Which chicken brands do Koreans actually eat the most?

By revenue, the Big Three are BHC, BBQ, and Kyochon — but the brands Koreans cycle through on delivery apps go way beyond that. Think Jikoba (charcoal-grilled chicken where you mix leftover sauce with rice), 60-Gye (fried in fresh oil daily), Norang Tongdak (old-school market-style whole chicken), and Goobne (oven-baked, not fried). If you only know BBQ and Kyochon from their overseas outposts, you’re missing more than half the picture.

Should I just order Domino’s for pizza in Korea?

Domino’s is genuinely the top-selling pizza chain in Korea, so it’s a safe bet. But these days Koreans split into two camps: premium (Domino’s, Papa John’s) or ultra-budget. The budget side is where the local flavor lives — Pizza School and Pizza Maru sell whole pizzas for just a few bucks, Pizza Nara Chicken Princess lets you order pizza and fried chicken in one go, and Paik’s Boy Pizza comes from Korea’s most famous restaurateur. Want to eat like a local? Go budget at least once.

Can foreigners try these brands without a Korean delivery app?

Absolutely. Most of these chains have locations nationwide, so you can walk in for takeout or dine in. Korean delivery apps (Baedal Minjok, Coupang Eats) require a local phone number and address, which can be a hassle for short-term visitors. The easiest move: search the brand name on Naver Map, find the nearest store, and grab takeout. I’ve tucked a Naver Map shortcut under every brand below.

The Korean Chicken & Pizza Brands Locals Actually Order (2026): What Delivery Apps Reveal

Korea travel content tends to orbit around the same greatest hits: sizzling samgyeopsal at a BBQ joint, a perfectly arranged bibimbap bowl, the latest trendy cafe in Seongsu-dong. All wonderful. But none of those are what a Korean actually reaches for on an ordinary Friday night, sprawled on the sofa, scrolling through a delivery app.

That honor belongs to chicken and pizza. Fried chicken and pizza. Together or separately, it doesn’t matter — these two are the twin engines of Korean delivery culture.

Here’s the catch: the brands foreigners know (BBQ, Kyochon, Domino’s) and the brands Koreans actually order are not the same list. Not even close. This guide isn’t built on tourist rankings. It’s built on revenue data, store counts, brand reputation analytics, and — most importantly — the collective muscle memory of millions of Korean thumbs tapping delivery apps at 8 p.m. on a Friday.

Every brand below comes with a Naver Map shortcut so you can find the nearest location and skip the delivery-app headache entirely.

At a Glance

The chicken revenue Big Three are BHC, BBQ, and Kyochon — but Koreans rotate through a much wider roster: Jikoba (charcoal-grilled + rice), 60-Gye, Norang Tongdak, and Goobne are the real local regulars.
For pizza, Domino's genuinely leads in sales, but the market has split in two: budget chains (Pizza School, Pizza Maru, Paik's Boy) on one side, and chicken-pizza combos (Pizza Nara Chicken Princess) on the other.
Knowing only BBQ and Kyochon because they have overseas locations? You're getting half the story. Eat like a local — try the names below.

Why the Korean chicken and pizza you’ve heard of isn’t what Koreans actually order

Korea is sometimes called the “Chicken Republic,” and the numbers back it up. The country is thick with fried chicken franchises — thousands upon thousands of them, clustered on every commercial street and tucked into every residential neighborhood. Among them, BBQ and Kyochon have planted flags overseas, from the U.S. to Southeast Asia, which is why they’re the names that stick with visitors. But they represent a fraction of what Koreans actually eat.

Pizza tells a similar story, with a twist. Domino’s really is the top-selling pizza chain in Korea — if you guessed that Domino’s cleans up here, you’re right. But the Korean pizza market has polarized sharply in recent years. On one end: premium players like Domino’s and Papa John’s. On the other: ultra-budget chains where a whole pizza costs roughly the price of a sandwich in central Seoul — Pizza School, Pizza Maru, Paik’s Boy Pizza. And the momentum is firmly on the budget side.

Here’s why this distinction matters for travelers: BBQ and Domino’s are the “safe picks.” But Jikoba, Norang Tongdak, and Pizza Nara Chicken Princess are the “local picks.” If you want to taste what Koreans genuinely crave — not just what global branding has taught you to recognize — put the familiar names on pause and try the brands below.

The chicken brands Koreans actually order

This list blends franchise revenue rankings, store counts, brand reputation indices (big-data sentiment analysis), and — crucially — which names show up most often in actual delivery-app browsing. I’ve included both the revenue titans and the cult favorites that fly under the international radar but have fiercely loyal local followings. Prices and menus change constantly, so double-check on the day you order.

