Where to Find the Best Fried Chicken in Minneapolis
Take a tour through Minneapolis’s ultimate fried chicken experiences – from classic handbattered crispy to saucy Korean to vegan fried chicken bliss!
When it comes to indulging in the crispy, succulent magic of fried chicken, Minneapolis doesn’t disappoint. Whether you’re a fan of classic Southern-style fried chicken, crave a mouthwatering fried chicken sandwich, are clucking for a vegan fried chicken platter, or have fallen in love with Korean-style fried chicken, Minneapolis’s restaurant scene is cracklin’ with great options for every kind of chicken lover. Consider this your local guide to Minneapolis's best fried chicken spots, from traditional favorites to innovative twists on the beloved comfort food.
Southern-Style Fried Chicken
Soul Bowl
This build-your-own soul food bowl spot inside the V3 Center in North Minneapolis offers fried chicken thighs as a meat option atop any custom bowl as well as a Southern Hospitality plate loaded with Southern fried chicken, greens, candied yams, and mac and cheese. You can also order their chicken atop a cornbread bun in the A.A. Sandwich.
Nashville Coop
Stadium Village’s Nashville Coop brings the complex spicy and savory flavors of Nashville hot chicken to Minneapolis (with an Ethiopian twist thanks to owner Arif Mohamed’s mom’s homemade spice blend). His crispy fried chicken is available as strips, sandwiches, and atop Texas toast in five heat levels—from “Minnesota Nice” to “Cluckin’ Hot.” If you’re a fan of spicy food, dare to go for the four-alarm heat of the hottest Sammich option, cooled down with pickles, creamy slaw, and their signature Coop Sauce.
Mama Sheila’s House of Soul
Just south of Powderhorn Park, this storied husband-and-wife-owned spot is part soul food restaurant, part Black history museum. Head cook “Mama Sheila” offers three kinds of chicken—southern-fried (crispy or smothered in savory gravy), barbecue chicken, and jerk chicken—in addition to mac and cheese, candied yams, black-eyed peas, cornbread, and collard greens.
Fried Chicken Sandwiches
Burnt Chicken at First Draft Tap Room
A block from Target Field, Target Center, and The Fillmore, North Loop’s First Draft Tap Room is home to some excellent traditional southern fried chicken sandwiches. Grab a classic Burnt Chicken sandwich loaded with crispy bourbon-glazed chicken, slaw, and pineapple salsa, keep it classic with buttermilk brined Original with housemade pickles, or spice it up with a TC Hot Chicken to pair with craft beer. (They even have open-faced brunch sandwiches featuring fried chicken thighs, country gravy, and Texas toast.)
Bebe Zito Ice Cream
Fried chicken + ice cream = a match made in heaven. Grab a Honey Butter Chicken Sandwich piled high with a buttermilk-fried chicken thigh, honey butter special sauce, house pickles, and lettuce on a soft potato bun. You can also order this sando Nashville Hot style or get the same crispy breading on some white-meat chicken tenders. Finish with a scoop of Chocolate Cake & Sprinkles ice cream, and you’re guaranteed a good time.
Red Cow
Best known for its gourmet burgers and Food Network-famous French onion dip, Red Cow also offers a delectable Tennessee Hot Chicken sandwich layered with Southern fried chicken, Tennessee hot seasoning, house pickles, and blackstrap mayo. The same fried chicken is also available as shareable tenders ready to dunk in Red Cow Sauce.
Book Club
This West Coast-inspired eatery has a warm neighborhood atmosphere and a flavorful fried chicken sandwich (bookworms will appreciate its literary-themed menu). The fried chicken sandwich is thick and crispy and is loved for its white vinegar BBQ sauce.
Fried Chicken Wings and Chicken Tenders
Runyon’s
Runyon’s, a true neighborhood sports bar in North Loop, is renowned for its crispy chicken wings with a recipe perfected over nearly four decades. Whether you like them mild or blazing hot, these classic wings are sure to satisfy—especially when dunked in housemade blue cheese or ranch dressing.
Bull’s Horn Food & Drink
Located near Minnehaha Falls, Bull’s Horn offers both fried chicken wings and KFG (Kentucky fried chicken gizzards served with French onion dip), plus buckets of fried chicken marinated in dill pickle juice. The building has continuously housed a bar since the 1930s, so patrons can feel the good vibes of nearly a century of happy customers.
Ray J’s American Grill
Ray J’s is another local gem serving irresistible chicken wings. It sets itself apart from the Minneapolis wing pack by going beyond the traditional buffalo sauce. Choose from extra hot habanero wings, blackened dry-rub wings, sriracha peanut butter wings, sweet and spicy drunken wings, soy-chile sesame wings, and more. (In case you’re wondering, they have classic buffalo with celery sticks and bleu cheese, too).
Pimento Jamaican Kitchen
For a taste of the Caribbean in your wings, head to Pimento. Their Wicked Wings combine succulent jerk chicken with “boss lady dry rub” or a rotating chef’s choice special seasoning.
Korean Fried Chicken
Bonchon
International sensation Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken now has two locations in Minneapolis (in Uptown and Dinkytown, plus a few more in the ‘burbs). Choose from double-fried wings, drumsticks, strips, or boneless chicken, and douse ’em in your choice of two signature sauces: soy garlic or spicy.
Tender Lovin' Chix
Southern style fried chicken meets Asian flavors at Tender Lovin' Chix in the Lowry Hill neighborhood. The result is delicious chicken with a "Blackanese" twist. Most dishes are also served with flavorful fried rice and their signature yum yum sauce. You can't go wrong with any of the wings, and we recommend the Rush Hour 4 or Basil Chicken for a main dish.
Vegan Fried Chicken
Francis Burger Joint
Known for slinging delectable plant-based burgers in Northeast Minneapolis, Francis has developed a following for their phenomenal vegan fried chicken sandwiches. Dig into one of four unique vegan chicken sandwiches: the MN spicy chicken sandwich topped with Nashville hot mayo, coleslaw, and jalapenos, the Hunny Dijon with house-made vegan bacon and “hunny” mustard sauce, the Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich with more of that house-made seitan bacon, or a crispy fried original on a brioche bun. (If you’re lucky you can catch the brunch special layering fried chicken in freshly made Belgian waffles.)
J. Selby’s
Looking for another spot to try Herbivorous Butcher’s vegan fried chicken? St Paul’s venerable vegan eatery was recently purchased by Herbivorous Butcher and now offers vegan wings, a crispy chickin’ sandwich, and fried chickin’ strips using the same faux meat as Herbie Butcher.
Soul Bowl
In its second mention on this list, Soul Bowl shows up with plant-based fried chicken in their vegan Southern Bowl, complete with plant-based mac and cheese and collard greens.
