Popeyes is trying to dominate fast food fried chicken, and… they’re coming pretty damn close to doing exactly that. The brand already has the best chicken sandwich, the best bone-in chicken, and some very good chicken strips (I love them, but let’s be real, they can’t compete with Cane’s), and now it’s trying to corner the wing market.
Popeyes has always had wings, but it wasn’t until fairly recently that they’ve tried to capture the sauced wings crowd, first with the launch of its ghost pepper wings, and now six new signature flavors (as well as offering a boneless option).
That expands Popeyes’ roster of wings to a total of seven different flavors. That’s a lot of wings! It’s not quite Wingstop levels of variety, but it’s a marked change to the menu. Which might have you thinking: what’s the best flavor? To unpack that question, we tried all seven signature wing flavors and ranked them from least to most delicious.
Here are our thoughts.
7. Classic Boneless Wings
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the weakest flavor of wings Popeyes makes is the Classic. They’re totally unsauced, and therefore offer objectively, the least flavor of any other option. For some reason, Popeyes wings have all sorts of weird caveats, one of which is that the Classic flavor is only sold in the boneless variety, despite the fact that Popeyes does in fact have bone-in chicken wings on the menu as part of its eight-piece or two-piece white meat meals.
I find that annoying, but, we’re here to talk about flavors so lets move on.
Flavorwise, these wings are fine. The meat is tender and juicy, and the breading has that classic salt-heavy, slightly peppery, garlic and onion forward flavor with a hint of sweetness on the backend. It’s good, but it doesn’t compete with the sauced varieties.
The Bottom Line:
If you want that classic Popeyes flavor, you’re better off ordering tenders or a piece of bone-in chicken. The Classic Boneless are pretty unremarkable compared to the sauced options.
6. Honey BBQ
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Honey BBQ goes pretty heavy on the sweetness. The sauce these wings are tossed in is pungent with a strong garlic scent and a flavor that combines a mix of floral honey and brown sugar sweetness with light smokey notes and a sweet finish.
I think it’s a bit overwhelming and would’ve preferred more emphasis on the smokey aspect.
The Bottom Line:
If you like your BBQ sauce heavy on the sweetness, these wings are for you. If you prefer the more complex and nuanced qualities of the sauce, these fail to deliver.
5. Ghost Pepper
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
The Ghost Pepper wings come with another one of those weird caveats like the Classic boneless. For whatever reason, these wings are only available bone-in. That’s not a problem for me since I prefer bone-in wings, but it begs the question: why?
What struck me about this flavor is just how mild the spice is. Ghost Peppers are known for their intense heat levels, but I’d describe the level of heat here as mild, at best. The flavor is a mix of smokey, slightly sweet qualities, with a slightly dry and earthy finish. Another note, these wings are dry-rubbed, so if you like your wings saucey, this will disappoint.
The Bottom Line:
The flavor is decent, but these aren’t as spicy as you might expect for something named after the mighty Ghost Pepper.
4. Roasted Garlic Parmesan
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Garlic Parm is a classic dry-rub wing flavor, but at Popeyes, it’s fully sauced and wet as hell. I think it’s a bit much, but if you like the savory, nutty, creamy, and indulgent flavor of garlic parm, this f*cking delivers.
It’s pungent as f*ck, I could almost smell it through the photo above. The garlic flavor takes precedence here, it has a caramelized sweetness to it with a gentle nuttiness that is accentuated by the the parmesan. The finish provides a sharp cheese vibe with some umami qualities that make this wing taste incredibly decadent.
But again, I think it’s overkill. I found myself wanting to water the sauce on these wings down. It would’ve worked better as a dry rub, but either way, I’m glad its included in some form.
The Bottom Line:
Strong and pungent. This flavor packs a strong roasted nuttiness that could easily be your favorite. It’s just not mine.
3. Signature Hot
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Signature Hot is your classic buffalo chicken wing. It has a buttery tanginess to it with just a bit of heat. Here is where I think this falls short though — it’s not nearly spicy enough. The worst part is that while I wish this provided more heat, it’s actually the hottest flavor of the seven. That’s a problem.
While at the end of the day, I think all of these wing flavors are pretty good, the fact that there isn’t a truly spicy option hurts the brand, especially because Popeyes is known for its spicy bone-in chicken. Popeyes deserves a truly spicy hot wing, and this isn’t it.
The Bottom Line:
Buttery and tangy, your classic buffalo wing. Very good, but doesn’t quite reach levels of greatness.
2. Honey Lemon Pepper
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Of all the flavors, this one surprised me the most. My personal tastes lean toward spicier flavors, and the Honey Lemon Pepper (along with the Roasted Garlic Parm) is the mildest flavor on offer. Having said that, I love what I’m tasting here.
The sauce isn’t too heavy, which keeps the wings crunchy, and features a flavor that mixes rich floral honey notes with earthy black pepper and citrus. The flavor begins with a bright citrus burst before the sweet notes begin to take over with the lemon notes making another appearance at the finish. I really like how the ping-ponging flavors take your tastebuds on a journey.
The Bottom Line:
A great blend of sweet, earthy, and citrusy notes. Honey Lemon Pepper is easily the most complex of all the flavors.
1. Sweet ’N Spicy
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
If you’re going to get one flavor from Popeyes (and you have to, considering there is no mix and matching here like at your typical wing place) then Sweet ’N Spicy is the way to go. This wing gives you the best of both worlds, it has a rich sweet character alongside notes of ginger, garlic, and dried chili flakes.
The heat is incredibly mild, with the majority of spice coming via the ginger, not the chili flakes. But what it lacks in heat it makes up for in just how well-balanced and delicious this mix of sweet and savory flavors is.
It doesn’t just have flavor going for it either it has the most appetizing smell with its mix of floral sweetness and prominent ginger and garlic aromatics. Popeyes knocked it out of the park with this one.
The Bottom Line:
Popeyes Sweet ’N Spicy is the standout flavor in the brand’s wings lineup. While all of the sauced wings offer flavors worth exploring, none are as well-balanced and satisfying as Sweet ’N Spicy. In short, it’s a best-of-both-worlds flavor that truly delivers.
