Review: Popeyes' Honey Chicken Biscuit Is Long Overdue But Worth The Wait

For as long as Popeyes has been delivering the Cajun fried chicken goods, it has always also offered a beautifully buttered, crusty, and fluffy side biscuit to perfectly complement the meal. And yet, in the chain's more than half century of existence, the two have remained separate delicious entities. For Popeyes customers dreaming of an actual chicken biscuit sandwich, you either had to be lucky enough to find one in the wild, like at a location that served them during breakfast hours, roam around Canada during the 2010s where there they offered up a bona fide sandwich to much acclaim, or just give up and go to a Bojangles, where its iconic 49-step made biscuits play buns to chicken and other savory fare. Some have taken matters into their own hands, creating their own makeshift version.

Well, now it appears that Popeyes is finally, officially releasing a genuine chicken-on-a-biscuit menu item. Welcome to this world Honey Chicken Biscuit! The titular biscuit in question isn't your typical Popeyes biscuit, as it measures a bit wider to house the very same fried chicken fillet that currently resides in its stellar bunned sandwich.

So, is the Honey Chicken Biscuit the ultimate and perhaps most long overdue Popeyes product of all time, or is this dream item come true full of false notes? The Takeout wondered these very things and went out to try one with an open mind and an open mouth. Now the truth can be revealed in this chew and review.

In advance of its national release, the fine folks at Popeyes invited me to a Manhattan location to try the new Honey Chicken Biscuit. The sandwich was ogled over and consumed on site at this Popeyes. Along for the ride were a standard, regular sized side biscuit, an order of fries, and a tall cup filled with its super sugary, yet super yummy Pineapple Lemonade. I was joined by another voracious eater, who shared their honest opinions on this matter.

While I took those opinions into consideration, ultimately this chew and review is a summation of my own personal tastes and opinions. I also factored in my previous experiences with Popeyes, its biscuits, its sandwiches, biscuit sandwiches in general, and my overall impressions of this new Honey Chicken Biscuit sandwich. The deciding criteria considered for this review were flavor, presentation, texture, aroma, value, familiarity, originality, uniqueness, and, ultimately, whether this is something worth your time and dime.

Recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

The Honey Chicken Biscuit came in the same paper satchel that the Chicken Sandwich does. I removed it carefully, and there it finally was, the thing I've always dreamed of seeing — a chicken biscuit sandwich by Popeyes. The honey part is actually served on the side, in the form of two packets that have long been a condiment option for customers. It was up to my own discretion as to how much I wanted to drizzle over it. The biscuit didn't actually appear to be all that large, but it was a ½ inch wider than a standard biscuit, and measured at 3 inches wide. The chicken fillet was its usual plump self, with plenty of crusty skin, and was protruding out from multiple sides of the biscuit. Under the hood, the biscuit absorbed some of the fillet's greasiness, but did a good job holding it all together, even when my fingers pressed into the breading while handling it.

I started off by pouring one honey packet onto the fillet. On a first bite, my immediate thoughts centered on the three textures delivered at once — the crusty, flaky softness of the biscuit, the ultra-crunchiness of the fillet's skin, and the oozy thickness of the honey. The honey itself wasn't overly sweet, and essentially added a minor flavor glue to the salty and more savory partners in this sandwich venture. While the butter of the biscuit and the juices of the tender chicken helped to keep things well oiled, I decided that more honey was required to slick up the eating experience. While this biscuit sandwich appeared to be smaller than the Chicken Sandwich, it turned out to be rather filling, with the added density of the biscuit in tow.

So, is this biscuit sandwich better than Popeyes' Chicken Sandwich? Not quite, but it's a great first draft and leap forward for humankind. Nothing here is all that new or revelatory. If you like the chicken fillet in the sandwich, you're going to like it here. If you like Popeyes biscuits, it's literally more of the same greatness, as in, there's more biscuit to go around. You get more exterior crustiness, but perhaps less of the pillowy interior. Nonetheless, the biscuit delivered familiar tasty fun. In every bite, it held firm and proved itself worthy as a bread. I would take this any day as the bread to sandwich Popeyes' chicken fillet over its standard bun. Nothing against that bun, but this is literally a dream come true.

While the honey is an inspired idea, it didn't add the needed zip to smooth out the dense combo of the other elements. Maybe if the honey were sweeter, or hot, it would have created a more flavorful splash. If you're looking for the perfect honeyed chicken biscuit, you can find it on Wendy's robust breakfast menu. Alas, I think the future is very bright for Popeyes' biscuit sandwiches. Since this Popeyes one doesn't come with honey already incorporated into the sandwich, we are free to dress it however we want. Luckily, Popeyes has a bevy of condiments to truly sauce things up. I didn't get a chance to do so this time, but next time I'll douse it with Bayou Buffalo Sauce or Buttermilk Ranch Sauce. And while we're at it, how about tossing in a few pickles, or a smattering of its amazing coleslaw, or something the chain has never tried — pimento cheese?! And now that this sandwich finally exists, we can shift of attention to more pressing Popeyes matters, like getting its amazing onion rings back on menus.

Starting Monday, September 28, the Honey Chicken Biscuit is landing at participating Popeyes locations nationwide. This is a permanent addition to the menu. Each Honey Chicken Biscuit comes with two sachets of sweet honey sauce, and its suggested retail price is $5, but prices may vary by location. Costs may be higher for orders placed for delivery or through third parties. Additional packets of honey are always available, and may incur additional charges.

The Honey Chicken Biscuit is available to order any time Popeyes is open for business, while supplies last. It can be ordered in-store at the register, at a kiosk, or the drive-thru where available. Advance orders for dine-in, carryout, or delivery where available can be placed through the Popeyes app or website.