Popeyes' New Chicken Sandwich Has A Tasty Twist

Remember when Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen dropped its now famous-beyond-belief chicken sandwich? It was August, a sluggish time in the food service world when some outlets find themselves thinking about the return of hot cocoa, spiced apple cider, and pumpkin spice everything (per Forbes). The sandwich arrived on the scene like a wrecking ball, sparking social media spats, copycat syndrome, and a ripple effect throughout the restaurant world – and not just fast food restaurants.

The humble sandwich built around a chunky fried chicken breast, mayonnaise, and pickles, all brought together with a brioche bun, sold out everywhere. Then it came back as a permanent menu item. Customers lined up for it in droves, and the chicken chain was proclaimed a marketing genius. The Popeyes chicken sandwich became "the biggest food news story of 2019, and maybe our lifetime,” according to The Takeout.

If you've been waiting to see what Popeyes does next with its blockbuster menu item, you're in luck. The chain has introduced a new chicken sandwich, and it brings together two taste sensations: Buffalo chicken wing sauce and ranch dressing (per Businesswire).

So what does Popeyes like about the idea of a zippy Buffalo sauce, tempered somewhat by cool and creamy buttermilk ranch dressing? The chain seems certain that after much tinkering, this sauce is a perfect partner for its hand-battered and breaded Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich. Like its predecessor, it's served with pickles on a brioche bun. "Two years ago, our chicken sandwich reintroduced the world to our chicken mastery, and we have not stopped innovating since,” said Sami Siddiqui, President of Popeyes North America (per Businesswire). "We have a lot of fun experimenting with new flavors in our test kitchen.”

YouTuber BigGuyAntics had a chance to test the sandwich and posted a review. "The chicken sandwich is good – period," they declared. However, they felt that despite being juicy and "just a good sandwich," it was a tad lacking in sauce, and the bread could have been better. The reviewer seemed interested in doing a little experimenting of their own and recommended adding Popeyes' mac and cheese to the sandwich.

Popeyes teased the sandwich drop by showing silhouettes of it in its restaurants and by offering fans a chance (now closed) to win early access to it. The new chicken sandwich ($4.99) is a limited-time item. Popeyes Rewards members will reap fringe benefits: 150 bonus points for ordering the sandwich on the Popeyes app or website.