Chicken Licken vs Pedros Menu Prices Compared
Chicken Licken and Pedros both sell chicken, and both were born in South Africa, but they are not really selling you the same dinner and food items. Chicken Licken fries. Pedros cooks over an open flame. That single difference ends up shaping everything else, including what you order and what you hand over at the till.
Chicken Licken has been going since 1981, and its whole reputation rests on Hotwings and that SoulFire sauce people get weirdly loyal about. Pedros is the newcomer by comparison, started in Durban in 2018, built around peri-peri flame-grilled birds sold by the quarter, half and full. So “which one is cheaper” turns out to be the wrong question. The better question is cheaper for what.
The short version
If you want wings, a burger, or something to grab on a lunch break, Chicken Licken usually works out better and it is the thing they are actually famous for. If you want a proper plate of grilled chicken, or you are feeding a few people off one order. Pedros tends to give you more meat for your money. Neither is “the cheap one” across the board. They just win in different parts of the menu, which is why plenty of people keep both on speed dial.
| Chicken Licken | Pedros | |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking style | Fried | Flame-grilled |
| Known for | Hotwings, SoulFire burgers | Peri-peri whole chicken |
| Cheapest single item | 6 Hotwings, about R42 | ¼ Chicken, R32.99 |
| Solo meal from | About R55 | R44.99 |
| Founded | 1981 | 2018 |
| Branches | 250+ | 200+ |
| Halaal | SANHA certified at most stores | Varies by branch, check locally |
Wings: Chicken Licken’s home turf
This one is not close, and it was never going to be. Wings are the reason Chicken Licken exists. You can get six Hotwings for around R42 on their own, or a proper 8-wing meal with toast, fries, slaw and a 440ml Coke for R72.90. Pedros does sell wings, and the grilled version is genuinely good, but four of them come in at R39.99 with nothing else on the plate.
| Wings | Chicken Licken | Pedros |
|---|---|---|
| Wings only (small portion) | 6 Hotwings, ~R42 | 4 Wings, R39.99 |
| Wings, fries & drink | Hotwings 6 Deluxe, R54.90 | 4 Wings & Chips, R49.99 |
| Bigger wing meal | Hotwings Meal 8 Max, R72.90 | 4 Flam’n Wings & Chips, R49.99 |
Look at the count, not just the rand. For roughly the same money as four Pedros wings you get six at Chicken Licken, and the fried Hotwing is the item their regulars actually turn up for. If wings are the mission, this is a Chicken Licken order. Pedros wings are better thought of as a side to a grilled meal than the main event.
A full meal for one
Here things get closer, and it comes down to whether you would rather have wings or a piece of grilled chicken. Pedros has the cheaper entry point. Their ¼ Chicken and Chips is R44.99, and the ¼ Chicken, Pap and Chakalaka lands at the same price, which is about as South African as a fast-food plate gets. Add a roll and a drink and the complete ¼ Chicken Meal is R59.99.
| Solo meal | Price |
|---|---|
| Pedros ¼ Chicken & Chips | R44.99 |
| Pedros ¼ Chicken, Pap & Chakalaka | R44.99 |
| Chicken Licken Rock My Soul 3 | R48.90 |
| Chicken Licken Hotwings 6 Deluxe | R54.90 |
| Pedros ¼ Chicken Meal (chicken, chips, roll, drink) | R59.99 |
| Chicken Licken Hotwings Meal 8 Max | R72.90 |
The gap is small enough that taste decides it more than money does. Want grilled chicken, rice or pap, something that feels like a sit-down meal? Pedros, and it is a rand or two cheaper too. Want the fried, saucy, comfort-food version? Chicken Licken, and you pay a little extra for the privilege. I would not switch brands over five rand, and neither should you.
