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A fried chicken sandwich topped with tomatoes and papaya slaw on a red and white plate.
The fried chicken sandwich at Little Tijuana.
Gene Pease

11 Tasty Fried Chicken Sandwiches in the Twin Cities

From fiery Tennessee hot chicken to juicy dill-brined thighs

by Natalia Mendez and Eater Staff Updated
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The fried chicken sandwich at Little Tijuana.
| Gene Pease
by Natalia Mendez and Eater Staff Updated

There’s a certain art to transforming a simple piece of meat into a juicy, crispy fried chicken sandwich. Luckily, Twin Cities restaurants have taken up the cause with aplomb — and the local fried chicken scene keeps getting better by the day. Look for sandwiches with careful meat-to-breading ratios and adventurous seasonings, from a light dusting of pepper to fiery coatings of cayenne, paprika, and chili powder. Here are 11 excellent fried chicken sandwiches around Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Note that these restaurants are listed geographically.

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Khue's Kitchen

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A newcomer on the fried chicken scene, Khue’s Kitchen is making waves with its chili crunch fried chicken sandwich. This sandwich hits some spicy notes — chili seeds coat the breading, and the bun has a tantalizing glaze of chili oil — but it’s all balanced out by the creamy herb aioli. The whole thing is impossibly buttery.

KHUE'S KITCHEN at BAR BRAVA, 1914 N Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411
(612) 208-1270
(612) 208-1270

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Soul Bowl

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Chef Gerard Klass has your fried chicken cravings covered with not one but two creative chicken sandwiches. The A.A. sandwich features fried chicken on a cornbread bun with mac and cheese and collard greens. The Big K.R.I.T features fried chicken topped with turkey bacon, drizzled with sweet and spicy Mambo sauce, and served on an everything bun. It’s well worth picking the seeds from your teeth afterward.

520 N 4th St, Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 567-7044
(612) 567-7044

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Zen Box Izakaya

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The hot and spicy chicken karaage sandwich at Zen Box Izakaya has a tender, crispy dose of heat from gochujang that’s tempered by cool and crunchy pickled cucumbers and Asian slaw. It all comes on a brioche bun — and yes, you’ll want napkins.

602 S Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55415
(612) 332-3936
(612) 332-3936

Also featured in:

Nashville Coop

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This wildly popular food truck first found a full-time home on Snelling Avenue, but as of summer 2022, its new Stadium Village location is up and running. Order a fried chicken sandwich at varying degrees of mouth-scorching heat, from the MN Nice to the Cluckin’ Hot, which promises “24-hour pain.” The Coop sauce and coleslaw add some much-needed creaminess.

856 SE Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55414
A seriously spiced, crispy fried chicken breast dominates a buttery bun with pickle rounds on the top and bottom with a layer of slaw on the bottom. Juices are dripping off the sandwich and pooling on the plate.
Be ready for some heat.
Nashville Coop

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Abang Yoli Malcolm Yards

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Head over to the Market at Malcolm Yards for a stellar fried chicken sandwich from Abang Yoli. The tangy, house-pickled vegetables are an excellent foil to the heavier fried chicken breast, and fresh-made buns from Vikings & Goddesses pastry have an irresistible creaminess and soft crumb. Abang Yoli’s second location is now open on Nicollet Avenue, too.

501 30th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
(612) 886-1022
(612) 886-1022

Bebe Zito Ice Cream

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Bebe Zito’s honey butter chicken sandwich comes classic or Tennessee hot. Its sweet glaze makes it a fun alternative to the Cities’ mostly savory and spicy-leaning fried chicken sandwiches — and to Bebe Zito’s equally enticing cheeseburgers. Pair a sandwich with a scoop of seasonal ice cream.

704 W 22nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55405
(612) 315-5180
(612) 315-5180

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Little Tijuana Neighborhood Lounge

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The crispy, craggy thigh on Little Tijuana’s fried chicken sandwich is as wide as a dinner plate, but somehow it’s easy to scarf the whole thing down in one sitting. A star of the menu’s “sando” section, it’s topped with chili sauce and zippy papaya slaw. The waffle fries come with a side of sour cream — to add some creamy balance, spread a little on the bun.

