Make no mistake about it, Popeyes Chicken Sandwich has already achieved cult status and seems
to be the biggest fast food news story of 2019. An all-out fast food war has broken out between Popeyes and Chick-fil-A, with both McDonald's
and Wendy's trying to get in on the action. Stores were forced to turn customers away when they ran out of the popular sandwich
upon its initial release in August, which led one unhappy customer to file a lawsuit
for deceptive business practices. With its re-release on November 3rd, the hype hasn't died down
If you haven't tried one yet, you may be wondering what makes this particular chicken sandwich
so special. Well, Popeyes has taken a few steps to make their chicken sandwich a standout from the
competition, and judging from all the buzz, their efforts are most definitely paying off
"'Love that chicken from Popeyes!' The chicken on this sandwich is definitely the star of the show, but more on that in
a second. Let's discuss the bun that cradles this lovely chunk of bird
Not content to keep things simple, Popeyes uses what it calls a buttery brioche bun for
its sandwich. This goes against the standard bun of most fast food chicken sandwiches and helps to
give the bread a slightly sweeter flavor. Some fast food restaurants will charge extra for using a brioche bun, and while Chick-fil-A
butters their bun, neither their sandwich nor Wendy's chicken sandwich mention any use
of a brioche bun. Sometimes, it's the little things that make all the difference
Now for that chicken between those buns. For starters, the piece of chicken itself is larger than most other chicken sandwiches
Or at least it used to be. There's some concern it may have shrunk upon its return, though Popeyes denies this
The chicken cutlet is also, according to numerous reviews, juicier than its biggest competition, Chick-fil-A
Perhaps because Popeyes' chicken sandwich has a crispier breading that helps seal in
the chicken's juices? So we pointed out that the bun and that big crunchy juicy chicken breast really helped this chicken sandwich stand out That not all the flavor magic at play here The biggest criticism in a taste test of Chick sandwich compared to Popeyes seems to be
that the former is too dry due to its lack of sauce. Popeyes avoided that mistake right out of the gate
Popeyes chicken sandwich comes with a spicy mayo that complements the chicken cutlet's
moisture without overpowering the sandwich to the point that it becomes soggy
Popeyes also reportedly uses thicker pickles than the competition. Chick-fil-A is known for always including pickles on their chicken sandwich, but most
reviewers seem to think that the pickles are a little too thin and don't deliver the briny
goodness in each bite the way that Popeyes does. The number of pickles could also be a factor
The Kitchen reports that Popeyes' chicken sandwich includes three pickle slices. As for Chick-fil-A
Well, they only put two slices of pickle on a sandwich. Clear advantage there
What's particularly interesting about this chicken sandwich is that Popeyes didn't uncover
some secret mystery to making the ultimate chicken sandwich. Upon the sandwich's return
they had a press conference for it, and a lot of what makes it so good has already been at play in
their kitchen. Head chef Amy Alarcon told Thrillist that the butter on the bun is the
same butter the restaurant chain uses on its biscuits. The spices in the mayo sauce are the
same spices that are used in their spicy fried chicken. Finally, the seasoning in the fried
chicken on the sandwich is the same seasoning mixture used for the fried chicken that Popeyes
has been serving in buckets for years. None of these things may seem revolutionary
but all the ingredients together clearly made all the difference in the world
Considering how popular the sandwich is, it's no surprise that recipes abound on the internet for
people who want to try to recreate their own version of this chicken sandwich at home
For the real deal, though, buying one from Popeyes is your best bet, assuming you can manage to get your hands on one
All I wanted was a measly sandwich! I very nicely explained that I was starving
I'm starving