What's the best food to order from Popeyes?
Not everything they're serving up is as good as that coveted chicken sandwich — in fact,
there are quite a few items you should probably just skip.
This is our ranking of Popeyes food, from worst to best.
Red beans and rice is a defining dish of New Orleans.
So it makes sense for Popeyes to have it on the menu.
But just because they have it, doesn't mean it's good.
When even the restaurant's description for this side is more or less just the name of
the dish, you know it's not going to be very exciting.
Sure, Popeyes Red Beans and Rice is unique as far as fast food sides go, but there's
nothing to write home about here.
The smokey flavor comes from liquid smoke, not actual slow cooking, and the rice is always
cooked well, but it's just rice — nothing special.
Maybe rice shouldn't be a fast food thing.
Especially when it comes off as more of a novelty menu item than anything else.
Dirty rice, which is what Popeyes' Cajun Rice emulates, is typically made from chicken livers
and other organ meats mixed with rice and Cajun veggies..
And then there's Popeyes' version.
The chain relies on its Cajun spices and flavor to carry their version of dirty rice, but
it falls short of the real thing.
The rice is fine, but it's not that flavorful on its own.
It includes some ground chicken gizzards for an authentic touch, but a lot of it is preservatives.
If you want dirty rice, treat it right and make it yourself.
The only thing worth eating in this side dish from Popeyes is the Cajun Gravy.
That stuff is tasty.
The mashed potatoes, however, are "meh" at best.
They're mashed potatoes.
There's nothing about them that makes them stand out or be memorable at all.
That gravy, however, we wish Popeyes would bottle and sell.
The gravy is made with smoked pork, as well as ground beef, bell peppers, and turkey.
Meanwhile.
the mashed potatoes are heavy on the butter and milk, but they also contain shortening,
which can give them an odd sort of texture.
You can get better mashed potatoes elsewhere, is what we're saying.
If you're going to Popeyes to get your greens, you're doing it wrong.
That said, coleslaw is delicious and can be quite refreshing when you need to cut through
all the fried goodness.
Popeyes bills their coleslaw as a "cool, crisp, and tangy treat," and while it isn't bad,
we must admit it's a bit lacking.
The addition of pickles sets it apart and does add a nice tang to each bite.
The lemon juice enhances that, while the small addition of paprika and turmeric gives it
some color and a touch more flavor.
We don't hate the coleslaw from Popeyes, but we do know that we can get a much better bowl
of this crisp and refreshing side dish if we head down the road to KFC.
Ok, hear us out.
We know what you're thinking.
Who goes to Popeyes and gets green beans?
Smart people do.
Because these green beans with turkey bacon are delicious.
They're easily the best side offered at Popeyes, except for the biscuits.
While there's nothing astounding happening with Popeyes' green beans, if you like the
vegetable, you're probably going to enjoy this version.
The green beans and that tasty gravy they're swimming in do contain pork, chicken, and
turkey, so that smokey meaty flavor you get from these beans isn't fake.
That said, this definitely isn't a vegetarian dish — just in case the chunks of bacon
didn't give that away.
Popeyes is no stranger to desserts.
They have a rotating stock based on seasons, holidays, and what-have-you.
From banana pudding parfait to Mardi Gras cheesecake, each of these offerings has had
its highs and lows.
That said, the reigning king of Popeyes desserts is easily the cinnamon apple pie.
It has all the best parts of apple pie in a perfect pocket.
The crust is warm and crispy and doused in cinnamon sugar, while the inside is a not-to-sweet
apple filling with even more cinnamon.
It's a cinnamon explosion that is perfectly satisfying, especially on a cool day.
Many people will say that you cannot go to Popeyes and not get a biscuit.
It's kind of the law.
First introduced in 1983, the buttermilk biscuits have become a staple of the Popeyes menu ever
since.
They're buttery, flaky and crumbly, soft and delicate, and can fit into your mouth in one
go if you're really dedicated to it.
Some people eat them plain, others make a chicken sandwich with them, while others wait
until they're drenched with gravy, red beans, and whatever other sides they have on hand.
Delicious!
You may not immediately realize these are available on the menu, as the default for
Popeyes tenders is the fried version, but you can ask for your three-, five-, or 10-piece
tenders to come as blackened.
Typically associated with Cajun cooking, "blackened" means coated with spices and quickly sauteed
so the outside chars.
Popeyes' Blackened Tenders are particularly popular with the Keto crowd.
What makes them keto-friendly (and generally low-carb) is that the chicken is tossed in
Popeyes Cajun seasoning and then fried without any of the breading.
