---
title: "Fried chicken chains in the United States: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the fried chicken and chicken tender chains people in the US eat at. Share of Search among Chick-fil-A, Wingstop, KFC, Dave's Hot Chicken, Popeyes, Bojangles, Raising Cane’s, Jollibee, Zaxby's and Church's Texas Chicken, the fried chicken chains Brandwave compares in the United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-fried-chicken-chains"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Fried chicken chains in the United States: Which are searched most?

Compare the fried chicken and chicken tender chains people in the US eat at. Share of Search among Chick-fil-A, Wingstop, KFC, Dave's Hot Chicken, Popeyes, Bojangles, Raising Cane’s, Jollibee, Zaxby's and Church's Texas Chicken, the fried chicken chains Brandwave compares in the United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Fried chicken chains
- **Market**: United States
- **Brands compared**: 10
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Chick-fil-A, 45.4%

## Which brand is most popular in search among fried chicken chains in the United States?

- In September 2026, Chick-fil-A was the most searched among fried chicken chains in the United States, with an estimated 20.4M branded searches, 45.4% of all searches for the ten we track.
- Wingstop is in 2nd place, 28.7 percentage points behind at 16.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Chick-fil-A’s share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States increased from 42.4% to 45.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wingstop’s share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States increased from 15.6% to 16.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, KFC’s share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States increased from 10.4% to 11.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Dave's Hot Chicken’s share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States decreased from 8.5% to 7.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Popeyes’ share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States decreased from 8.5% to 6.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Chick-fil-A’s share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States peaked at 48.1% in August 2026 and was lowest at 41.7% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wingstop’s share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States peaked at 16.6% in September 2026 and was lowest at 14.4% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, KFC’s share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States peaked at 11.1% in September 2026 and was lowest at 9% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Dave's Hot Chicken’s share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States peaked at 10.4% in March 2026 and was lowest at 7.4% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Popeyes’ share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States peaked at 10.2% in November 2025 and was lowest at 6.1% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Raising Cane’s’ share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States peaked at 4% in February 2026 and was lowest at 2.9% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zaxby's’ share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States peaked at 3.8% in December 2025 and was lowest at 2.4% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Raising Cane’s rose from 8th to 7th among fried chicken chains in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Jollibee fell from 7th to 8th among fried chicken chains in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bojangles, Zaxby's and Church's Texas Chicken held steady: their share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Top fried chicken chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions, Chick-fil-A, Popeyes and Raising Cane’s appeared every time. Popeyes was recommended most often, coming first in one out of three answers. Chick-fil-A was second, and Raising Cane’s was third. Church's Texas Chicken, which ranked tenth in searches, was not mentioned at all.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Popeyes | 1st | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Chick-fil-A | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Raising Cane’s | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| KFC | 4th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Dave's Hot Chicken | 5th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Zaxby's | 6th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Wingstop | 7th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Jollibee | 8th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Bojangles | 9th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 3 |
| Church's Texas Chicken | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 |

## Every AI answer about fried chicken chains

- Asked ChatGPT "Which fast food chain has the best fried chicken in the US?": 1. Popeyes, 2. Chick-fil-A, 3. KFC, 4. Jollibee, 5. Raising Cane’s
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best chicken chains in the US?": 1. Chick-fil-A, 2. Popeyes, 3. Raising Cane’s, 4. Dave's Hot Chicken, 5. Wingstop, 6. KFC, 7. Bojangles, 8. Zaxby's, 9. Jollibee
- Asked ChatGPT "Where can I get the best chicken tenders from a fast food chain in the US?": 1. Raising Cane’s, 2. Popeyes, 3. Zaxby's, 4. Chick-fil-A, 5. Dave's Hot Chicken, 6. Wingstop

