'I compared Popeyes and KFC to see which fried chicken chain is better'

It's a special occasion for fast food fans as the UK's first-ever Popeyes opens today (November 20) in Westfield shopping centre in Stratford, London.

The Louisiana fast-food chain has brought with it a menu packed with a number of fried chicken options - including a Chicken Sandwich that 'broke the internet' when it was first released in 2019.

There are also a few more unusual items, such as biscuits and cajun gravy, which are incredibly popular in the US.

The company is bound to be compared to a number of other existing fast-food restaurants, such as McDonald's and also Wendy's, which recently returned to the UK after 21 years.

But the biggest comparison will likely be drawn between Popeyes and KFC.

In case you were wondering how Louisiana fried chicken fares against Kentucky fried chicken, we've given both a taste so you don't have to.

Burgers and chips
KFC is known best for its two iconic burgers - the Fillet burger and the Zinger (both £5.49 on their own).

While over at Popeyes, it's all about the Chicken Sandwich (£4.95) - which you can have with classic or spicy mayo.

All three have their merits, but for me, Popeyes is the clear winner here.

The ingredients (toasted brioche bun, mayo, pickles and a huge piece of fried chicken) are all very simple, but they cleverly allow the fried chicken to remain the star of the show. And the pairing of spiced fried chicken and the slightly sweet bread and butter pickles is just perfection.

The chicken has a great "shatter crunch" as you bite into it, which you get a little of at KFC but unfortunately not to the same level.

Similarly, I think KFC's choice of sesame seed bun lets them down, as it makes the burger taste and look much cheaper than Popeyes, despite actually costing more.

The chicken in the Fillet and Zinger also isn't as generous in size, it's much flatter, which is a shame given the price.

For vegans and veggies, KFC offers a Quorn fillet burger for £5.49, while Popeyes has created its first-ever vegan offering, the Creole Red Bean Sandwich (£4.95). I haven't tried either, so can't tell you which is better, but both offer something a little different for those not wanting meat.

And when it comes to the fries, I'd say there's not much in it. Both options are perfectly fine, though perhaps Popeyes (£1.95 for regular fries vs £1.59 at KFC) raise the game slightly by theirs being dusted in cajun seasoning.

Chicken tenders and wings
Popeyes say all their chicken is marinated in a signature blend of Louisiana herbs and spices for 12 hours before cooking.

And while the taste is there, I'd have to say that when it comes to chicken tenders (or fillets in KFC's case), the flavour isn't as strong as the Colonel's secret mixture of 11 herbs and spices.

Both chains offer regular and hot chicken wings and pieces of chicken on the bone, with three wings costing £1.95 at Popeyes and a five wing meal with a regular side and drink priced at £5.95.

Whereas at KFC two hot wings cost £1.29, while a six-piece hot wings meal (with side and a drink) has prices starting from £7.49.

The hot wings at both chains packed a nice spicy kick, but I thought Popeyes was the more generous of the two in terms of size. The KFC wings were much smaller and seemed to contain less chicken and more batter than anything else.

As for the KFC chicken fillets (boneless three-piece meal for £6.99), I found them a bit of a disappointment, with the coating lacking the proper crunch of those at Popeyes (three tenders meal, £6.95).

Chicken bites and Popcorn chicken
One of my favourite things to order from KFC has always been the popcorn chicken, so I was excited to try Popeyes equivalent.

The new chain's offering is somewhere between popcorn chicken and a nugget and it's known as Chicken Bites (Six bites and one dip for £3.45).

The bites once again have that fabulous shatter crunch and are nice little pieces of chicken, but in reality, they are just smaller versions of the tenders.

Whereas popcorn chicken is quite different from the other items on KFC's menu, with an intentionally soft coating and a much stronger, southern fried taste to it, that the bites are sadly lacking.

They're not bad at all, they're just not as good.

Extras
While KFC seems to have pulled ahead in the last section, there are a few more areas in which Popeyes might have them beat.

Take for instance, the selection of dips.

KFC have a number of dips and sauces available, including ketchup, BBQ sauce, sweet chilli, garlic mayo and hot sauce (all 40p each).

But Popeyes were a little more creative with their offerings, giving options that were a little different and unexpected (50p each, or five dips for £2).

They've got BBQ and garlic mayo, but as well as these you can also get Mardi Gras Mustard, Ranch style sauce, Mango Habanero (a fabulous combination of sweet and spicy), Voodoo Sweet Chilli and Hottie Sauce - a collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion.

And when it comes to the gravy, KFC's might have a more traditional taste, as Popeyes' one is cajun flavoured, but it's the latter that's best for dunking and dipping your fries and chicken.

KFC's version I find much runnier and while that's great for pouring, it does mean the food it's poured on gets very soggy, very quickly.

You also can't order a biscuit to go with your gravy at KFC, but you can at Popeyes and that's reason enough for them to take the crown in my eyes.

The biscuits (like a savoury scone), pair so well with the gravy. It's hearty comfort food at its best. What more could you want?

Desserts
At Popeyes, those with a sweet tooth can order a selection of hand-spun milkshakes, with flavours including Lotus Biscoff, Oreo, Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate and Caramel. (Prices range from £3.45-£3.95).

They also offer a selection of ice cream sundaes in similar flavours (£2.45-£2.95) and you can add extra toppings to your sundae or shake for just 50p.

While at KFC their dessert items include milk and white chocolate chip cookies (£1.29 each), chocolate ice cream sundaes and a range of Krushems milkshakes (Oreo, Malteser and Milkybar) - however, these are only sold in certain stores.

All are good, but points to Popeyes for having a slightly wider variety of flavours available.

The verdict
Sorry KFC fans, but if you couldn't already tell, it's Popeyes all the way in my book.

From the generous portions of fried chicken to the crunch when bitten into and the reasonable prices, it ticks the boxes and does it well.

The menu also offers a little more variety than that of KFC, across dips, desserts and those delicious savoury biscuits.

That said, I'm not a complete convert and I'll definitely still be going to KFC whenever I crave some popcorn chicken. You just can't beat a classic.