Families with kids also often consume chicken because it is “easy to share” and is served alongside a variety of condiments.

Millennial consumers have proven to be a driving force in the fast food chicken sector, increasing visits by 4.6% in the past three years.

According to NPD Group’s latest foodservice trends report, chicken is now the second most popular food item in the QSR scene right next to burgers, with a 2.8% increase in traffic in the same period.

Millennials, aged 18 to 34 years old, reportedly consume 42% of chicken offerings in the broader foodservice industry.

The report noted that QSRs have always sold more chicken than the rest of the sector with 36.6% of chicken servings consumption or 8.4% of the overall foodservice visits.

As more consumers are becoming health-conscious, there’s no doubt chicken is preferred more than beef because it's healthier and lighter. Beef consumption by the millennials has dropped by 2.3% since 2017.

Besides young people, families with kids often consume chicken because it is “easy to share” and is served alongside a variety of condiments like BBQ or mustard sauces, whilst parents are not minding the high prices. An average eater cheque of fast food chicken visit is $9.38.

Chains have been targeting this group with offering seasonal menu items, as well as special promotions and value packages, which some 37% of consumers mentioned had utilised in their visits.

NPD listed the top five chicken dishes: burger or sandwich (46%), nuggets or strips (17%), wraps (14%), fried chicken (9%), and grilled or roast chicken (8%).

The whole foodservice industry recorded a growth of 0.5% in the past three years, and the overall QSR industry grew by 0.8%.