Healthy fast food sounds like an oxymoron, but at Chicken Kitchen it’s a reality.

Chicken Kitchen is a fast food chain based in Miami. Offering grilled or rotisserie chicken served up in a variety of ways, it’s fresh, healthy and quick. The Houston franchise represents its first foray outside of Florida.

Like most fast food joints, you order at the counter. The menu is conveniently printed on boards overhead, and if you have questions, the unfailingly helpful staff is happy to answer them. Don’t be surprised if you’re offered a sample of chicken while you’re deciding — keeping customers satisfied is a main priority here.

If you come to Chicken Kitchen, you need to like chicken. With the exception of having some vegetarian options, chicken is the only thing on the menu. But it’s offered in so many creative and tasty ways, it doesn’t feel like anything is missing.

The chicken is marinated in a citrus marinade with salt, pepper and oregano. It’s impressively tender and juicy and full of flavor. A quick finish on the grill gives it a slight smoky flavor and it’s always served piping hot.

For a first visit, try a chop-chop bowl, a signature dish available in eight different varieties and both small and large sizes. They start with a bed of rice, add a variety of ingredients and top it off with freshly chopped chicken. Choose a sauce from the sauce bar to spice things up.

The Cuban chop-chop ($5.79 to $8.49) is heart healthy, with white rice, black beans, lettuce, tomatoes and freshly grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast. The staff recommends the mustard curry sauce, which is smooth with a gentle spicy kick and a mild curry flavor.

If you want a little more flavor, try the yellow rice instead of the white. Cooked in chicken broth and spices, it’s a hearty addition to any of the chop-chop bowls.

Hungry folks might want to try a quarter or half chicken, white or dark meat, with two sides ($5.29 to 9.59). The rotisserie chicken is finished on the grill to crisp the skin before serving, making it hot, smoky and still very moist.

Choose from a variety of hot and cold sides. The balsamic tomatoes are a favorite with tomato and red onion slices tossed with sweet balsamic vinaigrette. The mashed potatoes are done with the skins on, but are still smooth and creamy. Corn on the cob is helpfully served on a skewer for easy dining. And don’t miss the baked plantains; they’re soft and warm with an addictive caramel flavor.

Boneless breast platters ($6.99 to $8.99) are available for the more health-conscious customer. Made with grilled skinless, boneless breast, they allow you to cut a few fat calories while still enjoying a couple of the fresh side dishes.

If you’re on the go, try one of the wrapitos, a sort of giant wrapped burrito. The fajita wrapito ($6.79) is full of black beans, guacamole, sour cream and cheese giving it a real Mexican flavor. Both mild and hot salsas are available, each with a distinct flavor.

You can dine in at Chicken Kitchen, which has long banquette seating and tables for two down their long wall, plus a couple of tables up front and counter seating by the window. The dark terracotta décor is pleasant and inviting, and even at busy times the tables are cleaned quickly. If you’re in a hurry, all food is easily packaged to go.

With a prime location in a Rice Village strip mall, the only thing Chicken Kitchen is missing is a drive-through lane. But come to think of it, isn’t it healthier to have to get out of your car?

That kind of healthy thinking is exactly what Chicken Kitchen is all about.

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