The 18 Best Chicken Dishes in the World · National Dish Recipes

The 18 Best Chicken Dishes in the World

Famous chicken dishes from around the world on a rustic table

No ingredient travels like chicken — every cuisine has crowned its own preparation. The Philippines braises it in vinegar and soy, Jamaica smokes it over pimento wood, France gives it a bath in Burgundy. These are the 18 best chicken dishes in the world, ranked, each with an authentic recipe.

  1. Chicken Adobo

    Philippines

    Braised glossy in vinegar, soy, garlic and bay — the Philippines' national dish and its best export.

    Meet Adobo, the dish most Filipinos would name in a heartbeat if asked for the taste of home. Pork or chicken is gently braised in a glossy sauce of soy sauce, vinegar and plenty of garlic, then finished with peppercorns and bay …

  2. Jerk Chicken

    Jamaica

    Scotch bonnet and allspice, smoked slowly over pimento wood — Jamaica's fire-and-smoke masterpiece.

    Discover Jerk Chicken, the fiery pride of Jamaica! This iconic dish takes tender chicken, bathes it in a bold, aromatic marinade and slow-cooks it over smoky coals until the skin turns dark and crackling. With the warmth of …

  3. Coq au Vin

    France

    Chicken braised in red wine with lardons and mushrooms — French countryside cooking at its most seductive.

    Discover Coq au Vin, one of France's most cherished classics! This soul-warming dish gently braises chicken in a rich red wine sauce until the meat turns meltingly tender and the gravy deepens into something truly special. With …

  4. Karaage

    Japan

    Soy-ginger marinated thigh pieces fried shatter-crisp — Japan's izakaya essential.

    Discover Karaage, one of Japan's most irresistible bites! This classic of Japanese cooking turns humble chicken into morsels that are wonderfully crisp on the outside and juicy within, all thanks to a fragrant marinade of soy …

  5. Tandoori Chicken

    India

    Yogurt- and spice-marinated, charred in the tandoor — the dish that introduced the world to Indian fire.

    Meet Tandoori Chicken, one of India's most iconic dishes and a true showstopper at any table. Juicy chicken is steeped in a tangy yoghurt marinade laced with warming spices, then grilled until smoky, charred and irresistibly …

  6. Pollo a la Brasa

    Peru

    Peru's rotisserie obsession: smoky, juicy, herb-marinated — with ají verde, a national treasure.

    Discover Pollo a la Brasa, the pride of Peru's kitchens! This juicy roast chicken is prized for its crisp, golden skin and a bold marinade layered with garlic, cumin and warming spices. Traditionally cooked on a vertical …

  7. Doro Wat

    Ethiopia

    Chicken and boiled eggs in slow-cooked berbere sauce — Ethiopia's celebration stew.

    Discover Doro Wat, the fiery pride of Ethiopia and one of the most celebrated dishes in the whole of East Africa. Chicken is slowly simmered in a deep-red, intensely aromatic berbere sauce until it falls tenderly off the bone, …

  8. Korean Fried Chicken

    South Korea

    Double-fried for glass-crisp skin, lacquered in gochujang glaze — chicken's modern revolution.

    Say hello to Korean Fried Chicken, the gloriously crunchy dish that has won hearts well beyond Seoul. With its shatteringly crispy coating and tender, juicy meat inside, it comes in both a mild classic style and a fiery, …

  9. Shkmeruli

    Georgia

    Crisped chicken drowned in garlic-milk sauce — the Georgian dish nobody orders just once.

    Discover Shkmeruli, one of Georgia's most irresistible national dishes! Tender chicken is bathed in a rich, creamy sauce that sings with garlic — a combination that has won over food lovers far beyond the Caucasus. It is …

  10. Poulet Yassa

    Senegal

    Chicken smothered in caramelised onions, lemon and mustard — Casamance's tangy gift to West Africa.

    Meet Poulet Yassa, the tangy, deeply savoury chicken dish that many consider the true taste of Senegal. Tender chicken is marinated in lemon and garlic, then simmered with a mountain of slowly softened onions until the sauce turns …

  11. Piri Piri Chicken

    Mozambique

    Flame-grilled under African bird's eye chili baste — the original that spawned a global chain.

    Discover piri-piri chicken, the fiery pride of Mozambique's kitchens! This vibrant dish takes tender chicken and bathes it in a punchy chilli paste that delivers spicy, tangy and gently smoky notes in every bite. Simple to prepare …

  12. Pollo en Mole Poblano

    Mexico

    Chicken beneath Mexico's baroque sauce of chilies, spices and chocolate — fiesta food supreme.

    Meet Pollo en Mole Poblano, Mexico's celebrated national dish and one of the most captivating things you can cook from its kitchen. Tender chicken is bathed in a velvety, deeply savoury sauce built from dark chocolate, smoky …

  13. Kung Pao Chicken

    China

    Sichuan's sweet-hot-numbing stir-fry with peanuts — imperial cuisine turned world favourite.

    Discover Kung Pao Chicken, one of China's most celebrated dishes and a true icon of Sichuan cuisine! This fiery stir-fry brings together tender pieces of chicken, crunchy peanuts and the unmistakable tingle of Sichuan pepper for a …

  14. Khao Man Gai

    Thailand

    Thailand's take on Hainanese chicken rice — poached chicken, ginger rice, fermented bean sauce.

    Meet Khao Man Gai, one of Thailand's most comforting plates of food. Tender poached chicken rests on fragrant jasmine rice that has been cooked in the very broth used to gently simmer the bird, while a punchy soy-based sauce and a …

  15. Ayam Goreng

    Indonesia

    Chicken simmered in spiced coconut water, then fried golden — Indonesia's twice-cooked wisdom.

    Say hello to Ayam Goreng, Indonesia's irresistible take on fried chicken! Pieces of chicken are steeped in a fragrant marinade of turmeric, garlic and lemongrass, then fried until deeply golden and gloriously crisp. The result is …

  16. Fesenjan

    Iran

    Chicken in a velvet sauce of ground walnuts and pomegranate molasses — Persian cooking's crown jewel.

    Discover Fesenjan, one of the great treasures of Persian cooking and a proud national dish of Iran. This slow-simmered stew builds its character around a velvety sauce of ground walnuts and tangy pomegranate molasses, striking a …

  17. Southern Fried Chicken

    USA

    Buttermilk-brined, crust like thunder — the American South's most famous export.

    Meet Southern Fried Chicken, one of the great icons of American comfort food! With its golden, shatteringly crisp crust and tender, juicy meat beneath, this dish has won hearts far beyond the American South. The secret lies in a …

  18. Chicken Paprikás

    Hungary

    Chicken in silky paprika-sour cream sauce with nokedli — Hungary's comfort classic.

    Discover Paprikás Csirke, one of Hungary's most cherished national dishes! Tender pieces of chicken simmer gently in a glowing, richly spiced paprika sauce, finished with a generous swirl of soured cream. It is the kind of …

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What is the best chicken dish in the world?

Filipino adobo, Jamaican jerk chicken and French coq au vin are regularly ranked among the world's best chicken dishes, with Japanese karaage, tandoori chicken and Peru's pollo a la brasa close behind. This list ranks 18 chicken classics with authentic recipes.