce, BBQ Sauce & Mayo, we applaud the brilliantly named Fake Breasts. As the moniker implies, this is a Vegan version of any of the Chicken Burgers on the menu.

Lastly, we have to mention that F.A.T Fried and Tasty does a mean Poutine amongst their Sides and a very naughty Chicken and Waffles. The latter arrives with Vanilla Ice Cream & Maple Syrup and really hits that sweet and salty spot that so many of us have.

Smoky Hen

Location: 311 Stephensons Rd, Mount Waverley, VIC 3148 Ph: 0481 388 972

Wood-Fired Chicken? Yes Please!

This unassuming eatery in GW is causing waves online for it’s incredibly juicy, flavoursome Chook. The owner learnt his smoked Poultry skills from a Korean master, then tweaked things for the local Aussie market. The result? An unforgettable Chicken dinner. And whilst the Oak-Roasted chunks of Chicken are great, don’t ignore their amazing Fried Chicken.

Admittedly not for the faint-hearted, but the Volcano Fried Chicken Rice Bowl takes no prisoners. Super moist inside a knobbly coating, then dredged in an epic sauce, it thankfully comes with Rice, Cucumber and a Cabbage Salad to cool things down a bit.

Apart from the Korean specialities, Smoky Hen is devoted enough to all things Chicken to have an excellent Southern Fried Chicken Burger on its menu. With huge slabs of rubble-like CHicken, the only problem is how to get your jaws around it!

Feel like trying somewhere new for an early morning catch-up? Here are our top Breakfasts in Melbourne

Seven Star Pocha Koreatown

Location: Shop H/535 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: 0412 278 419 See Website For Further Locations

Whilst we are well aware that Melbourne’s Koreatown has plenty of Fried Chicken joints to choose from, we really have to highlight this one due to it’s thousands of 5 Star reviews.

Seven Star specialises in Korean BBQ & Pocha (Street Food), but for us, it’s all about the Fried Chicken. And there’s quite an array.

If you’re not a spice freak, then go the Original Fried Chicken. Whether you decide on Bone-in or Boneless, you’ll get an appetising rubble of crispy Chicken Pieces in a cracking Batter, dusted with Salt & Pepper. In contrast, if you like a bit of heat, try the Fried Chicken with Sweet Chilli Sauce. This dish features double fried chook for a superior crunch.

Apart from these 2 versions, Seven Star does Fried Chicken with a Honey Soy Sauce, a rich Creamy Onion Sauce, a savoury tang of Snowing Cheese Powder and, if you’re game, Buldak Sauce. The latter is pretty fierce, so pick wisely!

As well as the fabulous Chicken, the kitchen does a huge range of Korean delicacies. The soft, warming Cheese Tteokbokki is always a winner on the side, and so is the Kimchi Pancake.

With 4 outlets currently across the city, you’re never too far away from exemplary Korean-style Fried Chicken.

If spice is your thing, check out our take on the finest Indian Restaurants in Melbourne

Editor’s Note: We are currently in the process of updating this article, so please come back soon for further recommendations