Not named in any answer: Church's Texas Chicken.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United States on October 22, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Chick-fil-A vs Wingstop: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/chick-fil-a-vs-wingstop): 45.4% against 16.6% Share of Search.
- [Chick-fil-A vs KFC: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/chick-fil-a-vs-kfc): 45.4% against 11.1% Share of Search.
- [Chick-fil-A vs Dave's Hot Chicken: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/chick-fil-a-vs-daves-hot-chicken): 45.4% against 7.5% Share of Search.
- [Chick-fil-A vs Popeyes: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/chick-fil-a-vs-popeyes): 45.4% against 6.1% Share of Search.
- [Wingstop vs KFC: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/kfc-vs-wingstop): 16.6% against 11.1% Share of Search.
- [Wingstop vs Dave's Hot Chicken: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/daves-hot-chicken-vs-wingstop): 16.6% against 7.5% Share of Search.
- [Wingstop vs Popeyes: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/popeyes-vs-wingstop): 16.6% against 6.1% Share of Search.
- [KFC vs Dave's Hot Chicken: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/daves-hot-chicken-vs-kfc): 11.1% against 7.5% Share of Search.
- [KFC vs Popeyes: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/kfc-vs-popeyes): 11.1% against 6.1% Share of Search.
- [Dave's Hot Chicken vs Popeyes: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/daves-hot-chicken-vs-popeyes): 7.5% against 6.1% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for United States fried chicken chains in September 2026?

