Bottom Line: The Ghost Pepper Wings from Popeyes are tasty little bites of chicken that bring a nice kick of heat.
Popeyes is known for its fried chicken with a kick, and its spicy chicken sandwich is one of the best available in the drive thru these days. But apparently they know that consumers are really going for the spicy stuff lately, and they are kicking things up by bringing back their Ghost Pepper Wings. Those were last available in the drive thru three years ago, and I seem to recall that they came and went at my local Popeyes so quickly that I never got a chance to try them. They are back now, but only for that dreaded limited time only.
Take note that these are not wings drenched in sauce. Instead, they are marinated in a signature ghost pepper spice blend for 12 hours then hand-battered and breaded then tossed in the deep fryer. So they may not be what you typically think of as wings, but they are still worth trying.
At first bite, they taste like the usual good fried chicken from Popeyes. The meat is plenty tender and flavorful, and the wings have a flaky, crumbly crust that has good crunch. They are not greasy at all and the meat pulls right off the bone. They are also not too salty while still delivering a good kick of Cajun seasoning. The promised Ranch dressing was left off my order, but I have never been a huge fan of that condiment and the wings don’t need it. A little packet of honey drizzled over these might take them to the next level, though, and I may try that the next time. (Don’t pull these off the menu too quickly, Popeyes!)
At first, the heat from these wings does not seem to be much different than the spicy version of Popeyes regular fried chicken. But after a couple of wings you really start to notice some burn. By about the third wing, that heat has kicked up to the Medium level and your lips are tingling. And by the time you are through six of these, that heat has risen even higher. I wouldn’t call them Ghost Pepper hot, but still hotter than the Popeyes spicy blend and they get somewhere between Medium and Hot on my scale. I’d actually like it if they added the Ghost Pepper seasoning to their regular chicken pieces instead of just these smaller wing bits.
At 670 calories for a six-piece order, that may not seem too bad for the drive thru. But you know that you are going to get that combo which adds on another 200 calories for the biscuit and 270 cals for the cajun fries. Be sure to get the unsweet iced tea, otherwise you will be breaking the calorie bank with your combo order.
And let’s talk inflation. The price for the combo on the drive thru menu was $7.99, but by the time I got to the window they charged me $8.59! What would have happened if I drove around the building one more time?!
The Ghost Pepper Wings will be heading back to Limited-Time-Only-Ville before too long, probably after the Super Bowl (they make good football munchies). So give these a try now while they are still available. They may not quite reach the Ghost Pepper heat expectations, but these little firecrackers still pack a punch and plenty of flavor as well.
Tale of the Tape:
Serving Size: 6 Wings
Calories: 670
Fat: 46g (17g Sat/2g Trans)
Protein: 45g
Carbs: 21g
Sodium: 1420mg