The film prompted widespread debate about public eating habits and has since come under scrutiny for the accuracy of its science and the truthfulness of Spurlock's on-camera claims. Spurlock ate at McDonald's restaurants three times a day, eating every item on the chain's menu at least once.

Holy Chicken premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2017. After selling the distribution rights, Morgan Spurlock admitted to a history of sexual misconduct and harassment, resulting in a delayed and discreet release two years later. His message has been buried, and Spurlock has only himself to blame.

Over the years, as the trailer shows, the word "fried" has been replaced with "crispy." Fried has negative connotations, while crispy sounds like a special feature.

Samuel Goldwyn Films released the film in theaters on September 6, 2019, and released it on VOD a week later. It was also restored on YouTube, along with its predecessor, as part of the new YouTube Movies service under the "Free To Watch" category.