The 10 Best Hot Chicken Sandwiches in Dallas, Ranked

There’s a certain beauty to the fried chicken shop. A refreshing sort of no-nonsense that says, "We know what we’re good at and we’re not deviating from that." It’s not a matter of what you want, but how much of it. A comfortable common denominator that if your fried chicken is good, you don’t have to try to be good at anything else.

In the fried chicken universe, arguably, the hot chicken sandwich is the centerpiece. It is spicy, crunchy and a perfectly designed combination of flavors that’s rarely messed with. You know what sounds good right now? Two buns, a cut of hot chicken, a thick, crunchy pickle, some signature sauce and a scoop of coleslaw. You know what will probably sound good tomorrow, too? That exact same thing.

The good news: Dallas has no shortage of great options to get that hot chicken fix. In 2021, we ranked our 10 favorites across the greater North Texas area. Today, we’re revisiting that list to make some corrections (Ricky’s), say goodbye to a few favorites that have since closed (R.I.P. to Hot Chicks and Invasion) and welcome a few new establishments. You hungry yet?

10. FireHouse Gastro Park

321 W. Main St. (Grand Prairie)

Not only is FireHouse Gastro Park a restaurant, bar, coffee house and outdoor music venue, it's a vibrant, fun place to waste an afternoon or two, but the Nashville Bird chicken sandwich is worth a trip out to central GP alone. You can also order this sandwich as a giant mound of fries to share with your besties.

9. Birdcall

507 W Belt Line Road

Though Birdcall’s long-planned Lake Highlands location fell through, the Colorado and Arkansas chain opened two locations in downtown McKinney and Richardson. There are three options for a hot chicken sandwich here. The Nashville Deluxe, which features crispy chicken with bacon, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo, or the simpler Nashville Hot, which strips it down to just chicken and pickles. The Buffalo sandwich is available too, featuring tomatoes and blue cheese coleslaw around the buffalo sauce-tossed chicken.

8. Sloane's Corner

2001 Ross Ave.

When Sloane's Corner first opened, the Nashville hot chicken sandwich was a daily special, but it's since been added to the regular menu. Thankfully. A house-made brioche bun is toasted with butter on a flat top before cradling the buttermilk fried chicken, topped with Fresno peppers, pickles and aioli. This sandwich is unique because Chef Ji Kang uses the seven-spice blend togarashi in the mix. It's simple and magnificent.

7. Lucky's Hot Chicken

4505 Gaston Ave.

Lucky’s is part of the Vandelay Hospitality Group, which includes East Hampton Sandwich Co., Drake’s Hollywood and Hudson House. They opened their flagship location in the fall of 2020 on Gaston Avenue in the mid-century building where Norman Brinker had his first restaurant. Their Damn Lucky spice on their Big Lou sandwich with their house-made comeback sauce is a winner-winner chicken dinner. Don't sleep on the Animal Fries, which come with melted cheese, comeback sauce and jalapeño ranch. Cool all that off with a soft-serve swirl after.

6. Dave's Hot Chicken

14750 Preston Road

Despite being a nationwide chain, Dave’s has still managed to blossom into a North Texas staple, with 12 locations open across the area. Dave’s slider is one of the best hot chicken sandwiches you can find, smothered in their signature sauce in a thin, soft bun. If you haven’t been, it’s important to note that these are sliders, and ordering a double serving might be in order.

5. 2 Neighbors Hot Chicken

324 E. Belt Line Road (DeSoto)

2 Neighbors offers baskets of Nashville-style hot chicken in wing, nugget and chicken tender form. They also have catfish. But their beaten-flat chicken breast sandwich stacked with coleslaw and pickles on a brioche bun is perfect. The heat here isn’t out to murder your taste buds. If you do like it hot, order accordingly, but be sure to grab a house-made banana pudding to put out any lingering flames.

4. Hattie B's

3827 Lemmon Ave.

Recently relocating from Deep Ellum to Oak Lawn, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken took home our Best Hot Chicken award in 2024. There are six different levels of spice, from the not spicy “Southern Style” to the ghost pepper “Shut The Cluck Up!” extreme. We’ve had both ends of the spectrum, and highly recommend opting for the most popular medium option, but who’s to say how you eat your chicken?

3. Roots Chicken Shak

7800 Windrose Ave (Plano - Legacy Food Hall)

Located inside Legacy Food Hall in Plano, Roots Chicken Shak was the dry run for chef Tiffany Derry’s expanded concept, Roots Southern Table. The Shak is still going strong on its own, though, offering up a take on the hot chicken sandwich that features seasoned kale, kimchi mayo and chicken fried in duck fat.

2. Palmer's Hot Chicken

6465 East Mockingbird Lane, #316

This Lakewood spot won our Best Hot Chicken in 2021 because of its meticulously crafted recipe. Founder Palmer Fortune lived in Nashville for 30 years and opened this spot based on what he learned after eating decades worth of these sandwiches. The recipe for the fried chicken pays homage to Thornton Prince, the original Nashville creator, and supposedly mimics the original recipe without any modifications. Everything here is made from scratch, including sides, sauces and desserts. Palmer's MotherClucker sandwich comes with fried breast meat topped with pickles over pimento cheese. You can sub a waffle for your bun. Beware of the napalm heat level; it’s no joke.

1. Ricky's Hot Chicken

100 S. Central Expressway, Suite 18

When we published our last hot chicken sandwich list in 2021, readers had a collective meltdown about our snub of Ricky's Hot Chicken. (They weren't wrong.) At the time, the shop only had one open location. Now, there's a Ricky's in Richardson, Arlington and Plano, all serving up the vision of founder Ricky Tran, who created the concept on a whim after trying hot chicken for the first time in Nashville. In 2025, Ricky's has a case as one of the best chicken spots in town, not only for its two hot sandwiches, but also for its weekend chicken and waffles.