17 E 26th St, Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 315-3245
(612) 315-3245
A fried chicken sandwich, cocktail, and other dishes on a wooden table.
Little Tijuana’s sandwich comes topped with zippy papaya slaw.
Gene Pease

Also featured in:

Lake & Irving Restaurant & Bar

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This sandwich is buttermilk-dipped and served with duroc bacon and sriracha aioli — kick it up with the addition of ghost pepper jack cheese. It comes served on a couple of pieces of white toast for lunch and dinner, or get it as chicken and waffles during brunch. It’s the little black dress of fried chicken sandwiches.

1513 W Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 354-2453
(612) 354-2453
A fried chicken sandwich on a white plate with vegetables on the side.
A Lake & Irving fried chicken sandwich.
Lake & Irving Restaurant & Bar

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Bull's Horn Food and Drink

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This south Minneapolis wood-paneled bar looks like it’s straight out of the northwoods, complete with taxidermy, pull tabs, and a meat raffle. Sink your teeth into Bull’s Horn’s fried chicken sandwich, which features a succulent chicken thigh plopped on a glossy milk bun. It’s all generously smeared with pimento cheese and sweet and savory house-smoked pickles.

4563 S 34th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406
(612) 208-1378
(612) 208-1378

Also featured in:

Bap and Chicken St. Paul

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Bap and Chicken serves a whole menu of Korean fried chicken dinners, and its sandwiches are standouts. The ‘OG’ is features a classic KFC-style thigh topped with ginger slaw and spicy mayo, while the Buffalo Brie leans even further into decadence, loading the chicken with thick slices of brie cheese and drizzles of buffalo sauce.

1328 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105
(651) 333-0929
(651) 333-0929

Also featured in:

Revival

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Revival’s boned, breaded, and fried thighs make for a great sandwich, but a dip in the Tennessee hot spice blend takes it to the next level. Served on a soft bun with mayo, a couple of sweet-sour pickle chips, lettuce, and tomato, this is a four-napkin situation you don’t want to miss.

525 Selby Ave, St Paul, MN 55102
(651) 340-2355
(651) 340-2355
Revival’s Tennessee Hot fried chicken sandwich
Revival

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Khue's Kitchen

KHUE'S KITCHEN at BAR BRAVA, 1914 N Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411

A newcomer on the fried chicken scene, Khue’s Kitchen is making waves with its chili crunch fried chicken sandwich. This sandwich hits some spicy notes — chili seeds coat the breading, and the bun has a tantalizing glaze of chili oil — but it’s all balanced out by the creamy herb aioli. The whole thing is impossibly buttery.

KHUE'S KITCHEN at BAR BRAVA, 1914 N Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411
(612) 208-1270
(612) 208-1270

Soul Bowl

520 N 4th St, Minneapolis, MN 55401

Chef Gerard Klass has your fried chicken cravings covered with not one but two creative chicken sandwiches. The A.A. sandwich features fried chicken on a cornbread bun with mac and cheese and collard greens. The Big K.R.I.T features fried chicken topped with turkey bacon, drizzled with sweet and spicy Mambo sauce, and served on an everything bun. It’s well worth picking the seeds from your teeth afterward.

520 N 4th St, Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 567-7044
(612) 567-7044

Zen Box Izakaya

602 S Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55415

The hot and spicy chicken karaage sandwich at Zen Box Izakaya has a tender, crispy dose of heat from gochujang that’s tempered by cool and crunchy pickled cucumbers and Asian slaw. It all comes on a brioche bun — and yes, you’ll want napkins.

602 S Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55415
(612) 332-3936
(612) 332-3936

Nashville Coop

856 SE Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55414

This wildly popular food truck first found a full-time home on Snelling Avenue, but as of summer 2022, its new Stadium Village location is up and running. Order a fried chicken sandwich at varying degrees of mouth-scorching heat, from the MN Nice to the Cluckin’ Hot, which promises “24-hour pain.” The Coop sauce and coleslaw add some much-needed creaminess.

