It's not only easier to keep gravy warm than it is to reheat mashed potatoes, but the latter always taste better when they're fresh, so best to save them for last. KFC has restaurants around the world and has been in the chicken business for over seven decades, making it a clear option. Add a little bit of your own seasoning if you want to make it a little less bland. Popeyes' fried chicken comes in mild and spicy flavors, as well as served with your choice of sides - rice and red beans, Cajun fries, mashed potatoes, and Cajun rice. Overall, we were impressed with the quality and flavor of what we ate at Popeye's. I think Checkers' potatoes had the best flavor, texture, and shelf life. First of all, Champs Chicken apparently hunts down the scrawniest chickens available. Their perfectly seasoned chicken is deep fried twice to deliver crunchy, juicy wings that are some of the best you'll ever have. A fried chicken dinner is a hard hitter when it comes to calories, fat, cholesterol, carbs, and sodium. If you want to bring on the heat, their Atomic wings deliver. Popeyes, on the other hand, has no vegetarian options on the menu, at least not at their United States locations. This may be the toughest category yet, because macaroni and cheese is just really difficult to pull off in a fast food setting. Bojangles' chicken on the bone is beyond greasy. All these years, their chicken has been amazingly & consistently moist, tender, juicy, and tasty. It's cooked fresh, never frozen, and holds a more succulent flavor than KFC. We spent a total of $9.78, which was a mere $0.10 less than what we spent at Popeyes. While this could technically end up in a tie, Popeyes edges out KFC for their more interesting gravy. The tenders have been so popular, that even McDonald's is getting in on the spicy chicken craze, according to The Street. White or dark? I have mac and cheese, chicken tender strips, onion rings & mashed potatoes!FREE GIVEAWAY for. So if you consider that for an extra $2, you can get an additional side, the tender meal at KFC and Popeyes is around the same price. Each restaurant we tried was ranked in Restaurant Business's top-100 chain restaurants of 2017. Mashed Potatoes and Gravy This is an excellent side dish that goes great with chicken. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionists advice. If the potatoes are too thick for your liking, whisk in additional milk or water until they reach the perfect consistency. KFC describes their mashed potatoes as "hot, creamy, and covered with our signature gravy," and goes on to claim, "It's a side, but we won't fight you if you want to call it a meal." The peppers are the perfect complement to their crispy chicken. That said, you'll want to have a pitcher of beer (or water) next to you when devouring a platter of these wings, although somehow the heat doesn't overpower the flavor. Chicken nuggets are the perfect sharing food. So, if you want to grab your sides at KFC and get your chicken elsewhere, that's perfectly acceptable. After all, the magical combo of carbs plus carbs is hard to beat. KFC's mashed potatoes were only $2.09 for an individual portion. Started in the Philippines, this chicken restaurant came stateside in 1998 and now has over 1,300 worldwide locations but only 37 in the U.S. Jollibee offers a wide variety of dishes on their menu, from their Jolly Spaghetti in its sweet sauce made from banana ketchup (yes, that's a thing) to their Halo-Halo dessert, which is surprisingly good even though its made with beans. KFC relied on potato wedges for many years, but in 2020, they released their Secret Recipe fries, vying for a chance to win over fry lovers' hearts. Biscuit Only: $2.19. But unlike Champs, KKC is scrumptious. How many types of chicken does Raising Cane's offer? KFC vs. Popeyes - Free Essay Example - Edubirdie As at Popeyes, the only other menu item we could afford with our $10 was an extra biscuit for $1.19. KKC offers crispy bone-in chicken, juicy tenders, and delicious sandwiches, as well as an array of sides including fries, honey butter biscuits, jambalaya, mac and cheese, red beans and rice, and several others. While the oil still had that specific Popeyes oil flavor, it seemed far fresher than usual. So it may be a good idea to share the meal or save some for tomorrow's leftovers. While they have a lot to offer on their menu, including Zalads, Zappetizers, and Sides (why not Zides? Combo (2 Pieces, Side, Biscuit, and Drink): Family Meal (8, 12, or 16 pieces with Sides and Biscuits): Spicy Chicken Tenders If youre not in the mood to bite off the bone, youll love these