FOOD NEWS
12 Grocery Store Chains That Make Excellent Fried Chicken
BY SARAH NOWICKI NICHOLSON
Brookshire Brothers
Located in Texas and Louisiana, Brookshire Brothers marinates fresh chicken before hand-breading and deep-frying it, and the recipe uses a mix of secret spices.
An eight-piece box of white and dark fried chicken, often described as strongly flavored with pepper and garlic and a bit greasy, costs about $9, and a 100-piece box for about $99.
Winn-Dixie
Criss-crossing the southern United States, Winn-Dixie offers eight pieces of delicious, down-home style, no-trans-fat-fried chicken in its Lip Lickin' Chicken box.
Its chicken is never frozen, so the final product is always tender and juicy. The grocer double-breads the meat to yield a crunchy, seasoned exterior and offer plenty of sides.
Ralph's
The fried chicken Ralph's sells at only $10.99 for eight pieces is often described as juicy and tender with a breading that’s not too thick or thin but perfectly in-between.
The buttermilk marinade the grocer uses keeps the meat tender and helps it absorb more flavor. The spice mix features salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
Publix
Publix offers its juicy, crunchy, salty, and brined fried chicken as whole pieces of bone-in chicken, breaded and un-breaded chicken wings, and breaded chicken tenders.
The addition of celery salt in the seasoning adds a zingy taste, while the classic combination of salt, pepper, and smoked paprika adds the distinctive down-home flavor we love.
Wegmans
Located primarily on the East Coast, Wegmans sells an eight-piece box of its succulent and plump fried chicken for about $20. However, the recipe is somewhat of a secret.
Some say a honey brine is used before breading. Many copycat recipes and several Wegman's locations mention buttermilk fried chicken, suggesting a bath in the traditional marinade.