Pretty much Everyone Loves Fried Chicken.
It’s an easy crowd favorite that will make anyone, regardless of age, excited for a meal. There are multiple options for fried chicken catering, ranging from classic wings to canapés.
How to Choose your Fried Chicken Option
Depending on the occasion, there’s always a fried chicken option for you! See below for some of our personal recommendations:
Boneless Chicken
When opting for fried chicken catering, a safe option is a boneless chicken as it makes less of a mess and is a comfortable finger food.
Boneless chicken is the best choice for occasions such as children’s parties, Super Bowl parties, and more casual hangouts.
Often, boneless chicken will suffice as a snack but not so much as a full meal, so pairing this with some vegetable sandwiches is a good idea for a full meal.
Classic Fried Chicken Wings
You can’t go wrong with the all-time classic—chicken wings.
This is a staple at most parties, but it’s important to think about how it would pair with the other food you’re having catered and the guests you’re having over.
You can make a decision between boneless and bone-in wings. While boneless wings may seem easier to eat, bone-in wings are a classic and fun to eat. Depending on the occasion, you can incorporate your preferred dish into your catering.
Classic Chicken Sandwich
A plain fried chicken burger is simple yet effective— and super filling!
Pairing a spicy fried chicken patty with bread, cheese, and lettuce is more than enough but you can always ask your caterer to amp up the flavor with add-ons such as pickles and onions.
This option is best for the main meal or a heavier course and would be your safest bet.
Chicken Karaage Canapés
When serving to impress, casual foods like tenders are a less attractive option.
Chicken karaage is a Japanese version of fried chicken, where the chicken is marinated with ingredients such as ginger, garlic, and soy sauce before being fried.
The chicken is then paired with mayonnaise to cut through the acidic taste and sometimes served with jalapenos, to bring a sweet kick to the dish.
This is a very popular catering dish due to its bite-sized pieces and flavor profile and would be ideal for a finger food event.
Vegan Chicken
A healthier alternative to fried chicken is panko-crusted baked chicken.
The chicken can be replaced with plant-based alternatives.
This baked option also contains much less oil, so with a more health-conscious crowd, this can be a fan favorite.
If plant-based chicken isn’t what you want, you can always pair fried chicken with other vegetarian and vegan options.
How to pair your Fried Chicken
Fried chicken alone is usually not filling enough. If you want some variety in your fried chicken catering, consider pairing your chicken with other dishes, such as:
- Mac and cheese: This cheesy soft blend is perfect to combat the crunch of fried chicken and is perfect to be paired with a spicier chicken
- Mash Potatoes and Gravy: This is more suitable for a dinner-time occasion and offers a well-rounded, filling meal
- Coleslaw: This is a cool fresh salad that’s perfect to cleanse your palate from greasy chicken
- Succotash: This is a classic, historic American meal; the array of vegetables is a good combo with fried chicken
- Waffles: This with fried chicken is a Southern favorite and will be a popular catering option that will leave your guests feeling satisfied
How to serve your Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is usually a safe option when serving a large crowd as most people are not allergic, and chicken has fewer religious restrictions.
You will, however, also want to offer vegetarian catering in Pittsburgh, as Pittsburgh is the third most vegetarian city in the USA. Thankfully, fried chicken pairings are usually vegetarian, so it won’t be difficult to provide a good meal for vegetarians.
For a vegan crowd, you can either opt for chicken alternatives or offer more vegan side dishes.
Overdoing fried chicken may leave your guests feeling greasy and overfilled.
An important point to remember when serving oily foods is to serve in small portions. This gives your guests the option to have a few bites and results in minimal waste.
Spice levels are also important. A good way to keep everyone happy is having a mild fried chicken with a spicy sauce paired with it, so people can opt out of spice if they wish.
Pick the Fried Chicken Catering option that’s the Best for your Occasion
There are many options when it comes to fried chicken catering, but make sure your choices suit your occasion. By following these tips you can avoid choosing unpopular food and make sure everyone leaves your gathering happy and full!
