There is no doubt that chicken is a popular food item in most countries, and it continues to rise in popularity worldwide. Chicken plays a vital role in our health and nutrition throughout life.
I love to eat chicken, and because it is one of my favorite proteins, I had to find out where the best chicken restaurants are in Dubai. I did research and found a list of both international and local restaurants.
1. Buffalo Wings & Rings
Buffalo Wings & Rings is an American-style restaurant established in 1984 when it served its first meal. They also have a restaurant here in Dubai. I could not wait to check it out. After turning the menu’s first page, I discovered the popcorn chicken. The popcorn chicken comes with tangy Bam-Bam sauce, which is phenomenal.
Crispy buffalo chicken breast served on a bed of greens, onions, and cherry tomatoes with cheese sprinkled on top. I drizzled all the homemade ranch sauce over the meal, and they are a match made in heaven. I had to include this buffalo chicken breast on my list because I got hooked after the first bite.
I wanted to try the Asiana Chicken at least once in my life! This dish consists of popcorn chicken tossed in a sweet chili sauce and served with red vinegar. You must try this if you are craving some Asian flavors!
The chicken wing options include traditional wings, crumbed wings, boneless wings, and tasty chicken strips. You can choose from sweet chili, sweet BBQ, lemon pepper, garlic parmesan, sweet and sour, roasted garlic, bourbon BBQ, honey mustard, sweet sriracha, and for some heat, there is a sauce called crazy.
Chicken sandwiches are my next favorite item on the menu. My favorite sandwich is the Chicken Cheese Please, which comes in two options, grilled or crumbed. I opted for fried chicken with lettuce, mayo, and oozing melted cheddar cheese.
Honorable mentions include chicken tacos, quesadillas, and burgers with the option of adding double or triple patties! I will return to Buffalo Wings & Rings in the foreseeable future, and I am ecstatic with the service and quality of their chicken meals.
- Address: Liberty House – Level C – Al Sukouk Street – DIFC
- Opening Hours: 12 pm – 3 am
- https://ae.bwr-intl.com/
- +971 435 96900
2. Nando’s The Greens
Nando’s is a South African Portuguese restaurant that has expanded in multiple countries, and they are very famous for their flame-grilled peri-peri chicken. I have also been a fan of Nando’s, and it has become my regular go-to place when I crave a nice spicy grilled chicken.
Nando’s has its signature peri-peri sauce with various levels of heat. It would be best to take the extra hot sauce at your own risk. There’s a lemon herb sauce for those who don’t like heat. I prefer their mild peri-peri sauce, and when paired with the perfect grilled chicken, it’s just perfect.
They began in Rosettenville in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1987 and have since opened 1200 outlets in 30 countries.
I enjoy the creamy cashew chicken with spicy rice, the flame-grilled chicken, and the Espetada Carnival, flame-grilled chicken thighs stuffed with feta, garlic, and mixed peppers. I’m drooling just thinking about it. I highly recommend Nando’s if you’re looking for a great chicken restaurant.
- Address: Street 7 Ground Floor, Turia B – The Greens
- Opening Hours: 8 am – 12 am
- https://www.nandos.ae/
- +971 600 54252
3. Max’s Restaurant
Maximo Gimenez opened Max’s restaurant in 1945 after World War II, where he made fried chicken for American troops. Ruby, Maximo’s niece, created the famous secret recipe, and the word soon spread to other Filipino communities about the delicious food. They were all looking for juicy, tender fried chicken, which is how Max’s restaurant started.
Max’s gained popularity and was nicknamed the “House That Fried Chicken Built.” Max’s restaurant has expanded to 170 locations, with six in the UAE, one in Kuwait, and two in Qatar. Upon entering Max’s, the smell of fried chicken immediately grabbed my attention and made me want to order as soon as possible.
The starter chicken wings consist of fried chicken wings coated in a secret sauce and served with a blue cheese dressing.
An embutido is a Filipino meatloaf that gets baked to perfection. Maxi’s embutido version uses ground chicken, cheese, ham, and raisins, and then it is pan-seared with a unique sweet and sour sauce.
You can choose between a whole, half, and family basket of their famous fried chicken. Other meals you can try are their chicken Sisig, which is chopped chicken and chicken liver, or their Tinolang Manok, a chicken soup with fish sauce and chopped chilies.
I was mostly impressed by the taste of the fried chicken and can truly understand why they are still operating. Max’s restaurant plans on expanding even more so that even more people can get their hands on some of the best-fried chicken available on Earth.
- Address: Spinney’s Building, Ground Floor, 11B St, Near Burjuman, Al Karama
- Opening Hours: 11 am – 2 am
- https://www.maxsrestaurantme.com/
- +971 435 11269
4. Wingstop
Wingstop is known for being a chicken restaurant that specializes in chicken wings and is a fun place to bring friends and family together. To make the experience even more memorable, they offer a choice of on-the-bone or boneless chicken wings and a great selection of dips and flavors for the wings.
Hot flavors include the atomic, Cajun, killer barbeque, and mango habanero, and mild flavors include hot lemon, Louisiana rub, original hot, hickory-smoked barbeque, and mild.
There are four flavors without heat: plain, lemon pepper, garlic parmesan, and Hawaiian. Two dips are available at Wingstop, the ranch, and honey mustard. My favorite items on the list are the wings, tenders, and the rice bowl.
Wraps come with juicy, tender chicken or chicken breast tossed in your favorite flavor and a dip. A choice of spinach or plain tortillas is also available. I found the spinach tortilla to be a winner!