Feeding a few people
This is where Pedros makes its strongest case. A whole flame-grilled chicken is R124.99, and the Full Chicken with 4 Rolls is R139.99, which feeds two or three people comfortably without touching a combo deal. Chicken Licken counters with its buckets and family boxes, where the wings-by-volume maths starts to work in its favour again.
| Sharing / family | Price | Feeds |
|---|---|---|
| Pedros Full Chicken | R124.99 | 2–3 |
| Pedros Full Chicken & 4 Rolls | R139.99 | 2–3 |
| Chicken Licken Family Full House 8 | R149.90 | 3–4 |
| Pedros Viva Meal | R159.99 | 3–4 |
| Pedros Mega Meal | R279.90 | 4–5 |
| Chicken Licken Family Barrel 21 | R289.90 | 5–6 |
| Pedros Chicken Platter | R509.99 | 4–6 |
For a straightforward “put a chicken on the table” dinner, Pedros is hard to beat on price. The 21-piece Family Barrel from Chicken Licken and the Pedros Mega Meal sit almost on top of each other at around R280 to R290, so at the big end it is genuinely a coin toss, decided by whether the table wants fried wings or grilled pieces. The Pedros Platter at R509.99 is a different beast aimed at proper gatherings, and Chicken Licken does not really have a direct answer to it.
The stuff that isn’t on the price tag
Price is only half of it. A few things separate these two that no table captures.
Halaal. Chicken Licken is SANHA certified at most of its stores, which matters to a lot of South African families and is a genuine tick in its column. Pedros varies branch to branch, so if halaal is non-negotiable for you, phone ahead rather than assume.
Fried versus grilled. This is taste, but it is also a rough health call. Flame-grilled chicken is the lighter option most days, so if you are trying to eat a bit better without giving up a chicken run, Pedros has the edge. If you came for indulgence, the fried Hotwing is not pretending to be a salad and that is the point.
How far they’ve spread. Chicken Licken has the bigger footprint at 250-plus stores and a longer history, so for a lot of towns it is simply the one that is there. Pedros has grown fast since 2018 and is past 200 branches, but there are still places where you will drive past three Chicken Lickens before you find one.
How these prices can shift by city
Both chains run on franchises, so the numbers above are the standard national lists rather than a guarantee for your exact branch. Chicken Licken pricing in particular moves around a fair bit between stores and between the delivery apps, where Uber Eats and Mr D almost always cost more than walking in. We are building out branch-level price checks for Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria so you can see the real spread instead of one list.
If you’re weighing up other chicken too
Chicken Licken vs Pedros: quick answers
Is Chicken Licken or Pedros cheaper?
It depends what you are buying. Pedros is cheaper for grilled chicken and family-sized orders, with a ¼ Chicken and Chips at R44.99. Chicken Licken gives better value on wings, where six Hotwings cost about the same as four Pedros wings. For a full solo meal the two land within a few rand of each other.
What is the difference between Chicken Licken and Pedros?
Chicken Licken fries its chicken and is best known for Hotwings and SoulFire burgers. Pedros flame-grills whole chickens with a peri-peri-style marinade. One is fried comfort food, the other is grilled and a little lighter.
Which one is better for a family meal?
Pedros, for most tables. A full chicken is R124.99 and the Full Chicken with 4 Rolls is R139.99, which feeds two or three without a combo. At the larger end the Pedros Mega Meal (R279.90) and the Chicken Licken Family Barrel 21 (R289.90) are close enough that it comes down to fried versus grilled.
Is Pedros halaal like Chicken Licken?
Not automatically. Chicken Licken is SANHA certified at most branches. Pedros halaal status depends on the individual store, so confirm with your local branch before ordering.
Which has more branches in South Africa?
Chicken Licken, with more than 250 outlets to Pedros’ 200-plus. Chicken Licken has also been around far longer, since 1981, while Pedros only started in 2018.
Prices last checked July 2026. Both brands run on franchises, so your nearest branch may charge a little more or less than the national lists here. Delivery-app prices are usually higher than in-store. Always confirm before you order.