The Best Wines to Pair with Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is the perfect food. These are the best wines to drink with it.
Champagne
Champagne is basically the wine equivalent of fried chicken. There’s no wrong time to have it, and you can dress it up with caviar or enjoy it alone on the couch. Fittingly, they pair together perfectly. Champagne’s acidity helps cut through the fat and salt, while its bubbles act as a palate cleanser between bites. Even the biscuity flavors inherent in Champagne complement the breaded coating on the chicken.
Ideal style of Fried Chicken: Classic Southern
Riesling
Look, we’re not here to rank fried chicken styles. Those are dangerous waters to wade into casually. All we’ll say is that if you were to put buffalo wings and Nashville hot at the top of your list, you wouldn’t get pushback from us. What you would get is a suggestion to balance the spiciness with some German riesling.
Ideal style of Fried Chicken: Buffalo Wings
Chablis or Chenin Blanc
Most crisp, high-acid white wines would do the trick, but Chablis and Loire chenin blanc are our favorites. Not only do they have high acidity and salty minerality, but they have intensity and structure, meaning they won’t just taste like lemon water after a bite of Korean or Indian fried chicken.
Ideal style of Fried Chicken: Karaage
Beaujolais
Red wines certainly work here as well, as their tannins help balance out the fat of the chicken. Opt for one with high acidity, and earthy, savory flavors rather than jammy, fruity ones. Think Beaujolais, Northern Rhone syrah, or grenache.
Ideal style of Fried Chicken: Smoked Fried Chicken
