Fans Of Popeyes' Rip'n Chicken Won't Want To Miss This Deal

If you like to grip, rip, dip, and sip — well, you might need to rethink an overly simplistic rhyming scheme, but you'll also enjoy the new meal combo out from Popeyes (via Chew Boom). Rip'n Chicken is back for a limited time, along with two sides, a buttermilk biscuit, and dipping sauce for a $6 Big Box combo at participating locations. As an astute writer from Deadspin noted in 2013, the chicken component looks like a "chicken hand" with seven fingers, but why settle for regular fried chicken when you can rip it yourself, folks? 

Rip'n Chicken, which first debuted in 2011 (via FoodBeast), is really just a chicken breast that's been cut almost into strips, marinated in a special Popeyes blend of spices, and then battered and deep-fried like their other chicken offerings (via Thrillist). The strips are connected, and then you tear them apart by hand. For $6, it's certainly not a bad deal for the amount of food you get. You can choose from any two of the usual lineup of sides including coleslaw, mashed potatoes, or Cajun fries, plus the biscuit and sauce. For a little extra, you can get a drink, too, but prices vary by location.

It might sound weird, but there could be science behind the draw of Rip'n Chicken. Research has shown that we enjoy food more when we eat it with our hands — which is true of many fast food items, but maybe even more with something you literally have to rip apart. According to a study from the Stevens Institute of Technology, "when high self-control individuals touch food directly with their hands (vs. indirectly with a utensil), they not only experience it as tastier and more satisfying, but they eat more of it." It also gives retailers a way to influence customers (via Stevens Institute of Technology).

We're not sure if there's a direct connection, but Popeyes fans seem enthusiastic so far. One tweet from user @gixman07 read, "Had popeye's Rip'n chicken today. I think I'm addicted to them the same way I'm addicted to their chicken tenders." The user @_primnposh said in another tweet, "I've been thinking about those Rip'n Chicken strips from Popeyes since I seen the commercial." It seems the marketing has worked, Popeyes. People just wanna rip apart crispy chicken-hands.