TBH, the fried chicken at *most* Popeye’s is first rate if you love spicy breading.
A special hat tip to the original Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), not all their later versions.
Luh dat chiggin
I swear KFC changed its recipe some years ago. It just doesn’t taste as good.
I like Popeye’s, but I find it too greasy. Louisiana Fried Chicken, a small chain found mainly in black neighborhoods in Southern California is better.
The best takeout fried chicken in LA is Jim Dandy’s on Vermont Ave. at the 105 freeway. Because it is in such a high crime area, the staff works behind a window made from bulletproof glass and you make your payment and receive your order through a metal slot under the window—sort of like doing business at banks in high-crime areas.
Popeyes is pretty good chicken but they cut up some small chickens any more and not a huge fan of their customer service...
Pretty much the only fried chicken we buy any more comes from the Safeway deli.
I have a great Popeye’s knock off recipe I use for chicken tenders and they come out as good as Popeyes.
Popeye’s Fried Chicken
3 c Self-rising flour
1 c Cornstarch
3 tb Seasoned salt
2 tb Paprika
1 ts Baking soda
1 pk Italian Salad Dressing Mix Powder
1 pk Onion Soup Mix — (1 1/2 Ounces)
1 pk Spaghetti sauce mix — (1/2 Ounce)
3 tb Sugar
3 c Corn flakes crushed
Combine first 9 ingredients in large bowl. Put the cornflakes into another bowl. Put eggs and water in a 3rd bowl. Put enough corn oil into a heavy roomy skillet to fill it 1” deep. Get it HOT! Grease a 9x12x2 baking pan. Set it aside. Preheat oven to 350~. Dip chicken pieces 1 piece at a time as follows: 1-Into dry coating mix. 2-Into egg and water mix. 3-Into corn flakes. 4-Briskly but briefly back into dry mix. 5-Drop into hot oil, skin-side-down and brown 3 to 4 minutes on medium high. Turn and brown other side of each piece. Don’t crowd pieces during frying. Place in prepared pan in single layer, skin-side-up. Seal in foil, on 3 sides only, leaving 1 side loose for steam to escape. Bake at 350~ for 35-40 minutes removing foil then to test tenderness of chicken. Allow to bake uncovered 5 minutes longer to crisp the coating. Serves 4. Leftovers refrigerate well up to 4 days. Do not freeze these leftovers. Leftover coating mix (1st 9 ingredients) can be stored at room temp in covered container up to 2 months.