Review: Popeyes New Sweet 'N Smokey Chipotle Wings Are Where Heat Meets Sweet

It seems like Popeyes is launching new products every month, with many of them revolving around its newfound love of wings and the sauces that cover them. Things started taking flight in November of 2023, when the chain added five wing flavors to its permanent menu. More flavors followed, and even the introduction of boneless wings, which basically seemed like a renaming of its recently departed nuggets. Now, right before football season kicks off, Popeyes is unleashing yet another wing flavor to its roster: Sweet 'N Smokey Chipotle. It describes these wings as having a little bit of everything: "perfectly coated in Chipotle chilies to add that smokiness & spiciness and finished with a hint of honey for a touch of sweetness to balance out the heat."

So, are the Sweet 'N Smokey Chipotle wings a trifecta of flavor sensations, or too overloaded with talent to create a singular taste? I headed on over to Popeyes to try this new sauce. The following chew and review is based on flavor, uniqueness, and overall lovability.

Popeyes' Sweet 'N Smokey Chipotle Wings are available at participating locations nationwide. This flavor is a permanent addition to the wings line-up. Like the other sauces, this one is available to dress bone-in or boneless wings. Minimum orders of wings start at six pieces, and can be purchased in 12-, 18-, and 24-piece boxes. Orders of 12 pieces or less can be turned into a regular or large combo, which includes sides and a drink. Prices varies per location, but in Manhattan, an order of 6 bone-in or boneless wings cost $5.99 each. I ordered a side of the sauce by itself and that was just $.75.

Sweet 'N Smokey Chipotle Wings are available to order any time Popeyes is open, except during breakfast hours, and while supplies last. They can be ordered directly in-store at the register, or drive-thru where available. They can also be ordered in advance for dining in, pick-up, or delivery through Popeyes' app or website.

The Sweet 'N Smokey Chipotle wings use a blend of smoky chipotle and guajillo peppers with a sweet and bold barbecue base. Popeyes' Boneless Wings are made from all-white meat chicken breast, which, like the bone-in wings, are hand-battered and fried. Like most chicken served at Popeyes, they contain the common allergens of milk, wheat, and egg.

A 6-piece order of Sweet 'N Smokey Chipotle bone-in wings nets 880 calories, 46 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of trans fat, 210 milligrams of cholesterol, 2,230 milligrams of sodium, 70 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 45 grams of sugar, and 46 grams of protein.

A 6-piece order of Sweet 'N Smokey Chipotle boneless wings contains 730 calories, 35 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of trans fat, 90 milligrams of cholesterol, 2,710 milligrams of sodium, 79 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 49 grams of sugar, and 27 grams of protein.

To truly get to know a sauce it's best to try it on its own, before it meets its meat. I ordered a side of the Sweet 'N Smokey Chipotle sauce to give it a once-over before digging in. It was dark burgundy and had a very drippy consistency. With a spork in hand (first popularized by rival KFC), I dipped into the sauce and took a taste. It started with a smoky, peppery flavor that was punctuated by actual bits of the chipotle and guajillo peppers. The sauce then took a turn with a dash of sweetness, before finishing off with an affable heat that slowly crept in. As a standalone sauce, it's a rush of tastes that somehow doesn't feel overwhelming. It was kind of like a succulent, spiced-up honey barbecue sauce that would go great on a meatloaf or a rack of ribs.

For the wings, the Sweet 'N Smokey Chipotle sauce was drizzled on top of them before the employee gave the container a series of jolting shakes. With a crispier fried shell and chicken meat with built-in spice, the bone-in wing drumettes and flats seemed to capture the full flavor of this sauce best. The boneless nuggets version came off more like a Chinese dish drowning in sauce, like a small serving of General Tso's Chicken.

Before coming to a conclusion on the Sweet 'N Smokey Chipotle Wings, I had to clear up some confusion. On the extensive wings menu, Sweet 'N Smokey Chipotle exists alongside another "sweet" child of theirs — Sweet 'N Spicy. Was this new "sweet" thing some slight variation of the other? Would customers end up ordering the wrong one due to their similar names?

I went back to the register to order up a side of the Sweet 'N Spicy sauce. As it turned out, I wasn't the only one confused, as I was at first handed a cup of Sweet 'N Smokey Chipotle. After that was cleared up, I took turns sampling the two sauces. I quickly realized they had a like-minded spirit, but with varying emphases on taste profiles. Sweet 'N Spicy leans more on the former, than the latter in its name. The Sweet 'N Smokey Chipotle sauce is a more complex sauce with the heat leading the way. So, whichever order you prefer your heat and sweet to be in, order accordingly. 

Sweet 'N Smokey Chipotle sauce is a quality addition to the Popeyes winged family. It has a little bit of everything, where heat meets sweet, and smoky and makes nice with temple-perspiring spice. Still, I look forward to the enviable next new Popeyes wing flavor to drop, which I hope one day will surpass its best of the bunch — Roasted Garlic Parmesan.