Chefs name America's best fast-food fried chicken and biscuits — and one chain stands above the rest

When it comes to fast-food fried chicken and biscuits, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is the clear winner, professional chefs say.

Allrecipes asked five chefs to judge fast-food restaurants on their fried chicken and biscuits. They based their votes on the chicken's crispiness, long-lasting crunch, minimal greasiness and ample seasoning.

For the biscuits, the chefs looked for a rich buttery flavor, flaky layers and a tender texture.

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"I'm always looking for a crispy, craggy coating that stays crunchy even after sitting for a few minutes," New Jersey-based recipe developer Jeanette Donnarumma told Allrecipes. "It shouldn't immediately turn soggy in the box."

Flour, rather than batter, is key to achieving more crunch, added Iowa-based chef Dominic Iannarelli.

"It is fried chicken, so some grease is expected," Texas-based cookbook author Kelly Jaggers said. "But if it runs down my hands, that's a miss."

The chefs agreed that good fried chicken should stand on its own, rather than relying on dipping sauces. Instead, the seasoning should be the star.

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"I want juicy meat with actual seasoning throughout, not chicken that leans entirely on dipping sauce for flavor," Donnarumma said. "The best fast-food fried chicken is well-seasoned and salty enough to make you immediately reach for another piece."

Dry biscuits can ruin an otherwise great meal, Donnarumma said, calling them "one of the biggest disappointments at a restaurant."

Biscuits should be sturdy enough to hold up to honey, butter and sauces, she said, but tender enough to "melt" into the chicken.

Popeyes was the near-unanimous choice among the chefs. Bojangles and KFC earned honorable mentions for their fried chicken and biscuits.

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"[Popeyes'] chicken still has one of the crispiest coatings in fast food, the seasoning is bold, and the biscuits have that rich, buttery quality people crave," Donnarumma said. "It's one of the few fast-food meals that still feels genuinely craveable years later."

Jaggers praised Popeyes for embracing its "bold seasoning and texture" with the chicken. It's also never too greasy, she added.

"It tastes brined and is extremely flavorful and never dry," MacKenzie Schultz, a sous chef in Des Moines, Iowa, told Allrecipes.

The chefs also praised Popeyes' biscuits.

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Todd Wilbur, a Las Vegas-based recipe developer and cookbook author, said the chicken at Bojangles is "nearly as good as Popeyes," but Popeyes has one of the best biscuit recipes, "so this chain is an all-around winner."

Popeyes marinates its chicken for at least 12 hours in the restaurant's signature blend of Louisiana seasonings, according to the fast-food chain's website.

"Every piece of our chicken is freshly hand-battered and then breaded and fried up special for y'all," the website states.

Several Reddit threads discussing Popeyes biscuits praised them, though many commenters expressed a preference for the biscuits from Church's Texas Chicken.

"When [Popeyes' biscuits] are hot, they are amazing, when they are cold, they are hockey pucks. I feel like that's the same for most biscuits though," one Redditor wrote.

Another Redditor recommended wrapping the biscuit in a damp paper towel and microwaving it to restore its moistness.

Fox News Digital reached out to Popeyes for comment.