Minneapolis History: The First Kentucky Fried Chicken in Minnesota at 2500 Hennepin Avenue (1978)
Where can you get KFC’s new sandwich?
As of this writing, KFC’s new chicken sandwich isn’t as easy to get as Popeyes’ chicken sandwich, which after a month’s long shortage, has been available at the Louisiana-style chain’s locations nationwide without interruption since November 2019. KFC’s sandwich is making its debut on city-by-city basis—beginning with Chicago, Kansas City, Louisville, Portland, St. Louis, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, and Tulsa. You can expect a full, nationwide rollout by the end of February. Until then, Popeyes has a clear edge on this front.
The Overall Sandwich
Yes, KFC’s sandwich formula sounds a lot like Popeyes, with its crispy chicken breast (like Popeyes) stacked on a buttery brioche bun (like Popeyes) with thick pickle slices (like Popeyes), and your choice between classic mayo or spicy sauce (yep, you guessed it, like Popeyes). But just because the sandwiches sound similar, doesn’t mean KFC’s is a copycat. We can all agree that this combination of ingredients is pretty standard for a fast food fried chicken sandwich. We’ve got to break down each element.
The Bun
With both sandwiches positioned next to each other bun-to-bun, it was immediately evident that Popeyes’ sandwich was a tad taller. The Popeyes sandwich I received had a slightly thicker piece of chicken and a thicker brioche bun, though it’s worth noting that both of those things can naturally vary in size from order to order. Despite the size of Popeyes’ bun, I found KFC’s to be much lighter (in a good way, like a potato bun), fluffier, and softer. This bun allowed KFC’s chicken to shine.
The Chicken
Off the bat, Popeyes’ chicken appeared to have a more golden-brown breading and a crunchier texture. Bites from both sandwiches confirmed my suspicion. While KFC’s chicken was certainly crispy on the outside and delightfully tender on the inside, I didn’t detect quite the same crunch as with the Popeyes sandwich. Popeyes’ chicken still pulled ahead.
As far as flavor goes, the chicken on the sandwiches featured the respective chains’ unique, signature seasonings that are instantly familiar. Both are tasty in different ways. KFC’s secret 11 herbs and spices give the juicy chicken a big pop of flavor, while Popeyes’ Louisiana-style seasonings provide a nice kick.
The Pickles
A great fried chicken sandwich is nothing without its great pickles. So, it should come as no surprise that KFC dedicated serious time and effort to getting its pickle selection right. A spokesperson for the chain told Thrillist that its culinary development team tested eight different pickles before it landed on a winner. My expectations were understandably high going into my first bite.
I was not disappointed. The crinkle cut pickles were not only thicker than Popeyes, but had a notable crunch that was missing from its competitor’s briny cucumbers. Popeyes’ pickles are exceptional—Thrillist awarded them MVP (Most Valuable Pickle) at its annual fast food awards in 2020)—so I can’t emphasize enough how big of a deal it is that KFC’s are better.
The Sauce
KFC’s spicy sauce had a brighter orange color than Popeyes’, which led to me to hope that it would translate into a hotter sandwich overall (Popeyes’ spicy chicken sandwich offering doesn’t bring much heat in my opinion). That it did. KFC’s sauce was creamy, rich, cajun-flavored, and decidedly spicy.
The two regular, non-spicy sauces are pretty straightforward. Both KFC’s and Popeyes’ respective mayos add smooth finishes to every bite you take, but you’re missing out if you don’t order the spicy version.
Is KFC’s chicken sandwich better than Popeyes’?
Short answer: no. Popeyes’ sandwich is still on top. Though, as of now, KFC is the only other fast food chain to come remotely—remarkably—close to knocking Popeyes from the top of the fast food chicken sandwich pecking order, thanks to its superior sauce and perfect pickles. For that, I commend the Colonel. KFC’s chicken breast—with its inferior breading and relative lack of crunch—is what holds this sandwich back.
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