MyTastr

Best fresh chicken, according to chefs

Three picks, each tied to a named taster and a public source — from Florence Fabricant, Jet Tila, Sheryl Julian, Tse Wei Lim and 2 more. Recommendations come from nytimes.com, bostonglobe.com, eatthis.com and grubstreet.com and 1 other sources.

Meats · The ranking

  1. 1
    Top pick

    D’Artagnan Green Circle Chicken

    Chosen by
    • Florence FabricantFood writer, The New York Times
    • two New York Times Dining editors (blind tasting)
    • Sheryl JulianFood writer, The Boston Globe
    • Tse Wei LimCo-owner, Backbar · Somerville · ex-chef-owner, Journeyman
    • Jet TilaChef · Food Network · Dragon Tiger Noodle Co.
    Also chosen by
    Air-chilled, free-range birds from Amish and Mennonite farms in Pennsylvania, fed vegetable scraps and grain. It has won two blind tastings. At the New York Times, all three tasters called it “the most flavorful and had the best texture,” with silky dark meat and rich yellow fat. In the Boston Globe’s roast-off of nine birds, five of nine tasters picked it as the best all around (“Clear winner in flavor”). Tila: “a bit more depth and richness than your average bird… great when the chicken is meant to be the star of the dish.” Whole birds and cuts ship nationwide from D’Artagnan.
    Where to buy · dartagnan.com ↗Instacart ↗Source: nytimes.com ↗
  2. 2

    Bell & Evans Air Chilled Chicken

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    Pennsylvania birds chilled in cold air for about three hours, never in a water bath. In 2008 Waxman swapped a Quebec farm bird for it at Barbuto, the West Village restaurant known for its roast chicken: “We did a taste test… I liked the Bell & Evans better… I don’t even brine them!” It was a co-winner of America’s Test Kitchen’s whole-chicken tasting. Portman: “the firm texture that holds up to my grandmother’s lemon and herb roasting method — no rubbery skin, no watery drippings.” Whole birds, parts and spatchcocked birds at Whole Foods and supermarkets nationwide.
    Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: grubstreet.com ↗
  3. 3

    Mary’s Free Range Air Chilled Chicken

    Chosen by
    • Jet TilaChef · Food Network · Dragon Tiger Noodle Co.
    • America’s Test Kitchen tasting panel
    Also chosen by
    Free-range, air-chilled birds from the Pitman family farms in California’s Central Valley, raised since 1954. It is Tila’s favorite grocery chicken: “about as close as you’ll get to restaurant-quality chicken at a grocery store. The texture is firm, not waterlogged, and it actually browns the way it should,” and “a lot of chefs use this in their restaurants.” It was the other co-winner of America’s Test Kitchen’s whole-chicken tasting (also sold as Pitman’s). Sold mostly in the West: Whole Foods, Sprouts and natural grocers there, with patchier stock elsewhere. Misfits Market delivers it to many other states.
    Where to buy · maryschickens.com ↗Instacart ↗Source: eatthis.com ↗

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Questions, answered

What is the best fresh chicken, according to chefs?
MyTastr’s top pick is D’Artagnan Green Circle Chicken, chosen by Florence Fabricant and two New York Times Dining editors (blind tasting); Sheryl Julian and Tse Wei Lim (Boston Globe blind roast-off); Jet Tila (chef, Food Network). Air-chilled, free-range birds from Amish and Mennonite farms in Pennsylvania, fed vegetable scraps and grain. It has won two blind tastings. At the New York Times, all three tasters called it “the most flavorful and had the best texture,” with silky dark meat and rich yellow fat. In the Boston Globe’s roast-off of nine birds, five of nine tasters picked it as the best all around (“Clear winner in flavor”). Tila: “a bit more depth and richness than your average bird… great when the chicken is meant to be the star of the dish.” Whole birds and cuts ship nationwide from D’Artagnan. Source: nytimes.com ↗
What are the other top picks for fresh chicken?
No. 2 is Bell & Evans Air Chilled Chicken, chosen by Jonathan Waxman (Barbuto, New York); Melanie Portman (chef, Drool Recipes); America’s Test Kitchen tasting panel. No. 3 is Mary’s Free Range Air Chilled Chicken, chosen by Jet Tila (chef, Food Network); America’s Test Kitchen tasting panel. Each card above links to the original source.
How does MyTastr choose these picks?
Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot. Read how we pick.

The tasters behind this ranking

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