- In September 2026, Wingstop gained share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States, from 14.5% to 16.6%.
- In September 2026, KFC gained share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States, from 9.7% to 11.1%.
- In September 2026, Chick-fil-A lost share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States, from 48.1% to 45.4%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Popeyes in the United States fell 33% over 12 measured months, from 4.1M to 2.7M in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Jollibee in the United States fell 18.7% over 12 measured months, from 1.5M to 1.2M in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Zaxby's in the United States fell 18.7% over 12 measured months, from 1.5M to 1.2M in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Church's Texas Chicken in the United States fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 673K to 550K in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Dave's Hot Chicken in the United States fell 18.1% over 12 measured months, from 4.1M to 3.4M in September 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Chick-fil-A | 45.4% | 20.4M | -18.1% | Chick-fil-A |
| 2 | Wingstop | 16.6% | 7.5M | 0.0% | Wingstop |
| 3 | KFC | 11.1% | 5M | 0.0% | KFC |
| 4 | Dave's Hot Chicken | 7.5% | 3.4M | -18.1% | Dave's Hot Chicken |
| 5 | Popeyes | 6.1% | 2.7M | -18.2% | Popeyes |
| 6 | Bojangles | 3.3% | 1.5M | -18.0% | Bojangles |
| 7 | Raising Cane’s | 3.3% | 1.5M | -18.0% | Raising Cane’s |
| 8 | Jollibee | 2.7% | 1.2M | -18.7% | Jollibee |
| 9 | Zaxby's | 2.7% | 1.2M | 0.0% | Zaxby's |
| 10 | Church's Texas Chicken | 1.2% | 550K | 0.0% | Church's Texas Chicken |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Chick-fil-A | 20.4M | 42.4% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Wingstop | 7.5M | 15.6% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | KFC | 5M | 10.4% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Dave's Hot Chicken | 4.1M | 8.5% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Popeyes | 4.1M | 8.5% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Bojangles | 1.8M | 3.8% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | Jollibee | 1.5M | 3.1% | 7 |
| Oct 2025 | Raising Cane’s | 1.5M | 3.1% | 8 |
| Oct 2025 | Zaxby's | 1.5M | 3.1% | 9 |
| Oct 2025 | Church's Texas Chicken | 673K | 1.4% | 10 |
| Nov 2025 | Chick-fil-A | 20.4M | 41.7% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Wingstop | 7.5M | 15.3% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | KFC | 5M | 10.2% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Popeyes | 5M | 10.2% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Dave's Hot Chicken | 4.1M | 8.4% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Bojangles | 1.8M | 3.7% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Jollibee | 1.5M | 3.1% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | Raising Cane’s | 1.5M | 3.1% | 8 |
| Nov 2025 | Zaxby's | 1.5M | 3.1% | 9 |
| Nov 2025 | Church's Texas Chicken | 673K | 1.4% | 10 |
| Dec 2025 | Chick-fil-A | 20.4M | 41.9% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Wingstop | 7.5M | 15.4% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | KFC | 5M | 10.3% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Dave's Hot Chicken | 4.1M | 8.4% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Popeyes | 4.1M | 8.4% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Bojangles | 1.8M | 3.8% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Raising Cane’s | 1.8M | 3.8% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | Zaxby's | 1.8M | 3.8% | 8 |
| Dec 2025 | Jollibee | 1.5M | 3.1% | 9 |
| Dec 2025 | Church's Texas Chicken | 673K | 1.4% | 10 |
| Jan 2026 | Chick-fil-A | 20.4M | 42.4% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Wingstop | 7.5M | 15.5% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | KFC | 5M | 10.4% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Dave's Hot Chicken | 4.1M | 8.5% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Popeyes | 4.1M | 8.5% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Bojangles | 1.8M | 3.8% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Raising Cane’s | 1.8M | 3.8% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | Zaxby's | 1.5M | 3.1% | 8 |
| Jan 2026 | Jollibee | 1.2M | 2.5% | 9 |
| Jan 2026 | Church's Texas Chicken | 673K | 1.4% | 10 |
| Feb 2026 | Chick-fil-A | 20.4M | 44.9% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Wingstop | 7.5M | 16.5% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | KFC | 4.1M | 9% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Dave's Hot Chicken | 3.4M | 7.4% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Popeyes | 3.4M | 7.4% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Raising Cane’s | 1.8M | 4% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Bojangles | 1.5M | 3.3% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | Zaxby's | 1.5M | 3.3% | 8 |
| Feb 2026 | Jollibee | 1.2M | 2.7% | 9 |
| Feb 2026 | Church's Texas Chicken | 673K | 1.5% | 10 |
| Mar 2026 | Chick-fil-A | 20.4M | 42.3% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Wingstop | 7.5M | 15.5% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Dave's Hot Chicken | 5M | 10.4% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | KFC | 5M | 10.4% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Popeyes | 3.4M | 6.9% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Bojangles | 1.8M | 3.8% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Raising Cane’s | 1.8M | 3.8% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | Zaxby's | 1.5M | 3.1% | 8 |
| Mar 2026 | Jollibee | 1.2M | 2.5% | 9 |
| Mar 2026 | Church's Texas Chicken | 673K | 1.4% | 10 |
| Apr 2026 | Chick-fil-A | 20.4M | 43.1% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Wingstop | 7.5M | 15.8% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | KFC | 5M | 10.6% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Dave's Hot Chicken | 4.1M | 8.6% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Popeyes | 3.4M | 7.1% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Bojangles | 1.8M | 3.9% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Jollibee | 1.5M | 3.2% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | Raising Cane’s | 1.5M | 3.2% | 8 |
| Apr 2026 | Zaxby's | 1.5M | 3.2% | 9 |
| Apr 2026 | Church's Texas Chicken | 673K | 1.4% | 10 |
| May 2026 | Chick-fil-A | 20.4M | 42.8% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Wingstop | 7.5M | 15.7% | 2 |
| May 2026 | KFC | 5M | 10.5% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Dave's Hot Chicken | 4.1M | 8.6% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Popeyes | 3.4M | 7% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Bojangles | 1.8M | 3.8% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Raising Cane’s | 1.8M | 3.8% | 7 |
| May 2026 | Jollibee | 1.5M | 3.1% | 8 |
| May 2026 | Zaxby's | 1.5M | 3.1% | 9 |
| May 2026 | Church's Texas Chicken | 673K | 1.4% | 10 |
| Jun 2026 | Chick-fil-A | 20.4M | 43.4% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Wingstop | 7.5M | 15.9% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | KFC | 5M | 10.6% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Dave's Hot Chicken | 4.1M | 8.7% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Popeyes | 3.4M | 7.1% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Bojangles | 1.8M | 3.9% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Raising Cane’s | 1.5M | 3.2% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | Zaxby's | 1.5M | 3.2% | 8 |
| Jun 2026 | Jollibee | 1.2M | 2.6% | 9 |
| Jun 2026 | Church's Texas Chicken | 673K | 1.4% | 10 |
| Jul 2026 | Chick-fil-A | 24.9M | 48% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Wingstop | 7.5M | 14.4% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | KFC | 5M | 9.6% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Dave's Hot Chicken | 4.1M | 7.9% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Popeyes | 3.4M | 6.5% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Bojangles | 1.8M | 3.5% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Jollibee | 1.5M | 2.9% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | Raising Cane’s | 1.5M | 2.9% | 8 |
| Jul 2026 | Zaxby's | 1.5M | 2.9% | 9 |
| Jul 2026 | Church's Texas Chicken | 673K | 1.3% | 10 |
| Aug 2026 | Chick-fil-A | 24.9M | 48.1% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Wingstop | 7.5M | 14.5% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | KFC | 5M | 9.7% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Dave's Hot Chicken | 4.1M | 7.9% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Popeyes | 3.4M | 6.5% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Bojangles | 1.8M | 3.5% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Raising Cane’s | 1.8M | 3.5% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | Jollibee | 1.5M | 2.9% | 8 |
| Aug 2026 | Zaxby's | 1.2M | 2.4% | 9 |
| Aug 2026 | Church's Texas Chicken | 550K | 1.1% | 10 |
| Sep 2026 | Chick-fil-A | 20.4M | 45.4% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Wingstop | 7.5M | 16.6% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | KFC | 5M | 11.1% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Dave's Hot Chicken | 3.4M | 7.5% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Popeyes | 2.7M | 6.1% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Bojangles | 1.5M | 3.3% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Raising Cane’s | 1.5M | 3.3% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | Jollibee | 1.2M | 2.7% | 8 |
| Sep 2026 | Zaxby's | 1.2M | 2.7% | 9 |
| Sep 2026 | Church's Texas Chicken | 550K | 1.2% | 10 |

