The Fried Chicken Chain Offering The Hands-Down Best Value In 2026

Chain restaurants may be struggling right now — but not fried chicken. Chicken chains have been on the rise over the past five years. Raising Cane's has continued its meteoric growth, while smaller chains like Dave's Hot Chicken and Hangry Joe's Hot Chicken Wings have been among the fastest expanding chain restaurants in the country. Some of this is due to changing generational taste and food trends, like the popularity of chicken sandwiches, but it's also due to the price, since chicken remains far more affordable than beef. So, if you are looking for the best deal among major fried chicken fast food chains, you should look to Church's Texas Chicken.

To find the best deal, we compared the prices at the seven fried chicken chains with the largest national footprints, specifically focusing on those that offer either bone-in chicken, boneless fried chicken tenders , or both. At each, we reviewed the price of a three-piece combo meal, the most affordable family meal, and the cheapest value menu option that could serve as a meal for one person. The prices were all compared in a similar area in Texas, which boasts relatively average fast food prices, and was an area where all six chains overlapped. The competition was very close, with Chick-fil-A actually having the cheapest three-piece combo meal at $9.19. While Church's came in second there at $9.99, it won the other two categories.

Read more: 12 Chain Restaurants Diners Say Aren't Worth It Anymore

Church's offers the best value meals at national fried chicken chains right now

The two areas where Church's shined were with its value menu and family meals. Not many chicken chains have value menus at all, with the current options being Church's, KFC, and Popeye's. Church's menu offers four-piece boneless wings or a chicken sandwich and fries for only $5.99, which was the most affordable single meal on any menu. KFC was a close second, with its current $7 box meal, although that may be the better deal as it comes with a drink while Church's doesn't.

Additionally, Church's eight-piece fast food family meal , which comes with one large side and four biscuits (similar to other chains offerings), came in at only $22.99. That was the clear winner for a large amount of food on the cheap, with comparable meals from KFC and Popeye's tying for second best at $24.99. Zaxbys was the one wild card here, as its smallest family or group option was a 20-piece Zax Packz meal, much larger than the other options, for $34.99. Considering that it can feed around six people instead of the four the other meals would, it would be almost identical per person to the Church's offering. In fact, it was slightly cheaper than Church's own 20-piece tender combo. However, Zaxbys is often criticized for having smaller tenders, so your mileage may vary there.

While Church's managed to pull off the best value among the chains we compared, the reality is that the prices are very close. Comparing three-piece combos especially, Church's, Chick-fil-A, Zaxbys, Raising Cane's, and Bojangles all came in between $9 and $10. So, while Church's may save you a few cents, you won't lose much by sticking with your favorite.

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Read the original article on Tasting Table .