Chicken Strips from Popeyes
A lot of things have changed in the world of fast food when it comes to chicken strips and nuggets. Gone are the depressing days when all we had to choose from were overly processed pieces of mystery meat that left us wondering exactly what part of the chicken we were eating. Today there’s quite a few solid choices available.
Even McDonald’s, the creator of those infamous MSM (mechanically separated meat) nuggets have introduced “Chicken Selects Premium“, strips cut from 100% breast filets. And while they may fall a bit short of greatness, they’re still pretty good, and most definitely a step-up from McNuggets. So who’s making the ‘great’ ones?
If you’re wondering about the fries in the photo, they’re awesome!
For one, Popeyes. In my opinion, the chicken strips from Popeyes are the most natural tasting on the market. That doesn’t necessarily make them the best, but it surely puts them near the top. Whenever I’m eating these strips, I almost feel like I’m enjoying regular bone-in pieces of fried chicken. From the crisp crackling crust, to the tender juicy meat, they have a wonderfully unprocessed texture and flavor about them.
They also vary widely in size and shape, with each strip looking different than the rest. While many fast food chicken strips are cut and shaped to appear part of a clone-like family, the strips from Popeyes look unique. It’s as if somebody back in the kitchen is pulling off hunks of meat from the bone, with no concern about appearance.
Popeyes offers two varieties of chicken strips — “Classic Mild” or “New Orleans Spicy”. Both are delicious, with the spicy version offering a little extra kick created by a layer of spices coating the meat, hidden underneath the batter. I’ve tried to capture of photo of that orangish ring of flavor. Look at the arrows in the shot below and you’ll see it.
The Chicken Strips from Popeyes are excellent. Tasty, moist and tender chicken pieces coated with a flaky crunchy shell. Great alone, and terrific with Popeyes’ Cajun gravy or your favorite dipping sauce. I’m not ready to proclaim them the best in the industry, but they certainly rank high on the list. If you’re a fan of Popeyes’ regular fried chicken, you’re going to like these too. If you’ve never eaten there before, this is a good time to venture out and find the nearest location. You won’t be disappointed.
Price: $4.49 (3 strips and regular side) / Website: Popeyes.com
Fast Food Critic Score: A
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Nutrition Facts - Popeyes, 3 chicken strips (spicy).
Calories - 405
Calories from Fat - N/A
Total Fat - 16 grams
Carbs - 31 grams
Saturated Fat - 6.75 grams
Trans Fat - 0.75 grams
Cholesterol - 82 milligrams
Sodium - 2145 milligrams
Protein - 33 grams
Fun fact of the day: McDonalds Chicken “Selects” are one of the most unhealthy items on their menu… more so than a same-size serving of McNuggets. A standard, five-strip order has 630 calories and 11 grams of artery-clogging fat. That’s about the same as a Big Mac, but the burger has 1,040 mg of sodium, while the Selects hit 1,550 mg — a whole day’s worth — even without the salty dipping sauce.
Don’t believe me? Here is a description of the just the chicken part that is cut from “100% white meat” breast fillet, straight from McD’s:
“Chicken breast strip fritters with rib meat containing: Up to 25% of a solution of water, modified food starch, salt, monosodium glutamate, sodium phosphates, chicken broth, natural flavor (vegetable and animal source), maltodextrin, spice, autolyzed yeast, chicken fat, polysorbate 80, gum arabic.”
Tricked again America; the selects are literally loaded with calories and saturated fat. No wonder they’re delicious though… they’re packed with MSG and we all know how delicious fat is!
Now, I know people aren’t eating fast food because it’s good for them. It’s quick, easy and an occasional comfort food. But I think a lot of people are tricked into thinking that this “100%” chicken product is somehow better for them than McNuggets or Big Macs, when in fact that’s not true.
McDonalds is by far the most manipulative of all the fast food chains, which is why I avoid it. There is ALWAYS a better fast food option, and nothing on McD’s menu in my opinion is better than anything else available at other chains.
Chicken strips can also be bland and boring; Applebee’s entire business model was based on the fact that dumb teenagers would drop over 10 bucks for a plate of chicken fingers and fries. But these Popeyes strips look tasty… part of the reason everyone’s better than McDonalds is because everyone’s trying to differentiate themselves… and it’s not hard to do that by making a better product.
Thanks for the review, here are some websites on the McDonalds Selects nutrition:
http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-mcdonalds-chicken-selects-premium-breast-i84389
http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-mcdonalds-chicken-selects-premium-breast-i84389
I love Popeyes chicken, in any form, whole fried chicken or strips.
Thanks for the great review Timothy.
Thanks for ruining McDonalds forever Keith.
Another place you can get some good strips is Target Supercenter around lunch time, I like them cause you can buy just a couple of bucks worth of them.
These are probably my favorite chicken strips ever. Spicy, of course. I’ve never had the “mild” anything at Popeyes. In a combo with the fries and a biscuit, they can’t really be beat.
I think I just changed my plans for dinner! HA!
I loved Popeye’s tenderloins back in the day, but it was rather expensive for fast food ~$1.50/strip 14 years ago. Too bad the 4 Popeye’s that I know of nearby are in really shady parts, so I don’t really go.
I am still curious if what I heard (and mentioned in the loaded chicken wrap review comments http://fastfoodcritic.com/fast-food-reviews/popeyes-new-loaded-chicken-wrap/) is true.
“vary widely in size and shape, with each strip looking different than the rest”
They’re the snowflakes of the fast food chicken strips. these do look pretty damn good!
Have you heard of Boston Market?
Is that considered fast food or something else?
I think it’s more of a deli than fast food.
Those chips look delicious!!
Yum, Those chicken pieces look real and actually look like you’d enjoy them.
seems a bit on the expensive side but can you put a price on the value of a full tummy and a smile.
I walk by the Popeyes by Fenway park almost everyday and I have NEVER gone in.
But I hear nothing but good things. I think I may have to break down and try it.