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Restaurant Thu Apr 02 2015
Chicago's Best (Non-Fried) Chicken
Everyone and their mother has their favorite fried chicken spot, but chicken doesn't have to be fried in vats of oil to be tasty. Well-cooked chicken is delicious in its own right, and I'm not referring to extra-dry breast cutlets or Hillshire Farm deli cuts. A juicy, moist chicken thigh with crispy skin can be quite scrumptious when perfectly roasted or grilled. I've highlighted some of my favorite non-deep-fried chicken spots in the Chicago area.
Piri Piri Chicken
Fogo's Peri Peri
Native to Africa, piri piri is a bird's eye pepper commonly used in Portuguese cuisine. It's very hot and highly addictive for the taste buds. Fogo's Peri Peri makes their flamed-grilled chicken to order, and the result is spicy bird with a unique citrusy and charred flavor.
Peruvian Chicken
D'Candela
Peruvian rotisserie chicken is essentially rotisserie chicken with lots of cumin, paprika, and black pepper. The chicken is usually served with various sauces, including spicy salsas and rich aiolis. D'Candela serves yucca fries, pinto beans, or spiced fried rice with their chicken.
Korean Chicken
Great Sea Chinese Restaurant
These chicken lollipops, seared with garlic and scallions, are especially popular with the locals. With a definitively crisp exterior and soft interior, these wings come in two flavors: regular or spicy. The price point is appealing (about $1/wing), and the menu has plenty of other Korean staples should you choose to order more food.
Chinese Chicken
Sun-Wah Bar-B-Que
Chinese chicken is generally poached and lightly seasoned to preserve the savory chicken flavor. Sun-Wah is known (and deeply loved) for its Peking duck and BBQ pork, but the Soy Sauce Chicken is equally delicious and served with the familiar accoutrements, including steamed buns and stir-fried vegetables.
Jerk Chicken
Mr. Brown's Lounge
Jerk chicken is basically grilled spicy chicken, and Mr. Brown's Lounge does it well. Made to order and glistening with dark spices, their jerk chicken is authentically spicy and frustratingly succulent. To round out your meal, do not forget the cabbage or rice and peas!