If you're not doing keto and just want some nice smokey delicious chicken tenders, you'll
love these as well!
You may be thinking this is heresy, eating boneless wings, but wait until you've popped
a few of these bad boys in your mouth until you complain.
Not quite a nugget, but not quite an actual wing, Popeyes boneless wings are delicious,
crispy morsels of breast meat perfect for dipping.
Popeyes Boneless Wings came about after the 2017 chicken wing shortage, and were originally
a limited edition deal, but have been back a few times since then and as of November
2019, they're a permanent menu item.
Lucky for us!
Popeyes' Cajun Fries are a must with any meal from the fast food giant.
Made with their special seasoning, these fries are as flavorful as they are spicy.
It just adds more pizzazz to your meal, while also being an entirely respectable snack on
its own.
One drawback is that they lose their crisp awfully fast.
If you don't mind slightly soggy fries, then no harm, no foul, but most of us get a bit
bummed when our crispy fried potatoes are no longer crispy.
Chicken tenders aren't just for kids!
These all-white breast meat strips of chickeny goodness are crispy and delightful for all
ages.
The tenders get their own special seasoning, meaning they have a slightly different flavor
profile from the signature chicken's blend.
These are the mild version, however, so don't worry if you can't pack on the spice.
There's another chicken tender for that.
Surprisingly, the regular chicken tenders are actually the lowest in fat of Popeyes
fried chicken offerings.
At only about 148 calories per strip, that's not too shabby.
Well, for fast food anyhow.
If you're a chicken tender lover, but still want that New Orleans-style spice, never fear,
the Handcrafted Spicy Tenders are here.
These also get their own special seasoning, including some cayenne to pack in the heat.
It's that extra layer of spice that makes the spicy tenders just a bit better than the
original chicken tenders.
After all, most people come to Popeyes for the flavorful chicken.
Treat yourself.
Popeyes comes out with limited edition offerings all the time, but most of them pass on without
any real fan base.
These Voodoo Chicken Tenders though?
We would fight for these.
Not only do you get three or five of Popeyes delicious chicken tenders with each order,
but they pack a major flavor punch with their drizzling of ghost pepper, garlic, and fried
green onions.
Add in that Voodoo Sauce and it's spicy, sweet, and salty.
A perfect trinity.
They're not for everyone, though!
Ghost peppers are typically over 1 million on the Scoville scale for spiciness — that's
up to 400 times hotter than a jalapeno.
And while you won't be biting right into one, these tenders do pack a punch.
You may not think of getting a seafood dish at a place known for their fried chicken above
all else.
However, you'd be making a mistake.
Popeyes does seafood well.
Especially when it comes to their shrimp items.
The popcorn shrimp are tender, juicy, and perfectly spiced while also have that trademark
crunch when you bite into them.
Popeyes' Butterfly Shrimp are incredible, but sadly they're a limited edition summer
item that really needs to be on the regular menu all year round.
Please, Popeyes?
Ah, the classic.
The chicken that started it all.
Popeyes Signature Chicken is great.
There's just something about the smell of the spices and grease that gets the blood
flowing and the stomach growling, isn't there?
"I can't explain it.
It's delicious."
Whether you're a wing person, a breast person, or a drumstick person, you'll love the crunch
of their famous batter.
Popeyes marinates their chicken for 12 hours, which is rather noteworthy for a fast food
chain.
It just goes to show that they don't skimp on quality here.
The result is that the chicken is juicy and moist.
No dry fried chicken to be found here!
Could it have been anything else?
There's a reason Popeye's Chicken Sandwich sold out nationwide for months.
There's a reason outlets have gone nuts over its announced return.
"This chicken sandwich is so big CNN put the chicken full screen and put the hurricane
down in the corner."
Originally, Popeye's produced and budgeted enough chicken sandwiches to last through
the end of September from its August 12 release, but it went through them twice as fast because
everyone wanted a bite.
There's plenty of opinions about where the Popeye's chicken sandwich ranks among its
competitors, most notoriously against Chick-fil-A's.
One bite and there's really no question.
Popeye's reigns supreme.
It's just that good, people.
Perfectly fried and with crisp buttermilk batter, it's hugged between two buttery brioche
buns and the just right amount of mayonnaise and pickles.
The spicy version has cayenne thrown into the mix as well.
While the original release of the sandwich caused a social media meltdown over a rush
to get it, some customers believe the second release isn't as good, nor as large in size,
as the first.
Having sampled many since it's return, we can't say that we agree.
It's just as good as the first time around.
In fact, we'll probably eat even more.
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