I tried Megan Thee Stallion's new Popeyes chicken sandwich and though it was better than the original, it wasn't spicy enough

author holding megan thee stallion popeyes chicken sandwich
I tried the new Megan Thee Stallion "Hottie" chicken sandwich and sauce at Popeyes. Erin McDowell/Insider; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
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I ventured to my nearest Popeyes to get my hands on the new Megan Thee Stallion "Hottie" sauce and sandwich.

sign outside popeyes advertising megan thee stallion popeyes chicken sandwich
A sign advertising the new Megan Thee Stallion Popeyes chicken sandwich. Erin McDowell/Insider

Outside, signage advertised the new menu item and collaboration. You can order the "Hottie" chicken sandwich and sauce beginning October 19. Both the sauce and the sandwich are only available for a limited time.

Within a few minutes, I had my hands on the chicken sandwich.

author holding megan thee stallion popeyes chicken sandwich
The author holding the Megan Thee Stallion Popeyes chicken sandwich. Erin McDowell/Insider

The sandwich cost $4.89 on its own at the location I visited or $6.99 with a medium drink and a side of fries. 

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I asked two employees whether they had tried the sandwich or the sauce yet.

author holding megan thee stallion popeyes chicken sandwich
The author holding the Megan Thee Stallion Popeyes chicken sandwich. Erin McDowell/Insider

One said that they hadn't, but the other employee said they had and that it was "really good." I raced home to try the sandwich and sauce for myself.

When I removed the sandwich from the bag, I could see and smell the sauce dripping from the fried chicken.

megan thee stallion popeyes chicken sandwich
The Megan Thee Stallion Popeyes chicken sandwich. Erin McDowell/Insider

Apart from the sauce, the "Hottie" chicken sandwich is the same Popeyes chicken sandwich people know and love. It comes in a tin-foil bag with pickles, the fried chicken fillet, and a fluffy Brioche bun. 

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The chicken was coated in the spicy, sticky sauce.

megan thee stallion popeyes chicken sandwich
The inside of the Megan Thee Stallion Popeyes chicken sandwich. Erin McDowell/Insider

I was anxious to see if the "Hottie" sauce would live up to the name. Megan Thee Stallion is known to love hot sauce, so I was anxious to see just how hot the sauce would be.

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Biting in, I was immediately surprised by the lack of intense heat but pleased by the overall flavor.

megan thee stallion popeyes chicken sandwich with bite taken out
The Megan Thee Stallion Popeyes chicken sandwich. Erin McDowell/Insider

The sticky sauce clung to every cranny of the fried chicken, completely elevating the experience compared to the plain chicken sandwich I'm used to ordering at Popeyes. It was slightly sweet, tangy, and sour, with just a hint of heat.

I was expecting a fiery eating experience, but the spice level in the sauce was mild, in my opinion.

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I definitely thought the sauce could have been spicier, but it paired well with the sandwich.

megan thee stallion popeyes chicken sandwich with bite taken out
The Megan Thee Stallion Popeyes chicken sandwich. Erin McDowell/Insider

In my opinion, the "Hottie" sauce tasted very similar to a sweet-and-sour sauce, rather than a hot sauce. However, I still really enjoyed it and felt it elevated the sandwich.

To get the full Megan Thee Stallion experience, I also decided to try the sauce with the chain's newly released chicken nuggets.

megan thee stallion popeyes chicken nuggets and hottie sauce
Popeyes chicken nuggets and Megan Thee Stallion Hottie sauce. Erin McDowell/Insider

I was interested to see how the sauce would taste without the bun and pickles affecting the overall flavor. The eight-piece nugget entreé cost $4.49 and came with three sauces.

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The sauce is made with honey, cider vinegar, and Aleppo pepper.

megan thee stallion popeyes hottie sauce
Popeyes and Megan Thee Stallion Hottie sauce. Erin McDowell/Insider

The sauce is described as having a "sweet, yet bold flavor with a hint of spice, inspired by Megan's sassy personality," Popeyes said in a statement.

It looked and tasted like a spicy version of a sweet-and-sour sauce.

megan thee stallion popeyes chicken nuggets and hottie sauce
Popeyes chicken nugget and Megan Thee Stallion Hottie sauce. Erin McDowell/Insider

It clung perfectly to the chicken nuggets, which are relatively new at Popeyes

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The "Hottie" sauce was by far my favorite sauce I've ever tried from Popeyes.

megan thee stallion popeyes chicken nugget and hottie sauce
Popeyes chicken nugget and Megan Thee Stallion Hottie sauce. Erin McDowell/Insider

While the heat was still mild, it definitely tasted spicier with the chicken nuggets than the sandwich. It's possible the bun toned down the heat, while the nuggets allowed the savory, sweet, sour, and slightly spicy flavor of the sauce to come through more potently. 

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Overall, I really enjoyed the Popeyes and Megan Thee Stallion collaboration.

finished megan thee stallion meal chicken sandwich hottie sauce and chicken nuggets
The finished meal. Erin McDowell/Insider

I thought the sauce was flavorful and added a lot to the chain's classic chicken sandwich, though I thought it could have been spicier to truly live up to the "Hottie" name.

I would definitely order it again while the limited-edition sauce is still available — either in the sandwich or with the nuggets.

review Reviews Fast Food
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