The hot chicken sandwich at this food truck is one of the best the city has to offer. For starters, the bun supports the sandwich well. And with each bite, you’ll be treated to a juicy, flavorful piece of fried chicken. We promise that the $15 price is worth it: Bad Chx does not play around with its portions. If you’re yearning for extra spice, be sure to order a side of fries, too. The truck also offers the chicken in the form of a burrito, taco, hoagie, or in between two waffle buns.

This food truck, started in February 2021, found so much success it now has 10 locations in the Houston area, spanning all the way from Katy to Pasadena. The Clutch It Like It’s Hot is the sandwich to try if you’re here for the hot chicken—it’s what helped the truck rise to fame. The sandwich is made with tenders, a slaw mix, sliced pickles, and the truck’s Cluck It Sauce, all on a challah bun that will keep it from falling apart. And for our vegan friends, there's The Possible, a sandwich made with cauliflower tenders.

Test your taste buds with a whole other level of hot at the Cookshack—because of course, everything is bigger and better in Texas, sorry Nashville. Choose your heat level wisely; there's not hot, mild, medium, Texas hot, and AMF (adios, my friend). Unlike other places, the sandwich here comes with a large piece of chicken as opposed to tenders, plus a tangy coleslaw, pickles, and Shack sauce, its take on the traditional Mississippi comeback sauce. If you’re extra hungry, add an order of the applewood-smoked ribs.

A few childhood friends had a dream, and in 2017, they took a leap of faith with what they describe as a “not-so-grand opening” of a food stand in an East Hollywood parking lot. Eight years later, this hot chicken spot has expanded across the country and all the way to the Lone Star State. Dave’s juicy sandwich is served on a potato bun with kale slaw, pickles, and Dave’s sauce, offered at various spice levels: no spice, lite mild, mild, medium, hot, extra hot, and the reaper. Fair warning, though—when you order the reaper, you’re asked to sign a liability waiver, and you must be at least 18 years old. If you’re up for the challenge, be our guest.

With so many food options at Post Houston, it can be hard to choose just one, but we recommend trying Lea Jane’s next time you’re there. The Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich is made on toasted white bread with a crispy thigh (yay for tender haters), kale kimchi slaw, charred onion ranch sauce, and a side of fries. To pack on the heat, you can choose from one of three spice levels: Southern mild, spicy, and clucking hot.

This hot chicken place first opened in 2020, and persevered despite the pandemic. Now, it’s serving Houstonians at seven different locations. The spice levels for Main Bird’s hot chicken sandwich—the slaw slider—range from no spice all the way to cluck it, a step above its extra hot level. If you’re not into the idea of having your mouth on fire but still want a good kick, we suggest settling for medium. Regardless, you’ll be treated to a juicy, tender piece of chicken served on a toasted bun with pickles, slaw, and the restaurant’s delicious house sauce.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t include this locally owned restaurant on our go-to hot chicken list. Mico’s started as a food trailer in 2019 but quickly gained support from Houstonians, and just six months later, it opened a brick-and-mortar. Today, our favorite is still the Sammich, a fried chicken breast on a toasted brioche bun with slaw, pickles, and Mico’s take on comeback sauce. For your heat options, choose from no spice, mild, medium, and hot. The restaurant also offers tender baskets, loaded fries, a chicken BLT, and a buffalo tender salad.

The craze might have cooled, but this hot chicken spot is still expanding its footprint across the Houston area. Sawyer Heights, NRG, Deer Park, Pearland, and Almeda Road will soon be home to Urban Bird locations on top of its existing outposts in Katy, Spring, Webster, and more. The sandwich is made with two jumbo tenders—we promise they’re filling—on a toasted brioche bun with kale slaw, pickles, and the restaurant’s bird sauce. Spice levels range from no heat to "fire in the hole!" For something different, have it with lemon pepper or Tennessee BBQ seasoning. The sandwich holds up well and won’t make too much of a mess, plus the slaw offsets some of the chicken’s heat. The tender basket is just as great for anyone who doesn’t want to dig into a sandwich. It comes with your choice of a side, pickles, and bird sauce.