In January 2023, the Louisiana-themed chain relaunched its old fan-favoriteGhost Pepper Wingsas a special limited-time offer.
That proved to be an even bigger success.
Popeyes PresidentSami Siddiqui called it"our best-performing product sincethe infamous Chicken Sandwich."
Popeyes/Facebook. Design: Eat This, Not That!
Do the new wings really live up to all this hype?
I decided to find out, taste-testing all five varieties in Popeyes' arsenal.
All of the options are similarly battered and fried to a crisp.
Chris Shott for Eat This, Not That!
Most of them are then tossed in some bang out of sauce.
These wings get doused in a milky mixture that contains caramelized garlic and parmesan and asiago cheeses.
The look:Creamy with little red specks throughout.
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The light-colored sauce gives these wings the greatest visual contrast against Popeyes' trademark golden brown breading.
The taste:Like a fried drumstick dunked in Caesar salad dressing.
The flavor is rich, salty, and a little tart.
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Spice-wise, they also seem like the tamest of the bunch to me.
The look:Dark brown and sticky.
This flavoring is easily the goopiest of the group, which only makes sense given all the syrupy ingredients.
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The taste:Sweet, tangy, and pungent.
The flavors also felt more complex, with layers of richness and a hint of smokiness, too.
I found these quite enjoyable, but very messy.
Chris Shott for Eat This, Not That!
You’ll need several strong licks to remove that viscous sauce from your fingers.
Also known as bhut jolokia, the actual ghost pepper once ranked as the world’s hottest chili pepper.
I know I was!
The chain describes its recipe as “the perfect balance of flavor and fire.”
The look:Dry and crispy.
These are the only wings at Popeyes that don’t come coated in a sauce.
Instead, they’re marinated in a dry spice blend before being breaded and fried.
The taste:Peppery and potent.
Despite the moderate spice rating, these wings still pack a wallop.
The lack of sauce means these wings don’t quickly lose their crunch like other flavors.
It’s also the second hottest, per the chain’s own spice-level rating system.
The fiery sauce contains chili, garlic, and ginger.
The look: Bright orange with specks of red floating amid the translucent dressing.
The vivid coloring is not only eye-catching, but inviting, too.
It’s easy to see why this particular flavor became so popular.
The taste also feels very familiar, like an Asian-style dipping sauce for coconut shrimp or crispy spring rolls.
But, that’s arguably also its downside.
There’s nothing very surprising about this flavor.
It’s really, really good, but also kind of ordinary at the same time.
It’s ranked as the hottest option availableand duly delivers on that promise.
The look: Burnt orange with specks of black.
The sauce appears thinner and clumpier than the others.
The taste: Uniquely delicious.
I honestly did not expect to like this variety at all.
Surprisingly, I found it to be the opposite.
This unexpected candied element made these wings both tasty and intriguing.
Initially, I wondered whether these wings were just coated in granulated sugar.
“Southern sweetness,” perhaps?
I just know that it works.
The result is fiery and flavorful, which is precisely what I want from a good chicken wing.