tenders with a kick. But over the years, their inconsistency has made many people turn to other alternatives. And if the cooks get happy with the salt shaker (like it appeared they did the day we visited), you may be getting even more sodium than listed in the nutritional stats. And although it's not a category, with its corn and vegetarian options, KFC also takes the cake for having the slightest healthy edge over Popeyes. You might expect most of that sodium to come from the gravy but it's actually the potatoes that are the culprit. It wasn't as fizzy as we would have liked it, but it was also not immensely sweet. When it comes to the breading on fried chicken, Church's Chickendelivers some of the best. But, KFC's gravy, and the interesting way it may or may not be made, has received some attention over the years. This is a much misunderstood and underrated component of fast food fried chicken, but would be sorely missed if it disappeared from menus tomorrow. In other words, they're a one-trick pony with a trick that isn't even that impressive. So, depending on your health-related dietary requirements, KFC's nutritional content may be the worse dietary choice of the two. Both mac and cheeses are good in a fast food, kinda bland, sorta tasty kind of way. With a crunchy outside and juicy inside, you can sit down to a bucket of Chickenjoy and not stop until you're ready to explode. Though these combinations are simple, they are anything but basic. Stay up to date with what you want to know. The freshness doesn't end with their chicken. The first step to a good roux is letting the butter brown a little bit. Continue whisking and adding the broth until the entire container is empty. If you end up having to spend valuable time and extra money on gas to get a good deal, it's no longer a good deal. Combo (Sandwich, Waffle Fries, and Drink): $6.19. Don't worry; we won't judge you if you turn a few scoops of mashed potatoes and gravy into your main meal instead of enjoying it as a side. Keep in mind that Popeyes takes pride in its Southern food so the menu also features po'boy sandwiches and jambalaya. The real secret to KFC gravy is what comes in the powder packet. These booming franchises have competed against each other for years, fighting tooth and nail to remain the provider of the worlds favorite fast food chicken. KFC may remind you more of the mashed potatoes you make for yourself at home. I have only had the mashed potatoes at Popeyes a couple times. Sure, the fast-food giant is more well-known for the secret blend of herbs and spices in their crispy-fried chicken, but KFC does sides right. So we opted for KFC's classic creamy gravy-topped mashed potatoes, which were pretty. But it's not just the quality of the chicken that seems to be causing the demise of Boston Market, it's the fact that you can find rotisserie chicken in almost every grocery store these days. If you want to stop by a Popeyes chain expecting a non-meat bite, you're left with sides or a bun with fixins, but no protein. Redditors who have worked at Popeye's say that it's a solid shortening, and an announcement from Popeyes indicates that it contains palm oil or palm kernel oil. The skin is never rubbery or burnt. Chick-Fil-A almost feels out of place lined up next to KFC and Popeyes, but technically, what they offer us Monday through Saturday (insert eye roll) is indeed a form of fried chicken. (And no, we dont mean the divine Chick-Fil-A sauce.) Place the remaining tablespoon of butter on top of the potatoes and let it melt. It just doesn't work. If any of this makes your tummy turn, skip KFC's mashed potatoes for good and just opt for the coleslaw. They're both delicious, but KFC's biscuits leave a minor trail of disappointment because they're not quite as moist as you may expect. The fact that there was nobody in the drive-through or order line when we got to KFC while everyone was at Popeyes should have been a hint about which fried chicken restaurant had the best food. Combo (Sandwich, Hash Browns, and Drink): Chicken Nuggets Arguably the most dunkable, delicious nuggets in the fast food game, Chick-Fil-A Nuggets are addicting. The result is mealy and fatty skin wrapped around tasteless slivers of meat. Jollibee Vs KFC - Who Has The Best Fried Chicken? - Foodeliciousness We were a little overwhelmed when we started with the ingredients list from KFC's website they list over 28 ingredients, including things like mono and diglycerides, and calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate. Honestly, we couldn't stop eating them. If the original KFC recipe