10 Non-Chicken Items From Popeyes, Ranked

Popeyes is all about the chicken; after all, it's the main menu item in various forms of sandwiches, tenders, wings, and beyond. So, what can you get at the fast food chain that isn't poultry-based? Ah, that is the big question, and I set out to answer it by trying just about everything on the menu — save for the jalapeño pepper, which didn't seem quite on the same level as various other creations and seasoned concoctions. 

I bought everything else available at my location at the time of writing and got to tasting. I've had most things on the menu at this point, including the various poultry picks, so I was curious to see what would come out on top. I evaluated the overall flavor dimension of the items — which flavors, seasonings, or other elements were most compelling — as well as the food's texture. I went in with an open mind and found some tasty options.

I'm a kid at heart, so I am all for whimsical colors, sprinkles, and flavors; however, I still want it to taste relatively good. The Strawberry Cupcake Cup is reminiscent of one of the cheap boxed cake mixes you can buy at the grocery store, offering a very artificial strawberry flavor and a comically vibrant pink hue. The proportions of this dessert are all off. The cake is thin with just as much, if not more, frosting loaded over it. 

The frosting tastes like strawberry-flavored sugar, but has an oily mouthfeel, which makes it even more unpleasant. I kind of get the idea, and I partially like the flavor, but it's extremely sweet, and I'm just not a big fan of the fake strawberry taste. There's very little cake, which makes me a little annoyed to be paying for so much frosting. This is fun and celebratory; it could be worth trying once, but I wouldn't endorse it as a delicious option. It gets last place because of its multitude of problems, but I still really like the overall appearance (that's the kid in me talking, I guess).

The Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie is a step up from the cupcake concoction, because of its better taste. It still has a bit of that artificial strawberry note lingering in every bite, and in this application it tastes and looks like a gelatinous, gooey pie filling. It's strawberry flavored, but I don't catch any actual strawberry morsels or anything that indicates any type of authenticity. The consistency is too sludgy. I can appreciate the fruit-cream combo because who doesn't like a berries and cream moment?

The flaky pastry is nice and crisp, which certainly attempts to balance the very wet, unset interior. I found that there's a bit too much moisture coming from the center, which made the flaky pastry crack and rip open. That also caused a lot of the filling just to flop out of the crevices. The flavors aren't too bad here, but it's just not the best that Popeyes has to offer. It simply isn't the most interesting flavor-wise, and it has some textural issues that hold it back.

If you're sensing a pattern here, you are not wrong: I wouldn't go to Popeyes for its desserts. You can certainly tack one onto your meal, but they are not enticing or delicious enough for me to make it part of a regular order. That said, the Cinnamon Apple Pie is the best of the three I tried, because it hits on classic flavors I know work time and again. 

We have warm hints of cinnamon, quite nice chunks of apple, and then a cinnamon-sugar exterior that is delightfully messy. The exterior is flaky and crunchy, adding a pleasant bit of juxtaposition to the hefty apple bits. The apple is somewhere in the midpoint of being cooked. It's not as crisp as it would be fresh, but it's definitely not soft. 

I enjoy the flavors here and don't have any major issues beyond the scarcity of apples. While they are large pieces, there are also rather large pockets where there's nothing either — which you can somewhat see in the photo. It's worth noting that the chain also offers a Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Cup — apparently one of the best items from Popeyes in 2026 – but it was not available at my location. It sounds much more up my alley, though.

I have ordered the rice and beans many times before, so I'm pretty experienced with them. The rice and beans can be good, and then they can be a total miss. At its best, it tastes like seasoned rice and beans, an iconic combination that I love. At its worst, though, the rice can be undercooked, leaving me with nearly crunchy grains as I chew. These use instant rice, made from pre-cooked long-grain rice, along with a seasoning of garlic, onion, and paprika, which gives it its flavor and color. 

The red kidney beans are seasoned, and then there's something called the Buttery Biscuit Dressing, which includes various ingredients, as well as both natural and artificial flavors. This time around, I feel like the employees loaded up on the rice, and I had barely any beans in sight — how sad. I love the buttery mouthfeel of the beans as I nibble them and then the slightly thick stew-like liquid that holds them together. There was hardly any here. 

If I had never been to Popeyes before, this probably would have resulted in them dropping lower in the ranking, but I know that this isn't always the standard. It is still very flavorful and way more successful than any of the treats mentioned below.

Mashed potatoes are certainly a comforting option and worth the purchase if you like them, but I cannot say Popeyes' ones are amazing. This menu item simply tastes familiar because it brings flavors that you already anticipate. There's the starchiness of the potatoes and the rich savory quality of the gravy — which is supposed to be Cajun gravy, by the way.

Sure, there's a lot going on in the ingredients with anything from liquid margarine to smoked pork tasso to artificial flavors. I think this extraordinarily long list of flavorings and ingredients helps give it the dimension that it has, but none of that particularly stands out. It's not like I can pick out that there is chicken fat and green bell peppers. 

That said, knowing the ingredients and time it can take to make homemade gravy, I don't take the various flavorings for granted. It's totally fine, and there are no funky textures or strange flavors that keep it ranking low; it's just that it's relatively boring. That's all it boils down to. The rest of the items I tried have considerably more dimension that would tempt me to pick them again.

