Who Sells Chicken? A Look at Top Chicken Retailers

Chicken is one of the most popular meats in the world. In the US alone, over 9 billion chickens are consumed each year! With demand so high, there are many places that sell fresh, cooked, and processed chicken to meet consumer needs. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the top chicken retailers across grocery stores, restaurants, and specialty shops.

Grocery Stores

Grocery stores are a go-to source for raw, fresh chicken. Some of the most popular grocery chains that sell chicken include:

• Walmart – As the largest grocery retailer in the US Walmart sells a range of raw chicken cuts including whole chickens, breasts, thighs, drumsticks, wings, ground chicken and more. Their Great Value brand offers budget-friendly options.

• Kroger: Kroger is another big player. It has over 2700 stores under different names. Under their Simple Truth line, they sell both fresh and frozen chicken, some of which is organic and doesn’t contain antibiotics.

• Publix – Found across the Southeastern US, Publix sells premium chicken brands like Springer Mountain Farms and Carroll’s Kitchen. They also have store-prepared chicken entrees.

• Wegmans – Northeastern chain Wegmans is beloved for its meat department Shoppers will find everything from value packs of chicken breasts to marinated, restaurant-ready chicken kebabs

In addition to these chains, local grocery stores and natural food markets also have in-house butcher counters and poultry sections that offer high quality chicken. When shopping in-store, consumers can hand-pick packages with the best sell-by dates and access ground chicken freshly prepared on-demand.

Fast Food Restaurants

People who want a quick and easy chicken meal often go to fast food places. Here are some of the most popular places to buy cooked chicken:

• Chick-fil-A: This chicken chain is famous for its chicken nuggets and breaded chicken sandwiches. Their menu also includes grilled chicken options and salads.

• KFC – Since 1952, KFC has been serving up the secret 11 herbs and spices fried chicken it’s famous for. Meals, buckets, and chicken tenders are customer favorites.

• Popeyes – Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen brings the flavors of New Orleans to its fried chicken. Their popular chicken sandwich sparked a viral craze and debate over who makes the best one.

• McDonald’s – As one of the largest fast food chains worldwide, McDonald’s sells crispy or grilled chicken sandwiches, wraps, and salads using white or dark chicken meat.

• On Wendy’s menu, you can find grilled chicken sandwiches and wraps, as well as fried nuggets and pickle-topped crispy chicken sandwiches.

Chicken-Specialized Restaurants

Beyond fast food, there are eateries centered around chicken dishes:

• Nando’s – This international Afro-Portuguese chain is known for its spicy peri-peri chicken in sandwiches, wings, and platters.

• Raising Cane’s – Focusing on quality, Raising Cane’s serves chicken fingers as meals, sandwiches, and sides with signature Cane’s dipping sauce.

• Slim Chickens – Southern chain Slim Chickens has over 100 locations nationwide serving chicken tenders, wings, sandwiches, salads, and sides.

• Jollibee – Beloved Filipino fried chicken chain Jollibee offers chicken joy, crispy tenders, sandwiches, and bucket meals with signature gravy.

• Bonchon – Specializing in Korean-style fried chicken, Bonchon has drumsticks, wings, and strips in soy garlic, spicy, and other global flavors.

Chicken Shops and Markets

Beyond mainstream restaurants, many smaller independent restaurants and international chicken shops can be found nationwide:

• Halal carts in New York City are iconic for their chicken over rice dishes.
• Pollo markets across the Southwest offer flavorful roasted chicken, especially in Hispanic neighborhoods.
• Korean fried chicken spots provide freshly fried, crispy chicken in cities with large Korean populations.
• Rotisserie chicken joints are known for juicy roasted chickens to take home across America.

And in local Chinatowns, poultry and meat markets provide extremely fresh chicken. Shoppers will find whole birds and an array of cuts picked out at the butcher counter. These specialty shops cater to diverse community tastes and ingredients.

Online and Prepared Chicken

As consumer habits shift, new options for buying chicken have emerged:

• Amazon Fresh – Amazon’s grocery delivery service includes their selection of raw chicken cuts and frozen prepared chicken.

• Blue Apron – Meal kit companies like Blue Apron ship proportioned fresh chicken and recipes to subscribers’ doors.

• Direct farm-to-consumer – Some local farms allow consumers to order fresh chicken online and offer pick-up or delivery.

• Prepared meal services – Ready-to-heat chicken meals are now sold direct to consumers through services like Freshly.

• Grocery delivery – National and regional grocery delivery means shoppers can order chicken online from their chain of choice.

• Butcher box subscriptions – Specialty meat purveyors like ButcherBox offer chicken sausage, ground chicken, and chicken breast packs.

So whether you’re looking for the convenience of fast food or to cook a home meal, there are more options than ever for buying fresh, high-quality chicken from farm to table. From major chains to local markets, retailers nationwide provide quick and easy access to this dietary staple.