Barbecue today invites experimentation—melding Korean with Texan, Carolina with California. It also encourages a push outside of traditional barbecue formats, moving into bar bites and shareables, and adapting flavor systems that don’t typically see a play in barbecue.

Chicken moves into stardom when chefs show it some love, developing recipes that are delicious and trend-forward. Here are three dishes that stand out—each bringing a different approach to a very familiar protein.

Innovating with wings showcases the constant need to update, tweak and improve—even on proven classics

Bessou offers Chicken Karaage: Japanese-style fried chicken with Moroccan spices, potato salad, shiso tzatziki

Farmer Boys offers a Southwest Chicken Salad with grilled chicken breast, roasted corn, black beans, avocado, tortilla strips, iceberg and green leaf lettuce, chile-ranch dressing

The Immigrant Restaurant offers Duck Wings with celery leaves in vinaigrette and blue-cheese potato chips

D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches offers its Southwestern Chicken, Rice & Grain Bowl: Grilled chicken and onions, charred corn-black bean-pepper salad, bell peppers, pickled jalapeños and cilantro with chipotle sauce and ranch dressing

Ida Claire offers Nashville Hot Chicken: Fried chicken, grilled brioche, pimento cheese, pickles, onions and sesame seeds

Chicken Kimbachi offers a Chicken Kimbachi: Kimchi fried rice, gochujang, hibachi chicken, yum yum sauce, sunny-side-up egg, shredded nori

Rice & Gold offers a Golden Chicken: Roasted Cornish hen, Persian spices, stuffed shishito peppers, feta-stuffed Medjool dates, white sauce and harissa sauce

Wendy’s offers a Southwest Chicken Avocado Salad: Greens, avocados, grilled chicken, tomatoes, bacon, pepper Jack, Southwest ranch dressing

Komodo offers a Arroz Con Pato: Peking duck, rice, enoki mushroom, green onion, bell pepper, poached egg, shaved black truffle, served in a hot stone pot

The Ruin Daily offers a Buffalo Chicken Melt: Parmesan-crusted sourdough, cheddar-Swiss-fontina blend, Buffalo chicken, celery barigoule, ranch sauce

Minigrow offers a The Chicken Jawn: Fresh three-wheat noodles, whole roasted chicken, sweet-and-sour onions, black truffle, miso corn, chives, Parmesan

Flying Biscuit Café offers a Chorizo Hash: Roasted potatoes, red and green peppers, onions, cheddar, chicken chorizo, over-medium eggs, tomatillo sauce, fresh cilantro

Fried Chicken can deliver fantastic results that build revenue, buzz and return visits.

Flavor in Focus: A distinctly Southern accent is showing up in diverse applications

Flavor in Focus: Chefs today are creating even bigger flavor play to stand out in a crowded field

Thanks to inspired flavor combinations, today's chicken wings are taking flight

Want flavorful, versatile and economical all in one cut of meat? Try the thigh.