## What is being compared

- **Bojangles**: Measured on the search term “bojangles”.
- **Chick-fil-A**: Measured on the search term “chick-fil-a”.
- **Church's Texas Chicken**: Measured on the search terms “church's chicken” and “churchs chicken”, summed into one figure.
- **Dave's Hot Chicken**: Measured on the search term “dave's hot chicken”.
- **Jollibee**: Measured on the search term “jollibee”.
- **KFC**: Measured on the search term “kfc”.
- **Popeyes**: Measured on the search term “popeyes”.
- **Raising Cane’s**: Measured on the search terms “raising cane's” and “raising canes”, summed into one figure.
- **Wingstop**: Measured on the search term “wingstop”.
- **Zaxby's**: Measured on the search terms “zaxby's” and “zaxbys”, summed into one figure.

- [Bojangles](/demand/us/brands/bojangles)
- [Chick-fil-A](/demand/us/brands/chick-fil-a)
- [Church's Texas Chicken](/demand/us/brands/churchs-chicken)
- [Dave's Hot Chicken](/demand/us/brands/daves-hot-chicken)
- [Jollibee](/demand/us/brands/jollibee)
- [KFC](/demand/us/brands/kfc)
- [Popeyes](/demand/us/brands/popeyes)
- [Raising Cane’s](/demand/us/brands/raising-canes)
- [Wingstop](/demand/us/brands/wingstop)
- [Zaxby's](/demand/us/brands/zaxbys)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among fried chicken chains in the United States?

In September 2026, Chick-fil-A was the most searched among fried chicken chains in the United States, with an estimated 20.4M branded searches, 45.4% of all searches for the ten we track.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Fried chicken chains in the United States: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-fried-chicken-chains

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-fried-chicken-chains. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.