The Guide
The Best Fried Chicken in Sydney (2026)
Our honest guide to the best fried chicken in Sydney in 2026 — Nashville, Korean, Southern and Japanese styles, who does each one well, and where to find them.
Sydney's fried chicken scene is genuinely world-class, and “best” really depends on the style you're craving. So instead of pretending one shop wins everything, here's our honest take — by style — on who's doing the best fried chicken in Sydney in 2026. Yes, we're on the list. We also reckon you should know your options.
1. Best Nashville hot chicken — Super Nash Brothers
We'll be upfront: this is our lane, and we own it. Super Nash Brothers ranks #1 in Sydney for Nashville hot chicken, with three stores (Waitara, Waterloo and Willoughby), four heat levels from no-heat Southern to the 2M+ SHU Reaper, and everything hand-breaded and cooked to order. The signature Nash Sando — a juicy thigh with slaw, pickles and ranch on a soft bun — is the one to beat. Start with the menu or find your nearest store.
2. Best premium / bar-style hot chicken — Belles Hot Chicken
Belles brought hot chicken to Australia's attention out of Melbourne and runs a more bar-led, premium experience in Sydney (think harbour views and cocktails alongside the wings). If you want hot chicken as a sit-down night out rather than a fast, fiery feed, it's worth a look.
3. Best Korean fried chicken
Sydney's Korean fried chicken (KFC of a very different kind) is superb, especially around Strathfield, Eastwood and the CBD. The double-fried, glossy, gochujang-glazed style is a completely different beast to Nashville — lighter, stickier, sweeter. We break down the differences in our Nashville vs. Korean fried chicken guide.
4. Best classic Southern fried chicken
For old-school, no-heat-paste Southern fried chicken, Sydney has some long-standing icons — King Street's Clem's has been frying since 1982 — plus newer players like Butter blending fried chicken with sneakers and hip-hop. If you just want a crunchy, salty, comforting piece of bird, this is your category. (It's also basically our Southern heat level, for the record.)
5. Best fried chicken burger / sando
The chicken-sandwich arms race is real. Our Nash Sando is built for heat-seekers, while spots like the Redfern Surf Club do a cracking, more classic fried chicken burger. Can't go wrong either way — though we'd obviously point you to ours.
How to choose
- Want heat and a quick feed? Nashville — start with us.
- Want sticky and sweet? Korean fried chicken.
- Want pure comfort, no spice? Classic Southern (or our Southern level).
- Want to suffer (gloriously)? The Reaper Challenge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best fried chicken in Sydney?
It depends on the style. For Nashville hot chicken, Super Nash Brothers ranks #1 in Sydney with three stores and four heat levels. For Korean fried chicken, Japanese karaage and classic Southern, Sydney has excellent specialists too — we've listed our picks by style in this guide.
Where can I get Nashville hot chicken in Sydney?
Super Nash Brothers has three Sydney stores — Waitara, Waterloo and Willoughby — all serving hand-breaded Nashville hot chicken in four heat levels for pickup, delivery and dine-in.
What's the hottest fried chicken in Sydney?
The Super Nash Brothers Reaper, made with raw Carolina Reaper at over 2 million Scoville Heat Units, is the hottest fried chicken in Sydney. It's a dine-in challenge that requires signing a waiver.
Hungry now?
Three Sydney stores, four heat levels, hand-breaded and cooked to order. Order online or come say hi.