Buzz
If you weren't paying attention, you might have missed it, but about a month ago Popeyes released their fried chicken sandwich with little promotion. As someone who doesn’t follow fast food blogs extensively, I noticed they were being tested in my area and managed to grab a few before they ran out. And guess what? They were (or at least, they were) pretty fantastic!
Here’s my take on the sandwich: The Popeyes version stands out with its superior bun, fresher pickles, flavorful sauce*, and that signature crispy, crunchy Popeyes breading. Chick-fil-A, on the other hand, is known for its unmistakable flavor. Despite all its enhancements, Popeyes’ sandwich doesn’t quite have the same depth of flavor in comparison.
The good news? We can blend the best parts of both sandwiches with existing techniques we can find online. The not-so-good news? It requires a bit of effort. There’s a reason why charging $5 to fry chicken for someone is a highly profitable business model, and it’s also why they sold out of sandwiches so quickly.
(* Throughout this blog, I’m talking about the spicy Popeyes sandwich. If you need to drown your chicken sandwich in disgusting mayo to make it work, then you don’t even have a real sandwich. But spicy mayo? Count me in.) [Editor’s note: How could you say such cruel things about mayo?]
The chicken
Both Chick-fil-A and Popeyes use a full chicken breast for their sandwiches, but anyone who’s tried both knows that Popeyes serves up a much heartier portion. That’s a win for them, as the chickens used for these sandwiches aren’t the same as those oversized, mutant chickens that lose all their pectoral muscles for grocery store meat. I sourced the smallest, most organic chicken breasts I could find for authenticity, and even those were still huge.
Don’t do this! For four sandwiches, grab two regular-sized chicken breasts (around 8 ounces each) and butterfly them. Trim away any thin bits, because those will just turn to dust when you fry them later.
The brine
A big part of Chick-fil-A’s flavor comes from its brine, which helps keep the chicken tender and juicy while giving it a nice salty-sweet kick. Popeyes likely brines their chicken too (since their product is never dry), but I can’t pinpoint where the extra flavor really comes from.
I opted for a basic wet brine, with salt and half the amount of sugar dissolved in cold water. If you choose this method, make sure to soak the chicken for no more than 4-5 hours. But if you want to save time, Claire had the foresight to mix the salt and sugar with the seasoning blend in a convenient dry brine. That method works great as well, though I’d recommend letting it sit for longer than 15 minutes (since we’re working with breasts, not nuggets). If you go the dry brine route, aim for 1-2 hours.
The seasoning
This is where Chick-fil-A packs the majority of its flavor. As pointed out by our very own Claire Lower and Serious Eats, Chick-fil-A kindly lists their ingredients on their website (Popeyes does not). By examining what’s included (and what’s missing), we can figure out that it’s a simple blend of paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and (most importantly) MSG. Half of this seasoning mix goes on the brined chicken, while the other half is added to the flour dredge. And once again—if you’re using the dry brine, feel free to mix the seasoning in at that step.
The breading
Here’s where we pass the torch to Popeyes, though I had to do some guessing to figure it out. As I mentioned, Popeyes doesn’t list their ingredients anywhere on their website. The only clue they give is a ‘new’ buttermilk coating, so we know that’s part of the mix. The rest, however, I had to deduce myself.
Check out this behind-the-scenes video at Chick-fil-A, and this one filmed inside a Popeyes kitchen. A few clear differences stand out. Chick-fil-A dips their chicken in a thin egg-and-milk mixture, then creates a little new well in their flour dredge for each piece of chicken. Popeyes, on the other hand, uses a noticeably thicker egg wash and then tosses the chicken in a flour bin that clearly holds flour from many pieces of chicken that day.
These are solid clues! First, the egg wash. I used three eggs and an extra yolk to thicken it up. Since Popeyes mentions buttermilk, I added a generous splash of that as well. The last ingredient came from a Serious Eats article on homemade General Tso’s chicken: vodka. Vodka helps prevent gluten formation and evaporates much faster than water, which makes it perfect for achieving that crispy, almost-cracking crust you find on Popeyes’ chicken sandwich. While they probably don’t use vodka at Popeyes, we aren’t making sandwiches at lightning speed, so it’ll give the breading a better, longer-lasting crunch while you work on the next sandwich, clean up spilled oil, and so on.
The final ‘hack’ is a classic one: drizzle some egg mixture into the flour dredge before breading, mimicking the effect of a restaurant breading station that’s been used for plenty of egg-dipped chicken. By adding 3-4 tablespoons of the mixture and mixing it in with your hands, you’ll get a rougher, craggier crust like the Popeyes sandwich. Chick-fil-A misses this step by clearing out space for each cutlet, making their chicken less crispy in comparison.
The rest should be straightforward. Take a seasoned chicken breast, dip it into the egg mixture, then drop it into the seasoned flour. Use your other hand to press extra breading on top. Repeat with the second chicken breast, and it’s time to fry.
The fry
There are a couple of things you may have noticed in those videos: Chick-fil-A uses pressure fryers, which—haha—unless you have one of those, you're out of luck. Popeyes, however, fries their chicken in standard deep fryers at 340 degrees. This we can work with! Fill a medium saucepan with as much cooking oil as you have, about halfway up, and place it over medium-high heat. Keep an eye on the temperature using an instant-read or candy thermometer. Once it hits around 355 degrees, carefully drop one of the breaded breasts into the oil.
