Before Popeyes’ Chicken Sandwich became the darling of the fast food world, the chain was known for its array of dipping sauces. It seemed like there was something new for us to dip its fried food in every quarter. So it’s not surprising to see Popeyes pop out a new condiment for its Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich, which combines creamy herb buttermilk ranch with a zesty and buttery buffalo sauce.
I guess Popeyes could’ve included two different sauces with this sandwich, but that would’ve been, as they like to say in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry, inefficient. The orange Franken-flavoring is applied to both halves of a buttery brioche bun that also holds the brand’s signature hand-battered and breaded chicken and barrel cured pickles.
However, the combo doesn’t create a condiment that I’d consider a Buffalo ranch. Instead, it’s more like a buffalo ranch. Think of it as a less intense Buffalo sauce in terms of flavor and heat, and whatever ranch notes there are, they’re not noticeable. It’s as if the Buffalo sauce’s vinegary tang hides the ranch’s tang. It also doesn’t help that the pickles cut through the condiment’s intensity.
You know what you’re getting with the chicken if you’ve had any previous Popeyes Chicken Sandwich. It’s a pleasantly plump piece that has an equally pleasant crunchy coating. But, because the sauce’s flavor isn’t too bold and the poultry is thicker in the middle, it’s the reason why I didn’t notice the condiment at all when I took bites from the center of the sandwich. However, the Buffalo flavor was much more noticeable when I took bites from the sandwich’s edges.
Popeyes’ Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich is a fine evolution of the original but doesn’t surpass or equal it. Because of the solid base built with the now familiar chicken, pickles, and bun, even the addition of a slightly disappointing sauce still makes it worth a try. Although, if you’re a ranch stan, this sandwich may disappoint your taste buds.
SIDE NOTE: I’d really like to see Popeyes reach into its vast sauce vault (it’s probably called The Sault and located in Louisiana) and offer its chicken sandwich with previous sauces.
Price: $7.69*
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 634 calories, 35 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of trans fat, 86 milligrams of cholesterol, 1667 milligrams of sodium, 50 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 8 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. Also, I got it delivered, so it was 70 cents more expensive in the Doordash app.
“The Sault”…I love it!
Bring back jambalaya to the sides menu. Also, I notice that Popeyes has fried pickles as a side on their corporate website, until you pick a location. Not in PHX, not in Baton Rouge, not in St. Pete, FL. SHOW ME THE FRIED PICKLES!
They also need to bring back the green beans, as a side. I could eat nothing but those, as a meal.
Asked genuinely, as someone who never has eaten them (but who also is a big green beans fan and who will eat them as a snack straight from a can): are they any different than canned green beans, in the end? (I realize that this probably is a heretical question. 🙂 )
I, too, can…and have, many times…snacked on green beans, straight from the can. ? The main difference is that Popeye’s added some kind of special sauce, of which I could never quite discern the ingredients. But, it was the yummy.
Not sure why my smiley face showed up as a question mark, there.