Popeyes' Three New Wings Flavors Review: These Tasty Sauces Are Worthy Of Their Nationwide Launch
In its 51st year of existence, Popeyes has gotten rather serious about winging it. In the beginning of 2023, it brought back its fiery Ghost Pepper Wings from the dead, and as the sun was setting on the summer, it dropped a new Sweet 'N Spicy flavor that earned my seal of approval. While those two flavors seemed like they were primed for only a limited flight, it turns out, they were merely test pilots for a full-blown expansion of wings landing at your local Popeyes this fall. A day before we all gave thanks and stuffed our faces, Popeyes cleared an additional three flavors for takeoff — Honey BBQ, Roasted Garlic Parmesan, and Signature Hot. This flight plan shows that the sky's possibly the limit, as these five flavors are now permanent additions to the Popeyes' menu.
Since the Ghost Pepper and Sweet 'N Spicy flavors have earned their wings, it's time to focus on the new kids on the block — Honey BBQ, Roasted Garlic Parmesan, and Signature Hot. Will these new wing flavors "blow me down," as Popeye the Sailorman would say, or make me screech, "Oh my gorsh," but not in a good way. While some were headed to Popeyes on Thanksgiving Eve to pick up their Cajun Turkey, I pulled up a seat to bring you this chew and review of the three new wing flavors. You can thank me later.
What do Popeyes' Honey BBQ Wings taste like?
With the simple name of Honey BBQ, you'd expect the wings slathered in this sauce to taste like any barbecue sauces you've had a million times before. And yet, when it comes to Popeyes' take on the flavor, it's almost like one you've never had before.
The Honey BBQ sauce combines tamarind, honey, and molasses to form a goopy burgundy brown coating. Out of the three new wing flavors, this one proved to be the messiest to handle, but it was still worth the fuss. The tamarind offers an almost exotic flavoring to the mix, but by ganging up with the sweetness of the honey, it almost pushes any smokiness that the molasses tries to chip in to the side. The result is a unique flavoring that perhaps warrants a more unique name than Honey BBQ. Then again, it's possible customers wouldn't leap to order wings with the word "tamarind" included.
A six-piece order of Honey BBQ Wings nets 880 calories, 46 grams of fat, 17 of which are saturated fat and 2 are trans fat, 210 milligrams of cholesterol, 2,230 milligrams of sodium, 70 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of which are dietary fiber and 45 grams of which are sugar, and 46 grams of protein.
What do Popeyes' Roasted Garlic Parmesan Wings taste like?
Out of the three new flavors, I was most eager to try the Roasted Garlic Parmesan Wings. I could already sense they were going to have a bold and strong taste that would make them stand out from the others.
In this muddled white cream wing sauce, caramelized garlic adds a pungent zest to the twin Italian cheeses, Parmesan and Asiago, each with a distinct sharpness. Maybe because this sauce was the brightest of all the flavors, I could tell these wings were less doused than the others. That turned out to be a blessing because my preconceived notions of this sauce proved to be true, and with such a bold and strong taste, a little went a long way.
Like with all three flavors I tested, I ran my finger along the interior of the box these wings came in and gave it a lick to get a direct sense of the sauce's taste. The Roasted Garlic Parmesan sauce tasted like a deliciously rich homemade Caesar salad dressing, one I'd be honored to pour on some vegetables, which would surely help to counterbalance the nutritional values. A six-piece order of Roasted Garlic Parmesan Wings nets 1,040 calories, 81 grams of fat, 24 of which are saturated fat and 2 are trans fat, 240 milligrams of cholesterol, 2,860 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 2 of which are dietary fiber and 3 are sugar, and 48 grams of protein.
What do Popeyes' Signature Hot Wings taste like?
On the surface, Popeyes' Signature Hot Wings just look like standard golden fried wings. Come to think of it, they actually sort of look a lot like Hooters' underrated, yet excellent wings, but with a bit less breading. If you didn't see the orange spiced liquid lounging around the interior of the box they came in, it's possible to think these wings have no sort of sauce on them whatsoever.
With a light hot pepper smell to them, I knew something was hiding underneath, but within the first bite, something unexpected came about — sweetness. It was an unadvertised surprise, to say the least, but before I was able to get over the shock, Popeyes' Cajun hot sauce came right behind with a kick to my mouth. The spice in these wings lingers, but it's not the kind that makes you sweat it out and prevents you from fully enjoying it. "Hot" is such a generic word when it comes to wings these days, but I expected these to pack more of a wallop. Still, these greasy little fellers were rather tasty (plus I was blessed with a bonus seventh piece).
A six-piece order of Signature Hot Wings nets 1,190 calories, 94 grams of fat, 26 of which are saturated fat and 2 are trans fat, 210 milligrams of cholesterol, 2,340 milligrams of sodium, 45 grams of carbohydrates, 4 of which are dietary fiber and 11 are sugar, and 46 grams of protein.
How, when, and where to order Popeyes' three new wings flavors
From November 22 to infinity, the Honey BBQ, Roasted Garlic Parmesan, and Signature Hot wings flavors join Ghost Pepper and Sweet N' Spicy as permanent additions to the Popeyes menu. All five flavors are available at Popeyes locations nationwide and can be ordered anytime of day or night, while supplies last.
The bare minimum of wings to an order is six pieces. They retail a la carte at $5.99, although prices may vary per location. Other options include a 12-piece serving at $11.89, which allows for two wing flavor choices, and a 24-piece serving at $23.69, which allows for up to four flavor choices. Oddly enough, there is not an option for 30 pieces to allow diners to choose all five flavors together in six-piece increments. Standard dipping sauces of your choice are included with each order, and Popeyes allows the option to have the wing sauce flavor put on the side. The wings can also be turned into a dinner, which includes a regular side, or a combo, which includes a side and a drink.
The wings can be ordered in store at the register, at a kiosk, or via the drive-thru where available. Advance ordering for pickup or delivery is available through the Popeyes app and website for most locations. It's worth noting that prices may be higher when ordering for delivery.
The final verdict
The three new flavors to the wings lineup at Popeyes are all worthy of ordering, but if you had to choose only one, go with the Roasted Garlic Parmesan for a full flavor onslaught. The Signature Hot is a standard affair, sure to please any kind of wing lover, and for those looking for something a little off beat, the Honey BBQ ones are ready to flip the script. All the flats and drumettes have plenty of Popeyes' signature flaky crust to get your crunch on and a mighty amount of juicy meat underneath. At a cost of basically $1 per wing, the price is totally fair for first-time samplers or those repeat customers.
Now that Popeyes' amazing new chicken wing flavors are here to stay as an official menu item, it almost begs the question — why did it take five decades to make this move? With a quintet of fun and finger-licking flavors ready for the ordering, Popeyes fans now run the risk of being unable to make up their mind, considering all the awesome available options on the chain's full menu.
While the paint is still wet on these new flavors, it's not too early to start thinking about the next phase of flavors Popeyes could put its spin on in the future. Here's a free idea from me to you, Popeyes — try Sesame Chicken Wings. Here's one more: Salt & Vinegar.