Review: Popeyes' New Dry Rub Wings Are A Fowl Flop

If I had to pick a favorite fast food chain, it would easily be Popeyes. I know America doesn't think the chain has the best chicken sandwich, but I do, and that's a hill I'd die on. My perfect night in? Me, a Popeyes chicken sandwich, my favorite of the chain's sides (a biscuit and some Cajun fries, to be exact), and whatever new horror movie is finally out on streaming services. But innovation is always the name of the game in the fast food industry, and Popeyes is throwing a new hat in the ring with the late-summer release of four dry rub wing flavors.

Starting August 18, customers will see four new flavor combos gracing Popeyes' wing offerings, all in dry rub form: Ghost Pepper, Lemon Pepper, Garlic Parm, and Buffalo, each rubbed on a mild marinated base. It's not clear whether the flavors are a permanent menu addition, but there's nothing qualifying them as "limited" in the press release we received. Customers can get the rubs on boneless or bone-in wings, and there's no surcharge for the rubs. To test each flavor, I got a 24-piece wings (a la carte), with six wings in each flavor — for reference, my total (before tax and tip) came out to $30.49. Of course, exact prices will vary depending on your location. Let's see how these new dry rub wings hold up.

I'll start off by giving an overall verdict to the dry rub wings: They failed to impress me. I'm a big fan of Popeyes' other wings, and I think I've tried all the flavors on offer. They're saucy without being soggy and deliver plenty of flavor. These, however, underwhelm — without the saucy coating it feels like something is missing entirely, and just pairing it with a dipping sauce doesn't really fit the bill. Here's the rub (pun intended).

Popeyes promises to serve up the heat with its new Ghost Pepper Dry Rub, about which the press release says: "Dusted in a savory blend of classic Louisiana seasonings and fiery Ghost Pepper; that same flavor you love, now in a dry rub." The rub is flavorful enough, but if you're looking for a super-hot offering, this doesn't hold up to its own standard. I'm pretty spice-averse, and I only felt a little bit of heat from these wings, except for when I happened upon a huge concentration of seasoning in one bite. Moreover, they need a sauce pairing, but I'm at a loss as to which sauce to pair them with. Popeyes' Signature Sauce doesn't work well, nor does Wild Honey Mustard or Buttermilk Ranch Sauce (though the ranch was my favorite of the three). 

The Lemon Pepper Dry Rub sounds like a mouth-tingling entry in the new wing flavor lineup. Popeyes says of the rub, "Topped with lemon pepper seasoning, this is our take on a sweet and tangy classic." I typically adore lemon pepper seasoning — it's the only thing I need to sprinkle on my salmon fillets before pan-frying, and it should be a surefire way to upgrade pretty much any type of meat. Unfortunately, this rub didn't live up to my expectations.

As with the Ghost Pepper Dry Rub, this one didn't pack a ton of flavor except for when I got a huge seasoning concentration in a single bite. Even then, it mostly just delivers on the lemony tang, without much pepper to speak of. Now, that's not to say the flavors were bad — what flavors were present were quite good, but it's the uneven distribution of seasonings and their overall lack of potency that bothers me. I think the chain has some reformulating to do if it wants these dry rubs to "stick." 

Ah, garlic parmesan — a classic flavor combo if there ever was one, and a go-to for me on any menu. Popeyes calls this take "A rich and savory blend of parmesan cheese and aromatic garlic tossed onto a golden-brown wing." Tantalizing, right? I'd have to call Garlic Parm my favorite of the dry rubs, if only because it packed more flavor than the others. The parmesan was readily apparent, and although the garlic was more muted, I still found the wings to be a yummy, herbaceous offering.

My biggest problem is this: Why not just keep the saucy Garlic Parmesan Wings on the menu? I found the saucy version (which seems to be unavailable right now, perhaps because of the dry rub drop) to be miles better than its un-sauced counterpart. But perhaps that's just me, and those who prefer a less messy eating experience may disagree. The Garlic Parm Dry Rub wings paired well with both Buttermilk Ranch and Wild Honey Mustard sauce, but I'd still prefer if the wings were saucy of their own accord.

Of course, is any wing flavor profile more standard than Buffalo? Popeyes' new Buffalo Dry Rub promises "Classic buffalo flavor [that] coats a crisp wing to create the perfect mix of flavor and heat." And I can attest that it somewhat delivers — but only somewhat. These wings had the most obviously uneven coating of the bunch, and personally, I'll never understand eschewing a Buffalo sauce for a Buffalo dry rub. Not even pairing them with the chain's Bayou Buffalo Sauce could make up for what they lacked. 

The Buffalo flavors were all there, and I actually could have enjoyed these wings more had they not been so salty. Unfortunately, the salt was overwhelming and distracted from anything the wings had to offer. Other than that, they're fine, and I don't see consumers downright disliking this offering (or any of the dry rub wings) — I just don't think they're worth the hype. By all means, try them if you're curious, but don't expect to be obsessed with them.