- Address: Shop No. 16, Jumeirah Centre, Plot No: 332- 303 Jumeriah Beach Rd
- Opening Hours: 11 am – 2 am
- https://wingstop.ae
- +971 800 27283
5. JJ Chicken
JJ Chicken is an excellent choice for a healthier meal! Founded in 2010, the restaurant offers a variety of healthier options, including salads, appetizers, and charcoal-grilled chicken. Now and then, I don’t feel like eating a deep-fried chicken burger, so I turn to JJ Chicken. Grilled to perfection, their chicken still leaves you with that comfort food satisfaction.
JJ’s authentic chicken soup has flavors I have never experienced anywhere else for a good chicken soup. No preservatives are added to their meals, so they taste healthy, rich, and fresh. They also add a generous amount of chicken to their salads, and adding their homemade dressings takes it to a whole new level.
JJ Chicken’s sandwiches and wraps are trendy, and I often have trouble choosing which sandwich or wrap to order. If it were humanely possible, I would have ordered all of them at the same time to simplify my decision.
Curry chicken on a French loaf was my first and favorite option, but don’t overlook Mousahab. The Mousahab is a pulled chicken in a creamy garlic sauce with pickles on a French loaf or Arabic bread. The chicken avocado wrap with red beans, tomato, and fresh herbs is another great choice.
You must try JJ Chicken on Barsha road to experience its freshness and uniqueness.
- Address: Saleh Bin Lahej Building – Barsha Road – Shop 5
- Opening Hours: 11 am – 1:30 am
- https://jjchicken.com/
- +971 600 545554
6. The Roost Rotisserie
The Roost restaurant creates a relaxing ambiance upon entering, making you feel right at home. The aroma of freshly cooked chicken makes your appetite increase tenfold.
This is an affordable luxury experience focused on free-range, hormone and antibiotic-free chickens. The chicken is locally sourced and served in ‘good ol’ rotisserie fashion. The food is prepared by a local husband & wife team.
Their marinated chicken is cooked on a rotisserie for 40 hours at a low temperature, making their chicken mouthwatering and delicious.
The chicken comes in different portion sizes like quarter and full, and they also have an amazing fresh chicken wrap.
- Address: API 1000, AL WasI Road and AI Thaniyah Street junction, AI Manara
- Opening Hours: 10 am – 10:30 pm
- https://www.roost.ae/
- +971 800 76678
7. Fakhry Chicken
Fakhry caught my attention because I love Lebanese food, and locals told me that their chicken is something I should try. In 1982, Fakhry Chicken established a restaurant in Beirut. Since then, the chain has expanded to Dubai as well.
Their chicken options are fantastic, and the flavors are to die for. Fakhry Chicken was one of the dishes I tried. It consisted of grilled chicken marinated in their famous sauce, served with roasted potatoes, pickles, garlic paste, garlic bread & Lebanese bread. A truly memorable experience!
Additionally, I ordered a chicken curry and a chicken liver sandwich. Yes, a chicken liver sandwich, and I have to say that the tomato, garlic paste, and mint explode in your mouth. The authentic Lebanese flavors of Fakhry Chicken will draw you back again and again.
You must try out this great family-run restaurant!
- Address: Al SufouhAl – Abdullah Omran Taryam St – Al Sufouh – Al Sufouh 2
- Opening Hours: 11 am – 11 pm
- https://www.fakhrychicken.com/
- +971 457 60111
8. Clucker’s Wood Roasted Chicken
Clucker’s chicken is baked in a wood oven and is usually considered healthier than deep-fried chicken.
My favorite starter was their chicken ball starter with a red sauce that I couldn’t get enough of. The main course option was stuffed chicken breast (baked in a wood oven) with cheese and steamed vegetables.
The chicken meatballs are packed with flavor and cooked with broccoli, herbs, and rice noodles and leave you satisfied.
There are also noodle soups, chicken wings, and chicken strips, making this an excellent place for people that love to eat chicken.
- Address: Hessa St, Al Barsha 3
- Opening Hours: 11 am – 3 am
- https://www.cluckers.ae/
- +971 800 258253
9. Gallus Chicken Rotisserie
Gallus is a French chicken rotisserie that roasts its chicken to crispy perfection yet still maintains the perfect texture. The chicken is super crispy on the outside yet tender on the inside. They take a farm-to-table approach and only use A-grade chicken, and it is a Halal restaurant.
I visit Gallus at least once a month. I start with their crispy, mouthwatering chicken spring rolls. It should be illegal to give me only two tasty spring rolls, but it is a starter, so who am I to complain?
And finally, I go for the 1/2 crispy chicken with my favorite BBQ sauce and savor every bite. No matter how many times I return, I don’t think I’ll get tired of it, and I intend to continue coming here.
- Address: Murjan 6 – Jumeirah Beach Rd – Jumeirah Beach Residence
- Opening Hours: 11 am – 11 pm
- https://gallus.ae/
- +971 800 425587
10. Chicket Arabia Restaurant
Since 2015, Chicket Arabia has served delicious, crumbed chicken at their fast-food restaurant. The chain uses a secret recipe infused with herbs and spices, and they have expanded from a single restaurant to more than ten. Fried chicken is by far one of my favorite foods, and I did not expect much, but this is comfort food, and anyone that tries it will agree.
There was nothing that compared to their 8-piece chicken nuggets. The nuggets are crispy and crunchy, and juicy on the inside. I savored every bite throughout my meal and was eager to order a second portion. As I stepped away from temptation, I ordered something else from the menu, their Zinger burger, and was pleased with the combination of exploding flavors, freshness, and hint of heat.
Among the sandwiches they offer are a chicken sandwich and a nugget sandwich which will please most comfort food lovers. This is a must-try when you are near a Chicket.
- Address: Al Sabkha Rd – Deira – Al Sabkha
- Opening Hours: 11 am – 5 am
- https://www.chicketarabia.com/
- +971 423 26800