#	Brand	Vibe	Signature Move	Why Locals Love It
1	BHC	Revenue King (Big 3)	Bburingkle, Kwasaking	Tops both search volume and sales; new-menu hype machine
2	Kyochon	Big 3, global presence	Honey Combo, Red Combo	The OG soy-garlic wing; highest per-store revenue
3	BBQ	Big 3, global presence	Golden Olive, Jamaican Drumsticks	Most stores nationwide; the one foreigners already know
4	Jikoba	Local cult classic	Charcoal-grilled chicken (mild or spicy)	The undisputed king of chibap — rice mixed into leftover sauce
5	60-Gye Chicken	Rising local power	Keukeukeu Chicken, Gochu Chicken	”60 birds a day, fresh oil every time” — and they mean it
6	Norang Tongdak	Budget-friendly local hero	Giant Fried Chicken, Garlic Chicken	Old-school market chicken vibes with massive portions
7	Goobne Chicken	Oven-baked (no fry)	Gochu Basasak, Volcano	All the crunch, none of the deep-fryer guilt
8	Jadam Chicken	Budget + animal welfare	Jadam Fried, Rosé Chicken	Animal-welfare-certified Korean chicken at fair prices
9	Cheogatjip	Original yangnyeom	Supreme Yangnyeom Chicken	One of the deep roots of Korea’s sweet-spicy sauce tradition
10	Pura Chicken	Premium packaging	Black Alio, Consommé	Fancy-box chicken — the brand people gift

How this list was built: I weighted 2025 franchise revenue and store-count releases, brand reputation big-data rankings from the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute, and actual delivery-app popularity data — blending top-grossing names with the local-beloved brands that might not top the revenue chart but dominate real-world ordering habits.

1–3. BHC · Kyochon · BBQ — The Big Three Koreans actually agree on

These are the undisputed heavyweights of Korean fried chicken by revenue. In 2025, BHC led the pack at roughly ₩614.7 billion, followed by BBQ at ₩527.8 billion and Kyochon at ₩517.4 billion — a razor-thin race. BBQ has the most physical stores, but Kyochon pulls the highest average revenue per franchise location. Search data confirms the dominance: the most-searched chicken menu item in the first half of 2025 was BHC’s Kwasaking, a crunch-maximized fried chicken that became an instant phenomenon.

For first-timers: BBQ’s Golden Olive (fried in olive oil) and Kyochon’s Honey Combo (soy-garlic glaze) are the most accessible entry points. Neither is spicy, both are excellent. 📍 Open in Naver Map (BHC)

4. Jikoba — The cult of charcoal and chibap

Jikoba is a brand most foreigners have never heard of and virtually every Korean under 40 has ordered at least a dozen times. Born in Busan in 1994, it specializes in charcoal-grilled seasoned chicken — think sweet, smoky, sticky, with a gentle char that fried chicken can’t replicate. The chicken itself is excellent, but the real ritual comes after: you take the leftover glossy sauce pooled at the bottom of the container, dump in a bowl of warm rice, and mix it into what Koreans call chibap (chicken + rice). It’s absurdly good. Unlike many independent charcoal chicken spots that don’t deliver, Jikoba does — which is a huge part of its popularity. Choose mild (sunhanmat) if spicy isn’t your thing; their “mild” still has a gentle kick. 📍 Open in Naver Map (Jikoba)

5. 60-Gye Chicken — “Fresh oil, every single day”

A relatively recent rocket-ship success story, 60-Gye has shot up both brand reputation and revenue rankings at a pace that has the Big Three paying attention. Their entire pitch is built on one promise: “Only 60 birds a day, fried in fresh oil.” Whether the 60-bird limit is strictly true or clever branding, the emphasis on clean, crisp frying resonates deeply with Koreans who’ve grown wary of heavy, reused-oil chicken. The signature Keukeukeu Chicken (Crunch·Crumble·Crispy) is a fried chicken encrusted with corn crumble for an almost absurd level of crunch. If you’re someone who usually finds fried chicken too greasy, this is your brand. 📍 Open in Naver Map (60-Gye)

6. Norang Tongdak — Old-school market chicken, supersized

When premium brands feel too steep, Norang Tongdak is where thrifty Koreans land. The name says it: norang means yellow, and the chicken wears a nostalgically golden, craggy batter that evokes the whole chickens sold at traditional Korean markets — the kind grandmas would bring home wrapped in foil. Their flagship menu item is literally called “Giant Fried Chicken,” and the portions deliver on the name. It’s the go-to for anyone who wants the tastes-like-childhood vibe with the convenience of a modern franchise. Popular across generations: older folks love the familiar flavor, younger crowds love the value. 📍 Open in Naver Map (Norang Tongdak)

