We tried Popeyes' new wings. They're crazy delicious and could spark another fast-food chicken war.

Nancy LunaJan 15, 2024, 18:37 IST

Nancy Luna, Business Insider's food correspondent, reviews the new wings at Popeyes.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

After testing wings earlier this year, Popeyes made them a permanent menu item in late November.
The chain now serves five spicy wing varieties, including one slathered in Cajun hot sauce.

Popeyes made wings a permanent menu item after the overnight success of its Ghost Pepper and Sweet 'N Spicy wings earlier this year.

They expanded the line in late November to include three new flavors, intending to crash into the "wing game."

I tried all five.

Popeyes, which ignited the chicken sandwich wars in 2019, is not just crashing into this wing party. The chain is bulldozing into a sector, led by Wingstop, with five distinctly innovative flavors.

There's no plain Jane in the bunch. Nearly all of them pack a ton of heat, including entry-level wings like the Roasted Garlic Parmesan.

Here's how they stacked up.

Popeyes made wings a permanent part of the menu in late November.

Popeyes said the Sweet 'N Spicy wings, left, became the highest-performing product since the launch of its chicken sandwich.Popeyes

I ordered all five flavors at Popeyes in Southern California. It took about 20 minutes for our order to arrive at the table.

The new chicken wings at Popeyes pack a lot of heat, except for the Ghost Pepper, far right. Nancy Luna/Business Insider

I ate them in order of the suggested heat levels – from least spicy to most spicy.

On each table, Popeyes promotes the wings and their spice levels.Nancy Luna /Business Insider

I started with the Roasted Garlic Parmesan wings. I was really looking forward to this one.

Roasted Garlic wings at Popeyes show red flakes, indicating I might feel some heat.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

But I immediately got a little nervous when I noticed red chili flakes on the wings.

I got nervous seeing red marks on the Roasted Garlic Parmesan wings.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

The Honey BBQ wings at Popeyes are tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce.

The Honey BBQ wings at Popeyes are tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

The cashier looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if I had to sign a waiver to eat the Ghost Pepper wings.

The Ghost Pepper wings were first introduced in January 2023. They returned in May. Popeyes

I took one look at the Ghost Pepper wings, and thought I had received the wrong order. They looked so plain.

There's no real heat in the Ghost Pepper wings.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

Sweet 'N Spicy wings debuted as a limited-time offer in August and were an overnight success, the chain said.

The Sweet 'N Spicy wings are served in a pool of chili oil.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

So, I expected a lot from these wings, and they delivered.

The Sweet 'N Spicy wings are swimming in chili oil.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

The hottest item on the wings menu is the Signature Hot wings.

I was intimidated by the look of the Signature Hot wings at Popeyes.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

Popeyes' new wing menu is on brand. They are packed with bold flavors and could spark a new kind of fast food chicken war.

The new wings at Popeyes come in five flavors.Popeyes

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