It’s almost Halloween, so it’s the most appropriate time for fast food chains to spook our taste buds with ghost pepper products. We’ve seen Burger King and Dunkin’ get into the Halloween mood over the past few years, and this year, Carl’s Jr.’s Ghost Burger appeared.
Popeyes, which always looks like it’s celebrating Halloween, is getting into the holiday spirit with its new Ghost Pepper Chicken Sandwich. It features the chain’s buttermilk-battered, all-white meat chicken breast fillet, barrel-cured pickles, and a new Ghost Pepper Sauce on a butter-toasted brioche bun. So it’s basically a regular Popeyes Chicken Sandwich, but with the mayo swapped out for the spicy sauce. There’s also a Bacon & Cheese version that also includes three half slices of hickory smoked bacon and a slice of white Havarti cheese.
The ghost pepper was once the hottest in the world. Of course, that was many years ago, and it’s been surpassed by many much spicier peppers. So, the once proud pepper has been relegated to an ingredient for fast food condiments. However, from what I’ve experienced, the heat that fast food ghost pepper products have had is a far cry from the actual pepper, and that’s what we have here with Popeyes’ Ghost Pepper Chicken Sandwich.
The first thing I did after opening the sleeve the sandwich came in was to try the sauce on its own, which was applied to both buns. My quick taste test resulted in me coughing from the peppers. Its flavor kind of reminded me of taco seasoning, and its heat was at a level that I’d consider surprisingly mild. But that was when I tasted it by itself. That heat and flavor were even less noticeable when chewed with the other sandwich components. So, I guess the new Ghost Pepper Sauce isn’t as scary as it seems. After finishing the sandwich, I felt a lingering peppery heat in my mouth and on my lips. But it wasn’t anything that made me want to order a Popeyes iced tea or lemonade.
As for the rest of the sandwich, it was everything that I’ve experienced with the dozen or so other Popeyes Chicken Sandwiches I’ve eaten over the past few years. It’s still great. Poultry is still juicy; breading is still pleasantly crunchy; the pickles still bring a tasty tang, and the lightly sweet brioche bun still holds everything together.
With that said, Popeyes’ Ghost Pepper Chicken Sandwich is my least favorite Popeyes Chicken Sandwich variation. The sauce didn’t wow me with its flavor, and it has a level of heat that’s disappointing for a ghost pepper product.
Purchased Price: $7.49*
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 631 calories, 35 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of trans fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 1990 milligrams of sodium, 50 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar, and 29 grams of protein.
*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.