Bottom Line: The Spicy Popcorn Chicken from Jack In The Box will satisfy your munchies while delivering a kick of heat.
Among the fast food joints, Jack In The Box ranks near the top of those who specialize in drive-thru munchies. Sure, Jack has his burgers and chicken sandwiches and those are pretty darn good. But he also offers all sorts of finger foods and often pushes those to get people to swing by and satisfy their cravings (even at times running ads that cater to those who partake in a particular herb that mellows you out and makes you hungry). From tiny tacos and curly fries and jalapeno poppers to egg rolls and fried pieces of chicken of various sizes, Jack has you covered.
And to the delight of many of Jack’s fans (including myself), he has brought back the spicy popcorn chicken to his munchie menu. That consists of bite-sized pieces of breast meat that are breaded and deep-fried and coated with a spicy seasoning that has a bit of a Cajun kick (is Jack muscling in on Popeyes territory?). The popcorn chicken has been around for a while, and the spicy version appears from time to time on the menu.
Your mileage may vary on the size of the chicken bites, but typically I have found them to be quite meaty, sometimes even getting a two-biter. The meat to breading ratio is a little bit higher than what you would get from a chicken tender, but there is still plenty of poultry in there. And because they are small, they cook through quite well. (Beware! These are hot temperature-wise when you first get them).
As for the heat, I would put them close to a Medium burn on my scale, which is pretty good for the drive-thru. That does tend to vary from visit to visit depending on how much seasoning gets added, but every time I have ordered these they have delivered a kick. And be sure to get the Good Good Sauce with them because it is . . . well . . . good. It has a nice peppery bite with some sweetness and certainly it is just a coincidence that it tastes an awful lot like the Raising Cane’s sauce. And if they have the spicy Good Good Sauce, that is even gooder!
These sell for about four bucks an order, but the portion size is a bit disappointing when you get them by themself (although it is just 310 calories). The better bet (though not for your waistline) is the combo with the fries which includes more of the chicken pieces. But the Spicy Popcorn Chicken will be returning to Limited-Time-Only-Ville before too long, so you better swing by your local Jack In The Box soon if you want to satisfy your munchies with these spicy bites. And throw in a couple of Jack’s classic tacos too to give yourself a well-rounded meal! (Hey, they have lettuce in them. That counts as a vegetable.)
Spice It Up: Want to give this popcorn chicken a little extra kick? Try adding a few drops of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce or another wing sauce that you like and shaking the box up. That will bump up the heat if the Cajun spice isn’t hot enough for you. Or you can put a few drops of hot sauce in that Good Good Sauce to kick up the dipping experience. Might I recommend one or two dashes of Dave’s Insanity Sauce? Better have something to cool you down close by, though, because that will definitely amp up the heat level!
Tale of the Tape:
Serving Size: 159g
Calories: 310
Fat: 11g (1.5g Sat/0.5g Trans)
Protein: 18g
Carbs: 30g
Sodium: 1290mg