Review: Popeyes - Spicy Chicken Sandwich

Popeyes' Spicy Chicken Sandwich features a chicken breast filet marinated in Louisiana seasonings, then battered and breaded in a new buttermilk coating. The filet is served with barrel-cured pickles and Spicy Mayonnaise on a toasted buttery brioche bun.

I bought one for $3.99. It came in a foil bag like Chick-fil-A's Chicken Sandwich.

The new buttermilk coating seemed a lot like the same coating as you'd find on their fried chicken and chicken tenders, which isn't a bad thing. It was light, flaky, and crispy.

The filet was fairly meaty and quite thick at parts. The difference between its thickest and thinnest parts was notable, but the super soft bun cradled it well. The chicken was tender and juicy but light on flavor. It didn't really taste any different from their chicken strips and the filet itself isn't spicy.

The pickles were thicker than most of the ones I've encountered in a fast food burger or sandwich but otherwise tasted the same.

I tried a bit of the Spicy Mayonnaise by itself, and it was rich and almost buttery with a slight tang and a strong spicy heat. Eating it with the rest of the sandwich muted some of the effect and both delayed and tempered the onset of the spicy burn.

The bun was soft, airy, and squishy with a slight sweetness. It was fairly moist and fresh.

Overall, Popeyes' Spicy Chicken Sandwich was both tasty and a step up in quality throughout. I wouldn't say it's worth waiting 30 minutes or more for, but I have to wonder if the quality would suffer as the lines shorten. With the long lines, they're constantly making the sandwiches so they're fresher and better tasting as a result.

Nutritional Info - Popeyes Spicy Chicken Sandwich

Calories - 700 (from Fat - 380)

Fat - 42g (Saturated Fat - 14g)

Sodium - 1640mg

Carbs - 50g (Sugar - 8g)

Protein - 28g