Popeyes menu adds blackened chicken sandwich with Cajun and Creole spices

Popeyes made waves in 2019 for its cult-favorite fried chicken sandwich that sold out, prompted copycat recipes and created a rivalry amongst competitors. Now, the culinary minds behind the popular item concocted a new menu addition with even more of its signature Cajun flavors.

The fast food chain debuted its "next great menu innovation: a breading-free, flavor-full Blackened Chicken Sandwich" on Tuesday.

The sandwich, which costs $4.99 and is available for a limited-time, is made with whole chicken breast that's marinated for 12 hours, seasoned with a blend of Cajun and Creole spices and served atop a warm, toasted brioche bun with Popeyes' house classic or spicy mayo and crunchy barrel-cured pickles.

"The Popeyes Culinary Team spent four years perfecting its version of the classic Blackening cooking technique, which originated in Louisiana and is used to better seal in seasoning and spices to flavor the meat, which then develops a crave-worthy, yet subtle browned or blackened crust," Popeyes stated in a press release.

The brand said it's "sure others will try to copy it again" and confidently boasted their new blackened chicken sandwich "can’t be surpassed by potential copycats."

To double down, Popeyes kicked off a new campaign sharing the ingredients in the sandwich and inviting competitors and customers alike to recreate their own copy-cat version.

"Our Chicken Sandwich changed the QSR (quick service restaurant) industry back in 2019, and since then, we’ve continued to innovate within the category to give our guests what they want – even more Chicken Sandwich options," President of Popeyes North America Sami Siddiqui, said in a statement. "After the immense success of the Chicken Sandwich, we wanted to reinvent the category of traditional grilled chicken sandwiches with our all-new take on a non-breaded option, the Popeyes Blackened Chicken Sandwich. We’re excited for guests to try this delicious new offering, and knowing our history for trendsetting, we have a feeling it may spark some copycat Blackened Chicken Sandwiches down the road."