856 SE Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55414
A seriously spiced, crispy fried chicken breast dominates a buttery bun with pickle rounds on the top and bottom with a layer of slaw on the bottom. Juices are dripping off the sandwich and pooling on the plate.
Be ready for some heat.
Nashville Coop

Abang Yoli Malcolm Yards

501 30th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414

Head over to the Market at Malcolm Yards for a stellar fried chicken sandwich from Abang Yoli. The tangy, house-pickled vegetables are an excellent foil to the heavier fried chicken breast, and fresh-made buns from Vikings & Goddesses pastry have an irresistible creaminess and soft crumb. Abang Yoli’s second location is now open on Nicollet Avenue, too.

501 30th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
(612) 886-1022
(612) 886-1022

Bebe Zito Ice Cream

704 W 22nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55405

Bebe Zito’s honey butter chicken sandwich comes classic or Tennessee hot. Its sweet glaze makes it a fun alternative to the Cities’ mostly savory and spicy-leaning fried chicken sandwiches — and to Bebe Zito’s equally enticing cheeseburgers. Pair a sandwich with a scoop of seasonal ice cream.

704 W 22nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55405
(612) 315-5180
(612) 315-5180

Little Tijuana Neighborhood Lounge

17 E 26th St, Minneapolis, MN 55408

The crispy, craggy thigh on Little Tijuana’s fried chicken sandwich is as wide as a dinner plate, but somehow it’s easy to scarf the whole thing down in one sitting. A star of the menu’s “sando” section, it’s topped with chili sauce and zippy papaya slaw. The waffle fries come with a side of sour cream — to add some creamy balance, spread a little on the bun.

17 E 26th St, Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 315-3245
(612) 315-3245
A fried chicken sandwich, cocktail, and other dishes on a wooden table.
Little Tijuana’s sandwich comes topped with zippy papaya slaw.
Gene Pease

Lake & Irving Restaurant & Bar

1513 W Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55408

This sandwich is buttermilk-dipped and served with duroc bacon and sriracha aioli — kick it up with the addition of ghost pepper jack cheese. It comes served on a couple of pieces of white toast for lunch and dinner, or get it as chicken and waffles during brunch. It’s the little black dress of fried chicken sandwiches.

1513 W Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 354-2453
(612) 354-2453
A fried chicken sandwich on a white plate with vegetables on the side.
A Lake & Irving fried chicken sandwich.
Lake & Irving Restaurant & Bar

Bull's Horn Food and Drink

4563 S 34th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406

This south Minneapolis wood-paneled bar looks like it’s straight out of the northwoods, complete with taxidermy, pull tabs, and a meat raffle. Sink your teeth into Bull’s Horn’s fried chicken sandwich, which features a succulent chicken thigh plopped on a glossy milk bun. It’s all generously smeared with pimento cheese and sweet and savory house-smoked pickles.

4563 S 34th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406
(612) 208-1378
(612) 208-1378

Bap and Chicken St. Paul

1328 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105

Bap and Chicken serves a whole menu of Korean fried chicken dinners, and its sandwiches are standouts. The ‘OG’ is features a classic KFC-style thigh topped with ginger slaw and spicy mayo, while the Buffalo Brie leans even further into decadence, loading the chicken with thick slices of brie cheese and drizzles of buffalo sauce.

1328 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105
(651) 333-0929
(651) 333-0929

Revival

525 Selby Ave, St Paul, MN 55102

Revival’s boned, breaded, and fried thighs make for a great sandwich, but a dip in the Tennessee hot spice blend takes it to the next level. Served on a soft bun with mayo, a couple of sweet-sour pickle chips, lettuce, and tomato, this is a four-napkin situation you don’t want to miss.

525 Selby Ave, St Paul, MN 55102
(651) 340-2355
(651) 340-2355
Revival’s Tennessee Hot fried chicken sandwich
Revival

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