7. Goobne Chicken — All the satisfaction, none of the deep fryer

Goobne is the brand Koreans turn to when they want fried chicken but also want to tell themselves they made a sensible choice. Every piece is oven-baked, not fried, which gives it a leaner, cleaner finish without sacrificing crunch. The signature Gochu Basasak (spicy crunch) and the Volcano — named for its lava-level heat — are the two menu items everyone orders. It’s a permanent favorite among health-conscious Koreans who refuse to give up their chicken habit, and honestly, the texture holds up remarkably well even without a drop of frying oil. 📍 Open in Naver Map (Goobne)

8–10. Jadam Chicken · Cheogatjip · Pura Chicken — The deep local bench

Jadam Chicken has carved out a niche by combining budget-friendly prices with animal-welfare-certified Korean chicken — a pairing that shouldn’t work on paper but does beautifully in practice — and trendy menu items like rosé chicken keep young crowds coming back. Cheogatjip Yangnyeom Chicken is one of the foundational pillars of Korea’s yangnyeom (sweet-spicy sauced) chicken culture; if you’ve ever wondered where the whole red-sauce tradition started, this is one of its ancestral homes. Pura Chicken went the opposite direction — premium packaging, glossy boxes, and a brand image so polished that people actually give Pura Chicken as a gift. All three appear regularly in brand reputation rankings: familiar names to any Korean, blank slates to most visitors. 📍 Open in Naver Map (Jadam Chicken)

The pizza brands Koreans actually order

Pizza in Korea plays by slightly different rules. Domino’s really is the revenue leader, and the global chains still command serious respect. But the market has fractured along a clear fault line: premium or bargain. Koreans either go big with a loaded Domino’s order, or they go cheap — like, astonishingly cheap — with a whole pizza that costs less than a single cocktail in Itaewon. The list below reflects revenue, store counts, and real-world local ordering patterns.

#	Brand	Vibe	Signature	Why Locals Love It
1	Domino’s Pizza	Premium, #1 in sales	Black Angus, Kimchi Bulgogi	Dominates Korean pizza revenue; safest pick by far
2	Pizza School	Ultra-budget, #1 in stores	Combination, Sweet Potato Pizza	A whole pizza for a few thousand won; most locations nationwide
3	Pizza Nara Chicken Princess	Pizza + Chicken combo	Pizza & Chicken sets	Two cravings, one order, one reasonable price
4	Paik’s Boy Pizza	Baek Jong-won budget brand	Corn Cheese Pizza, Pepperoni	Backed by Korea’s most famous restaurateur; rapidly expanding
5	Banollim Pizza	Mid-range crowd-pleaser	Half & Half Pizza	The go-to for split-flavor combos at fair prices
6	Go Pizza	Personal wood-fired	Personal wood-fired pizza	One-person pizzas, perfect for solo travelers and food courts
7	Pizza Maru	Ultra-budget	Maru Pizza	Battles Pizza School for the budget crown

How this list was built: Based on 2024–2025 pizza franchise revenue and store-count data, with particular attention to the consumer shift toward budget and value brands (market polarization). Note that franchise headquarters revenue figures tend to undercount the popularity of budget chains relative to their actual store traffic.

1. Domino’s Pizza — Yes, it really is #1 in Korea too

To answer the question outright: yes, Domino’s dominates Korean pizza sales by a comfortable margin. It is the undisputed revenue leader. The locally adapted menu is what makes it interesting — Kimchi Bulgogi and Black Angus pizzas are Korean creations you won’t find at a Domino’s in Chicago. The delivery and takeout system is the most polished in the market, and the English app menu makes it the path of least resistance for travelers. The only downside: prices sit at the high end of the Korean pizza spectrum. Safe, satisfying, and reliably good — just not particularly adventurous. 📍 Open in Naver Map (Domino’s)

2. Pizza School — A whole pizza for pocket change

Pizza School is the reigning champion of Korea’s ultra-budget pizza universe, with the most franchise locations of any pizza chain in the country (628 as of the 2024 Fair Trade Commission disclosure, likely higher in practice). The price is the headline: a whole pizza costs just a few thousand won — the kind of money you’d spend on a convenience store sandwich. It’s not gourmet, and it doesn’t pretend to be. What it is, is hot, filling, and miraculously cheap. Students, solo dwellers, and office workers on a tight lunch budget have made Pizza School a quiet cornerstone of Korean daily life. For a traveler, ordering one is less about culinary revelation and more about understanding how affordable everyday food in Korea can actually be. 📍 Open in Naver Map (Pizza School)

