World's 9 Best Chicken Dishes Includes Butter Chicken

Online international food guide TasteAtlas.com has put forth its list of the best chicken dishes on Planet Earth.

Yes, apna utterly-butterly Butter Chicken figures at an impressive No 5 (some of us secretly believe it should be No 1). And Tandoori Chicken gets the No 14 spot.

Read on to discover how the world prefers chicken...

1. Pilic Topkapi, Turkiye

This baked Turkish showstopper -- TasteAtlas' No 1 choice -- gets its name from Istanbul's Topkapi Palace, once the opulent home to a long line of Ottoman sultans. Its history is linked with the Ottoman empire too.

Succulent chicken thighs are generously filled with a sumptuous pilaf made from long-grained rice, pine nuts, currants, onions, all lifted by warm, aromatic spices.

It's biryani inside out. Instead of chicken in the rice, rice is inside the chicken.  

2. Rfissa, Morocco

A cherished and centuries-old Moroccan speciality that is the star of many a family gathering, this entree is about simmering tender chicken in earthy lentils, with fenugreek seeds, green coriander, parsley, saffron.

The chicken stew is eaten heaped over torn msemmen or meloui, both of which are types of a traditional square flour-semolina flatbread of the region.

3. Chikin, South Korea

Chickenwallahs will find the appeal of this ek-dum properly fried chicken undeniable.

In Korea, Chikin, or Korean fried chicken, has earned cult status -- juicy pieces are coated in a light batter, fried till just the right crisp. And yes, it’s far better than KFC.

4. Pollo A La Brasa, Peru

Also called Pollo Asado, this blackened chicken or charcoal chicken is a hot Peruvian favourite.

The chicken is coal roasted so its skin is crackly crisp and black, but it remains tender inside. It usually paired with french fries and a fresh salad.

The style was first created in 1950 by Swiss settler Roger Schuler in Chaclacayo, near Lima.

5. Butter Chicken, India

Boneless chicken, that's so soft (that it can be eaten by the teethless), is simmered in a velvety red curry with copious amounts of cream and butter. It's one of our national favourites. And loved by loads across the world too. 

6. Karaage, Japan

If you are a fan of Japanese flavours, this chicken is right up your alley and deserves a prime spot on your must-try list.

Karaage refers to the method: Bite-sized pieces of chicken -- sometimes other meats or seafood -- are dusted with a  mix of flour and potato or corn starch and deep fried. The batter is seasoned with soy, ginger, sake, plenty of garlic.

Photograph: Canva

7. Poulet Roti, France

A list of gourmet dishes is not complete without something French. Comment est-ce possible? And no, Coq au Vin didn't make the cut.

And again no, it has nothing to do with our rotis. Roti is the French word for roast.

Poulet Rôti is a beloved French preparation: Chicken, fragrant with herbs, lemon and garlic, is basted with plenty of butter and roasted till it's a beautiful bronze, the skin crackling. It is served with a side of roasted vegetables.

8. Dak Galbi, South Korea

A fiery stir-fried chicken dish, bite-sized pieces, marinated with ginger, chilly flakes, garlic, soy, pepper, rice wine, are cooked in a punchy gochujang sauce with a selection of veggies and rice cakes.