When made well, Popeyes' biscuit is flaky and buttery, but if it's been sitting around too long, it's not nearly as enticing. When that happens, the bread turns into a puck, hard and overdone without the chew I would want from a baked item. Thankfully, this time around, the biscuit seemed very fresh — warm with a flaky interior, but a somewhat firm exterior to provide a textural contrast. 

The outside, particularly the top and bottom, has a noticeable yellow color and a buttery taste that adds to the overall flavor. This biscuit is pleasant and rich. It is easy to rip off pieces, but still flaky enough to leave some crumbs in its wake. You can always add some honey, which you can get free of charge, but I kept things simple and just enjoyed it on its own. I can't say it's the most complex or dynamic on the chicken chain's menu, but it gets things done and is a classic Popeyes product that works well with just about anything. Though, I believe the next menu item has a little bit more going for it with even more potential for flavor.

There are several shrimp rubs to choose from, and I've tried them all. Since I really enjoyed the Surf & Turf in my Popeyes seafood ranking, I used the classic breaded shrimp as my foundation for this non-chicken taste test. It's a great way to enjoy the flavor of the seafood, rather than overpowering it with the dry rubs. The fried shrimp is crisp with a barely-there sweetness I associate with the cooked crustaceans. The breading is pretty firm texture-wise and feels like a good match for the supple shrimp base. 

However, since I've tried all the flavors, I'm basing my thoughts here on shrimp as a whole, regardless of which flavor you opt for. I will always be grateful to have a good piece of shrimp, because it can turn into a nasty, chewy mess without a company even realizing it. If you cook it just one instant too long, it turns into rubber. All the shrimp I had were wonderfully succulent, with a fantastically crisp breading that makes a great vehicle for any rub you choose. 

My husband did comment that the classic was a bit bland, so don't be afraid to opt for another flavor. On the plus side, I'd like to point out that there were 11 pieces of shrimp when it was supposed to be eight — that's a win for me.

Adding coleslaw to your chicken sandwich is an easy way to upgrade it, and it's certainly a flavor enhancer if you want to pair it with your Popeyes meal. I like the chain's slaw, because it has a terrific balance of flavors and textures. The veggies are crunchy and moist, but not watery — unlike KFC's, which is like a waterlogged mess. There's enough dill relish, lemon juice, and a mayo-like creaminess (made with soybean oil and egg yolks) to make it taste like you're eating more than just sliced cabbage. But there's some carrot tossed in there too, although not a lot. 

The pieces are finely diced, but wonderfully even, so every bite feels the same. The cabbage is cooling with a crisp, earthy touch comes through like the ideal complement to breaded chicken, heavy sides, or artificial strawberry flavors you might consume on your visit. The relish adds a hint of sweetness, hidden in plain sight. Some bites go without it, but when I catch it, it's sweet and herby. It brings fantastic uplift and dimension to keep the salad from feeling too one-note. There's enough richness from the other seasoning ingredients, too, so it doesn't seem like you're just eating a bland veggie.

A gooey, ultra-cheesy macaroni and cheese is certainly a top comfort food. Buying it at a fast food joint is a way to really lean into the hug-like dish, where it's almost better if you don't make it yourself. Popeyes has Homestyle Mac & Cheese, its spin on the classic, with butter, cream, and shredded cheese as the top components. It's then baked, which gives it the nice crispy little bits you can find throughout the container. These are my favorite to find.

The cheese is rich and coats the macaroni, so nothing feels bland or dry. It's a well-made mac, that's for sure. If you want to get super picky, you could say it could add in more elements to make it more complex. But at that point you can make your own mac and cheese recipe to taste. I like this Popeyes product, but don't always get it since it typically comes with an upcharge compared to other sides. That doesn't stop me from enjoying every bite, though. It has a great texture and flavor base that I think could also be enhanced by adding some hot sauce for a kick of heat. It's definitely one of the best non-poultry items you can get.

Forget about plain fried spuds. Popeyes has its signature Cajun Fries on deck to ensure you abandon the idea of bland fast food fries. These are an ideal blend of great flavors and textures, which gives them such high — well, the highest — marks. The fries are coated in wheat flour, yellow cornmeal, and food starch to give them a particular crisp texture — even if they've been sitting around in the bag for 45 minutes. But the seasoning is delightfully complex; on the tongue, it simply tastes fantastic, with a peppery, interesting flavor profile. 

When you peek at the ingredients, there's anything from dried garlic to MSG to a fun ingredient: dry Worcestershire. This umami-rich ingredient includes vinegar, blackstrap molasses, tamarind, and other add-ins. Can you believe all of that is sitting atop those spuds? This is a true testament to what makes Popeyes unique. I will consistently pick the Cajun fries above all other sides — always have, always will. It ranked as Popeyes' best side in a past Tasting Table ranking from another author, so I am not the only one to think so.

Since the foods varied so greatly, I ultimately judged them by taste and texture, distinguishing between sweet and savory. Sweet options needed to deliver their advertised flavors while striking a balance between sweet and cloying. I didn't want them to taste fakey either. For the savory options, taste and texture were both essential. I wanted the flavors and ingredients to shine, but the food needed to taste fresh, not like it's been sitting around getting soggy, soft, or wilted. 

I ordered everything through the Popeyes app and retrieved it via the drive-thru. I tried everything within 15 minutes of pick-up for the freshest results; this also mimics the average consumer's experience, picking up from the chain and driving home to eat.