London is replete with chicken joints at every turn, but how do you sort the good, the ones you can’t stop thinking about, from the just plain bad? Especially with an influx of eateries claiming to serve the “best fried chicken in London”, with specialist recipes and innovative cooking techniques, it can sometimes be a little overwhelming deciding where to pitch your plate. In short, we’ve got you covered. From the rotisserie grill to the deep fryer, these are the best fried chicken places winning the hearts and tastebuds of diners across London and with good reason. Bon appétit.

Bird

Bird has been around for quite some time, first in Shoreditch and Islington and now north of the canal in Camden. This place endures for a reason. Juicy chicken parcelled in a beautifully spiced crumb, dripping with taste and texture. Its free-range chickens come from a small farm in Yorkshire and are delivered fresh daily, which really shows upon first bite. And best of all? The batter is gluten-free, so those with an intolerance who believe spectacular fried chicken is an unattainable pleasure, think again. 2/44 Kingsland Road, London E2; 81 Holloway Road, London N7; 21-22 Chalk Farm Road, London NW1; The Balcony, First Floor, Westfield Stratford City, London E20. birdrestaurants.com

Clutch

© Colette Smith

Downing a plate of fried chicken is not a waistline-friendly endeavour, but you can assuage some of the guilt of indulgence by eating Clutch’s more health-conscious, but no less delicious, version. It fries its ethically sourced free-range bird in groundnut oil, which is very low in cholesterol, delivering succulent, flavour-charged chicken that really hits the spot. For a decadent treat, try the chicken french toast with bourbon honey vanilla syrup and don’t be surprised if you find yourself dreaming about it many months later. 4 Ravenscroft Street, London E2. clutchchicken.com

Mother Clucker

Brined in tea, soaked in buttermilk and battered not once, but twice, Mother Clucker’s golden-fried, spicy coating expertly houses its tender chicken with flavoursome aplomb. This is straight-up, excellent fried chicken off the bone, originally served from a converted US Army ambulance at Truman Brewery and now posted permanently at various locations around London. Mother Clucker has had a steady following since its launch in 2013 and if you sink your teeth into a piece from its delectable menu, you’ll understand why. 91 Brick Lane, London E1; 68 Union Street, London SE1; Exmouth Market, 59-61 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R. motherclucker.co.uk

Berber & Q – Shawarma Bar

If you’re on the hunt for great chicken that isn’t deep-fried, then head to Berber & Q’s Shawarma Bar. Marinated, then skilfully turned over a charcoal grill, Berber’s rotisserie chicken just falls off the bone in perfectly flavoured, smoky chunks. Accompanied with lightly caramelised barbecued lemons, onions and tomatoes, this is simply chicken heaven. And just when you thought it couldn’t get better, you have the option of dousing it in a creamy tahini sauce, which truly lifts it to another level. 46 Exmouth Market, London EC1R. shawarmabar.co.uk

Red Rooster

© Jason Bailey

Ethiopian-Swedish chef Marcus Samuelsson has just brought his Harlem hangout to Shoreditch and with it a raft of American comfort food classics, including fried chicken and waffles with pickles and hot bourbon maple syrup (£11) and even a whole fried “yard bird” (£19 – best enjoyed at the gospel brunch on Sundays). The secret to Samuelsson’s chicken? The fiery berbere spices, inspired by his Ethiopian roots. 45 Curtain Road, London EC2. thecurtain.com

Chick’N’Sours Haggerston

Some serious fried chicken has been emerging from the state-of-the-art fryers of Carl Clarke – and every piece is free-range and herb-fed. GQ’s top pick is the boneless tenders, served straight up and seasoned with the signature “seaweed crack” (three for £5). 390 Kingsland Road, London E8. chicknsours.co.uk

Blues Kitchen Shoreditch

The major standout at this burly barbecue, bourbon and blues bar is the spicy buffalo wings (go large for £9.90) – paired, naturally, with a cool blue-cheese dip. Or, if you turn up between 5pm and 7pm on a Friday, they are – quite incredibly – completely free. 134-146 Curtain Road, London EC2. theblueskitchen.com

Kanada-Ya

Hiding away on the small-plates menu at this Covent Garden ramen house is karaage (£4) – ridiculously crunchy strips of fried chicken with a zingy yuzo mayo to dunk them in. 64 St Giles High Street, London WC2. kanada-ya.com

BAO Soho

This bao phenomenon has grown so popular that they have to employ a little bus-stop system to control the baying (OK, very orderly) crowds. And no wonder: among those steamed milk buns stuffed with the likes of confit pork and lamb shoulder is one brimming with fried chicken (£5). 53 Lexington Street, London W1. baolondon.com