Chicken Five WaysChicken Five Ways

Chicken is a hands-down favorite among consumers, and chefs and operators are devising new ways to make the popular protein staple stand out among the many menu variations offered throughout the restaurant industry.

According to Datassential MenuTrends 2015, among restaurants that menu a center-of-the-plate chicken entrée, the top five ways to prepare chicken is grilled, 38.4 percent; fried, 34.3 percent; sautéed, 30.2 percent; breaded, 23.5 percent; and roasted, 23.2 percent. The fastest-growing preparations are hand breaded, oven baked, smoked, pulled and encrusted with panko breadcrumbs, the Chicago-based research firm says.

Here are some preparations that demonstrate how versatile and creative chicken can be.

Gallery sponsored by Perdue Foodservice.