did, indeed, use the fried chicken drippings found at the bottom of the pressure fryer, we would need a chicken bouillon cube to give the gravy its boost of chicken-forward flavor. But since Boston Market is a little pricier, if you're looking for a more inexpensive treat, you might want to try KFC. They're also flaky, and retain just the right amount of moistness, so they're not drying in the mouth, like KFC's. We had far more than we could (or wanted to) eat for $10, and we left feeling dissatisfied with our meal. The 2020 forecast projects that the average American will eat 99 pounds of chicken for the year, which is far higher than beef (57 pounds) or pork (53 pounds). Copycat KFC Mashed Potatoes And Gravy Recipe. The chicken was nice and juicy, but the crust tasted like nothing but an overwhelming amount of salt. Spicy Chicken Sandwich The perfectly spicy chicken patty sells like crazy and pairs well with an iced-cold lemonade. However, Popeyes also has nuggets and some seafood options like a cajun flounder sandwich and popcorn shrimp meal that Church's doesn't offer. No one knows why their original chicken sandwich is so good it just is. In total, we spent $9.88. But then when you take a giant bite, your mouth quickly fills with disappointment. Boston Market's mashed potatoes tasted the best and the most real. Calling KFC's mashed potatoes with gravy a meal would be pretty accurate, considering an individual side portion packs in an alarming 530 milligrams of sodium. It wasn't complicated simply a crispy chicken breast topped with pickles on a brioche bun slathered in your choice of mayo or Cajun sauce. Hence, compare cold kfc vs cold popeyes to normalize to the chemical properties of taste. If it's chicken wings you crave, look for the nearest Bonchon. If you're traveling internationally, KFC is in more than 145 countries, with varying menus. Short for "butylated hydroxytoluene," BHT is on the Environmental Working Group's "dirty dozen" list of food additives to be aware of, despite their approval by the FDA. There's also a pretty straightforward pot pie, with chicken, peas, carrots, potatoes swimming in sauce and topped with a crust. We ordered the spicy chicken since Popeyes is known for its spicy Cajun food, having originated in Louisiana. If we're being honest, both KFC and Popeyes make great potatoes. Mango Habanero is another spicy flavor that Wingstop has perfected. The gravy helped thin them out a bit, but didn't smell like traditional gravy. The WVSR suggests they jazz up the appearance a bit more to make the bowl more appealing to the public, which wouldn't be a bad idea. While some of these other restaurants' potatoes tasted fake or instant, Boston Market's tasted like they used real potatoes. Does it taste as good as KFC's hot and creamy mashed potatoes? Let's take a closer look at some of the key factors to help us decide. Almost, but not quite. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes and garlic are fork-tender. Drain the potatoes and garlic. Chick-fil-A's nuggets are also a tasty fast food delicacy, especially when dipped into their magically sweet Polynesian sauce. But it was absolutely one of the best chicken sandwiches ever made. Fast Food Chicken Chains, Ranked Worst To Best - Mashed.com They're also not terribly crispy, which is a very important component of fries. It contains ingredients like black pepper, chicken extract, salt, flour, etc.". They look a little bit like dandruff when they come out of the box, and the idea that they can become as creamy and fluffy as real potatoes seemed ridiculous. KFC's famous mashed potatoes and gravy was the obvious choice for the side. If you do happen to stop by one of Bojangles' 740-plus locations, just grab a cup of Sweet Tea or Patio Red Cherry and get out as quickly as possible before you end up with a pile of grease-soaked napkins and an overall feeling of regret. The soft, warm, hopefully flaky is the perfect accompaniment to greasy fried chicken. KFC Vs. Popeyes: How Far Will $10 Go? Prices and selections offered may vary by location. It's well-seasoned and never dry. Popeyes doesn't have quite as far of a reach and is in only 30 countries worldwide. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir frequently until the mixture is the desired consistency, about 5 minutes. Fortunately, KFC does offer gluten . This chicken restaurant chain features locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, and Utah. KFC also has a quick pick up option or a delivery option on their website, so you can swing by on your way after work and grab some grub for your family.