We Tried Megan Thee Stallion's Spicy Popeyes Sandwich to See if It's Good

When Megan promises hot, she always delivers.

PHOTO BY OPHELI GARCIA LAWLER FOR THRILLIST
PHOTO BY OPHELI GARCIA LAWLER FOR THRILLIST

The Popeyes Chicken Sandwich is already a damn-near-perfect fast food meal. Whether you're a fan of the classic or spicy version, it's widely considered to be the best chicken sandwich available. So, when the Louisiana-based chain announced its collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion for a new sweet and spicy sauce, it—while exciting—felt a bit unnecessary. Why mess around with a perfect sandwich?

I assumed the sauce might just be another celebrity brand partnership that was more gimmick than genuinely good. But that didn't sit right with me. Megan Thee Stallion is known for her consistency and high-quality output, and to be honest, so is Popeyes. So I decided to test if a Popeyes chicken sandwich could possibly get any better.

The sauce was crafted in close collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion, who made the final selections on what flavors would be included. It's packed with a lot of heat but also has sweet notes of honey. It was created to top the crispy fried chicken sandwich or pair with nuggets and is its own special item on the menu that can be ordered exclusively through the app or online. Later this year, there will also be Popeyes x Megan Thee Stallion merch, including bikinis, hats, and even plushie toys for pets.

The Bun
Popeyes found a bun recipe, and thank goodness, they've stuck with it since the sandwich debuted in late 2019. It's a buttery brioche bun slightly toasted on the inside and a perfect vehicle for any of the chain's sandwiches.

The Hottie Sauce
Usually, when a fast-food chain promises heat, I expect that to mean that there's just a bit more flavor than before. But Popeyes has always delivered the heat, and Megan Thee Stallion? Well, she invented Hot Girl Summer. So, unsurprisingly, the Hottie Sauce packs a real kick. Made with a base of honey, cider vinegar, and Aleppo pepper, it creates a more full-bodied taste than the standard spicy chicken sandwich offers. You really can taste every flavor. The sweet notes make the spice pop a bit more, and honestly, my sinuses felt cleared halfway through eating the sandwich. The overall distribution was good, too. The deep pinkish-red sauce covered the top of all the chicken and sunk into the top half of the bun.

PHOTO BY OPHELI GARCIA LAWLER FOR THRILLIST

The Fried Chicken
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: This is the best fast food fried chicken. It has the perfect amount of crunch. The chicken is juicy, well-cooked, and full of flavor. It’s already great on its own, but the Hottie Sauce adds new dimensions of flavor to the chicken.

The Verdict
I thought there was no room for improvement when it came to the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich. But in actuality, Megan Thee Stallion’s Hottie Sauce takes the sandwich to an entirely new level of deliciousness. The sauce was also great with Popeyes’ Cajun Fries, and I imagine it would pair well with any item on the menu. Celebrity collaborations are usually limited-time offers, but as a loyal Popeyes customer and an even more loyal fan of Megan Thee Stallion, I recommend making a permanent menu offering.

If you’re looking to level up your spicy sandwich experience, hurry to try this one before it's gone.

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Opheli Garcia Lawler is a staff writer at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter @opheligarcia and Instagram @opheligarcia.