3. Pizza Nara Chicken Princess — Two cravings, one order

The name is a mouthful for a reason: Pizza Nara Chicken Princess exists to solve the most Korean of dilemmas — “I want both pizza and fried chicken, and I don’t want to choose.” Their whole model is built around combo sets that bundle a pizza with fried chicken at a price that makes ordering separately look silly. It’s the default pick for group gatherings where half the room wants pizza and the other half wants chicken, which in Korea is practically every gathering. Revenue-wise, it sits comfortably in the upper tier. 📍 Open in Naver Map (Pizza Nara Chicken Princess)

4. Paik’s Boy Pizza — The Baek Jong-won effect

When Korea’s most famous restaurateur puts his name on a pizza chain, people pay attention. Paik’s Boy Pizza is operated by The Born Korea, the food empire of Baek Jong-won — a household name in Korea whose face is on everything from convenience-store lunch boxes to massive franchise operations. The pizza is budget-friendly and unpretentious: familiar toppings, fair prices, and the implicit promise that if Baek Jong-won is behind it, the quality won’t let you down. The brand is expanding fast and climbing revenue rankings at a clip. For a visitor, it’s a chance to taste a slice of the Baek Jong-won universe without committing to a full Korean meal. 📍 Open in Naver Map (Paik’s Boy Pizza)

5–6. Banollim Pizza · Go Pizza — Half-and-half and personal wood-fired

Banollim Pizza has built its following on the half-and-half format — one pizza, two different flavor halves — at mid-range prices that feel fair without veering into premium territory. It’s the utilitarian pick when nobody can agree on toppings.

Go Pizza plays a completely different game: it serves personal-sized wood-fired pizzas designed to be eaten by one person, no sharing required. Most locations are in food courts and transit hubs, where they fire off small, fresh pizzas fast. If you’re traveling solo and the idea of committing to a whole Korean-sized pizza feels daunting, Go Pizza is your solution. 📍 Open in Naver Map (Go Pizza)

How to order like a local — practical tips for travelers

First, use Naver Map to find a nearby store and get takeout. Korean delivery apps (Baedal Minjok, Coupang Eats) require a local phone number and address, which creates friction for short-term visitors. The workaround is simple: search the brand name on Naver Map, find the nearest location, and either call ahead or walk in for takeout. Most neighborhood chicken and pizza shops are set up for fast pickup.

Second, use the “half-and-half” system for chicken. Nearly every Korean chicken joint offers ban-ban — one whole chicken split into two flavors (e.g., half plain fried, half sweet-spicy sauce). If heat worries you, go for “fried half, mild yangnyeom half.” It’s the most forgiving way to explore.

Third, pay attention to spice levels. Jikoba’s spicy option, Goobne Volcano, and anything labeled buldak (fire chicken) are legitimately hot even by Korean standards. If you’re spice-averse, start with mild (sunhanmat) or plain (huraideu), and always grab the pickled radish and a cold soda that come with your order — they’re not optional garnish, they’re survival tools.

Fourth, go budget at least once. Order from Pizza School or Pizza Maru and just look at what a few thousand won buys you. See the sheer volume of a Norang Tongdak box. You’ll understand immediately why Koreans keep these brands on speed dial.

FAQ

Q. I can’t handle spicy food — what should I order? For chicken: plain fried (huraideu), Kyochon Honey Combo (soy-garlic, not spicy), and 60-Gye’s Keukeukeu Chicken are all safe bets. Avoid yangnyeom, buldak, Volcano, and Jikoba’s spicy version — or ask for mild. Pizza is almost never spicy in Korea, so order freely.

Q. Why is Korean fried chicken so expensive? Premium brands (BBQ, Kyochon, BHC) now hover around ₩20,000 per whole chicken — prices have climbed noticeably. For budget options: Norang Tongdak, Jadam Chicken, and 60-Gye are gentler on the wallet. On the pizza side, Pizza School and Pizza Maru are dramatically cheaper than Domino’s. The price gap between premium and budget is huge, so your choice of brand makes a real difference.

Q. Can I find these brands everywhere in Seoul? Yes. Every brand on this list is a nationwide franchise with dense coverage across Seoul — you’ll spot them in busy neighborhoods like Hongdae, Gangnam, and Myeongdong and just as often tucked into residential side streets. Search the brand name on Naver Map and you’ll almost certainly find one within walking distance.