What's The Actual Difference Between KFC And Popeyes Chicken?

Pop quiz: Set a KFC bucket next to a box of Popeyes. What's the difference? The box. That's it. Both chains sell bone-in fried chicken in mixed pieces, so on paper it's the same meal. But take one bite of each and you'd never mix them up. That's because the road each chicken travels, from the flavors to the fryers to your hands, looks completely different depending on whose kitchen it passes through.

KFC's whole identity rests on the "11 herbs and spices" line you've probably heard a million times. Even though we now have a pretty good idea of what those herbs and spices are, KFC is still keeping the original handwritten recipe locked in a digital safe surrounded by two feet of concrete. The seasoning blend, with its uniquely savory and peppery profile, goes into the flour each piece is hand-coated in. And so you'll notice that the most delicious part of the Colonel's chicken lives in the coating.

Popeyes took an entirely different approach with its spice-forward, Cajun-inspired seasoning blend. Every piece of chicken sold by the chain is marinated for at least 12 hours before it's cooked in this blend of Louisianan ingredients, pushing flavor deep into the meat instead of leaving it all in the coating. You can order it Classic or Spicy, and if you've tried the chain's spicy chicken sandwich (which ranked at fourth place in our roundup of spicy chicken sandwiches) you know the Spicy option isn't just for show — the heat buries right down to the bone.

The seasoning is one thing, but more decisive is probably how the spice-and-herbed or 12-hour-marinated chickens are cooked — and the two chains take very different approach. KFC's Original Recipe is pressure-fried, a method Sanders landed on in 1939 after pan-frying took about 30 minutes per order and conventional deep-frying left the meat dry. Cooking in a sealed, pressurized fryer turned out juicy chicken in eight or nine minutes. It also explains Original Recipe's thin, soft skin, which is more tender than crunchy and how, if you want crunch at KFC, you have to order Extra Crispy. This version is double-coated by hand and open-fried the traditional way.

Popeyes, on the other hand, skips the pressure altogether and goes all in on the crust. After the chicken has gotten its hours-long marinade, each piece is dipped in a wet batter and tossed through flour several times by hand. The chicken is then fried for 12 minutes (Popeyes loves their number 12-based timings) at 340 degrees Fahrenheit. Popeyes is also reportedly among the few big chains still frying in shortening that contains beef tallow, which could account for the slightly richer, meatier taste some fans swear they can detect.

So which should you pick? That depends on what you love about fried chicken. For juicy meat under a savory, herb-and-pepper coating, KFC's Original Recipe still delivers the nostalgia. For big crunch and seasoning you can taste all the way through, Popeyes is your stop, and ordering it spicy is the move. And if the drive-thru debate never ends in your car, you're in good company, since even Bojangles fans have gotten heated over the chain's tenders.