Why Chicken Might Always Be America’s Favorite Protein

Home Chicken Savvy Why Chicken Might Always Be America’s Favorite Protein

June 20, 2025

Chicken has been a food staple in the U.S. since the country’s founding days. It’s even been Americans' most-consumed protein for over three decades, with the average person dining on 102 pounds of it annually.¹ So what keeps this protein a favorite among consumers? After a century in the business, we’ve got a few insights.

Chicken Easily Adapts to Changing Food Trends

With a neutral and appealing taste, chicken is one of the best blank canvases for the latest ways to enjoy food. Plus, its huge variety of formats lend it to a wide spectrum of applications, from snackable fried favorites (boneless wings, strips, and popcorn chicken) to savory toppings (sliced and diced) to center-of-plate proteins (filets and tenderloins).

Its ability to be a vehicle for sauces and spices allows it to be featured in everything from swicy combinations to fusion cuisine—which is seeing a 20% growth in mentions among social media users.²

Additionally, it can be portioned and prepared every-which-way: diced and sauced for buffalo chicken loaded fries, shredded for honey BBQ chicken pizza, and even cut, battered, and fried for PB&J popcorn chicken.

Sliced Chicken with Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce

PB&J Popcorn Chicken

It’s a Comfort Food with a Health Halo

Though chicken can be found in America’s nostalgic, calorie-ignoring favorites—like creamy soups, pot pies, and casseroles—it remains a staple for those looking for better-for-you ingredients, since chicken:

is a higher source of protein than beef and pork
is lower in fat and cholesterol than red meat
contains B vitamins and choline
contains minerals like zinc and iron

When nutrition is on the mind, consumers tend to gravitate toward chicken even if (and perhaps because) other components of the meal are less nutritious. And with today’s Americans seeking nostalgia while keeping an eye on the nutrition table¹, chicken naturally becomes the protein of choice.

Plus, chicken is adaptable to align to today’s consumption trends with halal-certified, gluten-free, and NAE varieties.

Chicken Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

Chicken Can Be Used Up and Down the Menu

The same qualities that allow chicken to be adaptable to trends also allow it to be used across dayparts. In fact, it’s hard to find an eating opportunity in which chicken can’t be used, as it’s so common in:

Breakfasts (Chicken & Waffles)
Lunches (Chicken Parmesan Sub)
Snacks (Popcorn with Popcorn Chicken)
Appetizers (Buffalo Chicken Loaded Fries)
Sides (Chicken Cornbread Muffins)
Center-of-Plate (You Name It!)

Additionally, chicken is used in virtually every cuisine on U.S. menus today, namely Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Italian.²

Hot Honey Tenders and Waffles

Chicken Parmesan Sub

As a 100-Year-Old Chicken Company, We Know It’s Here to Stay

Since 1925, we’ve seen the hold chicken has had on the consumer palate. We even regularly expand our lineup to stay on top of today’s trends, with products like Chicken Breakfast Sausage Crumbles, Tater Chip Tenders™, Inferno Wings^®, and Fiery Fingers^®. After a century in business, it’s exciting to think of what will come next!