Food & Beverage

Popeyes nudges chicken sandwich wars into new territory with 'nuggets'

Popeyes said its newly launched nuggets are designed to "reset" the popular QSR category. (Photo provided)

July 13, 2021 by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

The brand that fired the opening salvo in the chicken sandwich wars, Popeyes, is returning to the firing line on July 27 to engage its competitors in a new round of poultry-based play, by introducing its chicken nuggets on that Tuesday in its stores across North America. The brand said its pop-able pieces are designed to be something akin to mini versions of its insanely popular chicken sandwich.

"Just like Popeyes set the bar high for what someone should expect from a fried chicken sandwich in the industry, Popeyes looks to do the same with its new chicken nuggets recipe. …" a company spokeswoman told QSRweb in response to a series of questions about the product.

"The Popeyes culinary innovation team spent tireless amounts of time testing new recipes and flavors. After seeing the feedback from the launch of their chicken sandwich recipe, the culinary team decided it was time to serve its beloved recipe to guests in a pop-able format. …

"The beloved Popeyes Chicken Sandwich recipe — rich in Louisiana tradition — is the recipe of the new Popeyes nuggets. Popeyes uses a special flour-and-buttermilk batter to provide the perfect crispy texture which guests have come to love and expect from our flagship fried chicken sandwich."

The white meat chicken breast nuggets will be available in a classic flavor and can be paired with the brand's signature sauces like Bayou Buffalo, BoldBQ, blackened ranch, buttermilk ranch, Mardi Gras mustard and sweet heat. Ordering options range from four- to 36-piece quantities, as well as a 48-piece option that is available exclusively online at Popeyes.com and on the Popeyes App.

Popeyes becomes part of 58-year-old chicken nugget saga

Across the QSR sector, chicken nugget offerings have proven exceptionally popular with consumers. (Photo: iStock)

Of course, Popeyes' latest menu addition is but one of a long line of QSR products made from bite-sized fried chicken pieces, which have the advantage of being customized through the addition of special sauces. The brand has previously offered fried chicken pieces on its menu as LTOs back in the 1980s and most recently in 2012, but the company said this version is different from previous renditions.

And though Popeyes re-entry into this menu category is news on the quick-service front, chicken nuggets themselves have been around for a good 58 years, according to the History Channel.

That's how long ago the prolific Cornell University agricultural scientist, Robert C. Baker, first develop the product in the lab and — though he never patented the invention — went on to send the instructions for how to create his nuggets out to leading food service brands to prompt them to offer the bite-sized pieces of the barnyard bird.

In 1981, McDonald's became the first QSR to take Baker up on his offer by offering its nuggets for the first time, later expanding the menu item to be available nationally in 1983. And as most in this industry already know, the product has only continued to grow in popularity ever since, now offered at most of the larger QSR brands from Arby's to Wendy's.

But at Popeyes, leadership said it sees its product as an almost disruptive force among QSR nugget offerings. As Popeyes said in an email to QSRweb, "We want these nuggets to reset chicken nugget standards as they are freshly prepared in restaurant every day, seasoned to perfection, hand-battered and breaded in buttermilk coating, and fried up fresh to deliver a classically crispy and juicy bite with each order."

Let the games begin.

Food & BeverageChick-fil-A Popeyes Wendy's

About S.A. Whitehead

Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb editor Shelly Whitehead is a former newspaper and TV reporter with an affinity for telling stories about the people and innovative thinking behind great brands.