If you, like me, made the questionable decision to use whole breasts, get ready for a wait. You’re looking at around 10-12 minutes of frying, all while constantly checking the oil temperature and making adjustments. Also, you may find yourself physically lifting part of the chicken out of the oil to prevent the thinner parts from overcooking.
If you were clever enough to use halved breasts, they’ll be ready in just five or six minutes. Once the first one’s done, place it on some paper towels, then drop the second one in. Try your best not to eat them right away, even if you used whole breasts and they look like enormous chicken-fried steaks. If you were smart enough to avoid that, yours won’t be as dark either.
Everything else
The remaining pieces are the bun, pickles, and sauce—none of which require much overthinking.
The bun
Popeyes opts for a fancy brioche, while Chick-fil-A sticks to a simple hamburger bun. I suppose that’s an upgrade of sorts. You can find these brioche buns wherever gourmet buns are sold. Be sure to toast them generously in butter.
The pickles
This is one of the major differences between the two sandwiches for me, and it’s not just because Popeyes gives you more than two pickles. While Chick-fil-A uses the standard briny slices that come from a jar, Popeyes’ pickles have a much fresher feel and taste, almost like they were quick-pickled just before the sandwich was assembled. I wanted to strike a middle ground, so I decided to make my own pickles. It’s easy and nearly foolproof!
The great thing about pickles is that you don’t need a formal recipe. All you really need are vinegar and cucumbers. Dill is a classic, though you probably don’t have any. Try mixing equal parts water and white vinegar in a saucepan with a tablespoon of black peppercorns, a few smashed garlic cloves, a teaspoon of mustard powder, and a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes. Bring this to a quick simmer, then pour it over half a cucumber, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds. Use a paper towel to weigh them down and keep them submerged.
These are deliciously flavorful in as little as 15 minutes, but if you let them sit in the fridge overnight, they’ll develop a more pronounced brininess while keeping their crisp bite.
The sauce
Popeyes describes the sauce as “spicy mayonnaise.” Simple enough. I recreated the taste by mixing two teaspoons of cayenne and one teaspoon of whatever “cajun” seasoning you have in the cupboard for each cup of mayo. This combo matched the color and flavor as closely as I can recall. The sauce isn’t actually “spicy” at all—it's just there because Popeyes seems to think every sandwich *needs* mayo, and they know there are mayo-averse people like me who won’t touch it in its regular, undiluted form. (I’m easy to please, and I’m okay with that.)
At long last, you’re ready to assemble: start with the bottom bun, spread a generous amount of sauce, pile on at least four pickles, add the chicken, and top it with the well-sauced top bun. Now, devour that thing in as few bites as possible because this whole process took much longer than you ever imagined and you're absolutely starving.
But in the few bites it takes you to devour it, appreciate what you’ve just created: A crunchy, boldly crispy crust. A salty, savory, unmistakably Chick-fil-A-flavored piece of chicken. Crisp, tangy, briny pickles. A sauce that definitely makes its presence known. These are the elements of the perfect fast food sandwich, one without compromise, and ready whenever you decide to make it.
Better Than Popeyes Sandwich (yields four servings)
Ingredients
For the chicken:
½ cup kosher salt
¼ cup sugar
1 quart water
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and trimmed of any overly thin parts
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon MSG
4 tablespoons buttermilk
3 large eggs + 1 yolk
2 tablespoons vodka
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 quarts hearty cooking oil, like canola or peanut
4 brioche buns, toasted in butter
For the pickles:
½ cucumber, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
1 cup water
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
3-4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground mustard seed
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 pinch kosher salt
For the sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise (any variety)
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
Instructions
Brine the chicken: Combine salt and sugar in 1 quart of cold water. Place the chicken breasts into a freezer bag, and fill it with the brine. Refrigerate for no longer than 4-5 hours.
Prepare the pickles: In a small saucepan, mix together water, vinegar, peppercorns, mustard powder, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, then pour over the cucumber slices. Use a paper towel to weigh them down until the mixture cools. Once cooled, they are ready to eat or can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Make the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together mayo, cayenne pepper, and cajun seasoning until fully combined. Set aside.
While the chicken is brining, set up your breading station. In a small bowl, combine cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika, and MSG. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolk, buttermilk, and vodka. In a large bowl or tupperware, combine flour, baking powder, and about half of the spice mixture. Drizzle 3-4 tablespoons of the egg mixture into the flour, mixing with your fingers until it resembles wet sand.
Once the chicken is done, pat it dry. Sprinkle the remaining spice mixture over it, then coat it in the breading. Dip each chicken breast into the egg mixture, then transfer it to the seasoned flour. Use your dry hand to pile flour on top, pressing it down firmly. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts, allowing them to rest for 5-10 minutes to ensure the breading sticks.
Meanwhile, heat the cooking oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When it reaches 350-355℉, carefully drop in the first chicken breast. Fry it for 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown and the internal temperature hits 160℉ at the thickest part (it should rise to 165℉ with carryover heat). Transfer the cooked breast to a paper towel-lined plate, and repeat with the remaining chicken.
To assemble the sandwiches, start with the bottom bun. Spread about 2 teaspoons of sauce, then layer on four pickle slices. Add the fried chicken, then top with the top bun and another 2 teaspoons of sauce.
