Australian fast food chains are undergoing a major shift
Updated . First published
Australia’s fast food industry is undergoing a major evolution. Beef is out and chicken is in, courtesy of the cost of living crisis and recent health and food trends that focus on higher protein and shareable options.
QSR (Quick Service Restaurants) chicken sales are expected to top $4 billion by 2032, according to the latest data.
Beef is out and chicken is in on Aussie fast food menus. iStock
This change has been more noticeable than ever in 2026. Legacy brands like McDonald’s, Hungry Jacks, Betty’s Burgers, Grill’d, Domino’s, Pizza Hut and Guzman y Gómez are expanding their chicken menu offerings at a rapid pace, pitting them against popular chicken-first chains KFC, Oporto, Red Rooster and El Jannah, which are also leaning into high-protein and shareable menu items.
IBISWorld Industry Analyst Sebastian Quinn told nine.com.au the shift is most evident in burgers, where chicken has increasingly moved from a secondary option to a core menu offering.
“Since the early 2020s, major chains have expanded their chicken burger ranges,” he said.
Chicken has increasingly “moved from a secondary option to a core menu offering” in burgers. Hungry Jacks
“Hungry Jack’s launched Jack’s Fried Chicken in 2021, McDonald’s introduced the McCrispy in 2023 and chicken-focused KFC has continued developing burger-led offers, including its limited-time Big Bro combo, doubling its chicken content to two fillets.”
A fast food reign years in the making
Michael Whitehead, Executive Director of Food, Beverage and Agribusiness Insights at ANZ, told nine.com.au this chicken surge tracks back to 2019, when “chicken was already on the rise, but beef was still the dominant protein”.
“But post-COVID, with the cost-of-living pressures, chicken became a much more affordable protein source for families in the last three to four years,” he explained.
Legacy brands are playing catch up with chicken-first fast food franchises. Nine
“Fast food operators realised that if they wanted to maintain volume, they had to offer more chicken options. So you’ve seen Macca’s expand their chicken range, KFC is expanding, even Hungry Jack’s is doing more chicken products.”
Whitehead describes this as a “win-win for both: cheaper for the retailer to produce, cheaper for the consumer to buy”.
“Chicken also has that perception of being slightly healthier, even if it’s fried, people still perceive it as better than beef,” he said.
“So that’s the main driver behind the shift. Chicken is just more versatile in terms of formatting with nuggets, strips, tenders, burgers, and it holds up better in delivery as well.”
“Chicken became a much more affordable protein source for families in the last three to four years.” iStock
Quinn added the trend reflects both cost and consumer demand.
“Although chicken input costs have risen, poultry remains less expensive than beef and lamb, faster to produce and less feed intensive,” he said.
“This gives outlets a relatively low-cost protein option as other operating costs rise, helping protect margins while maintaining accessible menu price points.
“Poultry’s versatility across burgers, wraps, tenders, wings and limited-time promotions further strengthens its appeal. Pizza Hut’s WingStreet range also shows how outlets beyond traditional chicken specialists have used chicken to broaden their menus.”
Social media and shareables
Fast food in Australia isn’t only trending towards more chicken offerings – there is also a focus on shareable menu options. In the past six months alone we’ve seen McDonald’s revive its McCrispy chicken burger range, add Chicken McWings to its permanent lineup and release a spicy version of its iconic Chicken McNuggets.
McDonald’s has also included a chicken product to its new Birdie’s Brekkie Meal lineup which rolls out next week from August 26, a Birdie Chicken and Bacon McMuffin with chicken, bacon, and cheese.
Hungry Jack’s released two new chicken burgers – Napoletana Jack’s Fried Chicken and Napoletana Grilled Chicken – alongside an upgrade of its fridge chicken line promising 40 per cent larger “thick, crunchy, juicy” chicken breasts for their burgers, alongside an extensive range of chicken tenders with various bastings.
Betty’s Burgers has added to its range of chicken burgers, strips and bowls with ‘The Drizzler’, a share-style crispy chicken product featuring hand-crumbed fillet, hot honey, buttermilk sauce, pickles and no bun, rolling out across its 76 restaurants nationally. It can be ordered as a single or double serve.
Betty’s Burgers has added to its range of chicken products with ‘The Drizzler’. Betty's Burgers
Research by Betty’s Burgers reveals fast-food customers are chasing “crispy textures, sauce drizzles and dunk-worthy moments that have exploded across social feeds via the global ‘mukbang’ trend”, in which social media influencers tuck into food on camera while discussing a myriad of topics.
Then there is Grill’d’s new High Performance range, featuring two chicken burgers with up to 81g of protein, made up of two chicken breast pieces rather than one.
Meanwhile, GYG recently overhauled its 100 per cent Lilydale free-range chicken tenders with an extra-crispy coating, available in tacos, burritos, and served individually.
Grill’d’s new High Performance range featuring two chicken burgers with up to 81g of protein. Grill'd
The chicken trend has gone far beyond the fast food industry, finding its way into pubs, clubs, restaurants, and supermarket trolleys.
In fact, IBISWorld reports chicken now accounts for around half of the total meat consumption in Australia and is the most consumed meat on a per-capita basis, more than all other proteins combined.
