FOOD NEWS
The Key Ingredient That Makes Popeyes' Famous Chicken Spicy
BY STEPHANIE FRIEDMAN
Popeyes' signature spicy chicken gets its heat from the ghost pepper, one of the hottest out there with 1,042,000 Scoville heat units, nearly three times that of a jalapeño.
However, Popeyes' spicy chicken isn’t exactly like biting into a ghost pepper. Because the marinade is made of many ingredients, the pepper’s heat is diluted.
The chain rates the spicy chicken four flames, so it certainly is spicy. However, the spice is tamed a bit to let the flavors of the marinade shine through for a balanced bite.