I tried Popeyes' and Subway's new ghost-pepper sandwiches. They were inventive, but not spicy enough to give me a real scare.

Thanks for signing up!

Access your favourite topics successful a personalized provender while you're connected nan go.

Popeyes infuses shade capsicum into its sauce, while Subway adds nan chili to its bread.

I ordered nan 2 sandwiches online via nan food-delivery level Doordash and received them wrong 20 minutes of placing my orders.

Both sandwiches had insubstantial wraps, but only nan Popeyes sandwich came successful a foil bag. Twenty minutes was a short transportation window, but considering it was acold outside, I didn't expect to person lukewarm sandwiches. But to my surprise, some were still warm.

Popeyes uses a brioche bun for its sandwiches while Subway uses a loaf, truthful nan 2 sandwiches looked different successful size and shape. I besides noticed that Subway's breadstuff was topped pinch slices of pepper.

Popeyes' caller chickenhearted sandwich is served connected a toasted bun pinch a dill pickle, ghost-pepper sauce, and a crispy chickenhearted fillet.

The ghost-pepper chickenhearted sandwich from Popeyes costs $7.13, excluding taxation and tip, astatine my section Popeyes successful Manhattan, New York.

I've enjoyed nan brand's classical Louisiana-style chickenhearted sandwich successful nan past, truthful I was excited to spot really its spicier type fared.

"We knew this spirit floor plan was already a instrumentality favourite and crowd pleaser," said Amy Alacron, nan VP of culinary invention astatine Popeyes, referencing nan brand's celebrated ghost-pepper wings flavor.

Introduced successful January 2023 for a constricted time, these wings helped bump nan brand's income by 5.6% year-over-year, per nan company's financial reports for nan 3rd 4th of 2023, reported Watt Global Media.

"So why not return it and move it into a sandwich?" Alacron added.

The bun was soft and fluffy, while nan chickenhearted fillet looked heavy and crispy.

The Popeyes chickenhearted fillet was nan correct magnitude of crispy and juicy.

However, I wish nan chickenhearted fillet was somewhat larger than nan bun, aliases astatine slightest nan aforesaid size, truthful I could bask a portion of nan chickenhearted successful each bite.

Two bites in, I thought nan crunchy chickenhearted was nan champion portion of nan sandwich.

I had to return 2 bites earlier I could afloat sensation nan chicken, but erstwhile I did, I thought it was well-textured and had a delicious crunch.

However, I couldn't sensation nan ghost-pepper sauce, moreover aft taking a mates of bites, which made maine deliberation it needed much sauce.

Since I couldn't sensation nan sauce, this sandwich didn't person nan fiery punch I'd expected.

I thought I could person amended assessed nan burger's herb level if location had been much condiment dispersed crossed nan bun, but to me, this burger conscionable tasted for illustration a regular Popeyes chickenhearted sandwich.

I understand that prep tin alteration wide from shop to store, and from worker to employee, but I was amazed by really mild nan sandwich was. When I contacted Popeyes astir my experience, a rep assured maine it was a one-off incident.

Other customers person reported a overmuch amended experience. Tasting nan condiment had one reviewer "coughing from nan peppers" — successful a bully measurement — truthful it's imaginable this sandwich really does battalion a punch.

Next, I tried Subway's ghost-pepper spicy nacho chickenhearted sandwich.

A 6-inch spicy nacho chickenhearted sub made successful ghost-pepper breadstuff costs $8.49, excluding taxation and tip, astatine my section Subway successful Manhattan.

The marque has launched 2 further flavors: the spicy nacho steak and fiery meatball, but I only tried nan chickenhearted sub.

"It's been 3 years since Subway added a caller sub breadstuff to our menu," said Paul Fabre, elder vice president of culinary and invention astatine Subway, erstwhile nan concatenation announced its caller flavors.

"So we wanted to astonishment our guests pinch thing unexpected and tin of elevating each sub connected our menu."

Since moving to New York from Dubai 2 years ago, I person not dined astatine aliases ordered from Subway much. However, I person enjoyed nan restaurant's grilled chickenhearted sub successful nan past, truthful I was excited to effort this one.

The sub was stuffed pinch shredded chicken, greenish peppers, reddish onion, spicy jalapenos, a drizzle of Sriracha, and SubKrunch toppings.

Subway introduced its nacho chickenhearted sub earlier this summertime but decided to amp up its power this play by launching a ghost-pepper bread.

According to nan chain, nan breadstuff is freshly prepped regular and radiated pinch shade pepper, habanero, and paprika-seasoned panko breadcrumbs, followed by Monterey cheddar food and jalapeño slices.

If I had to judge nan breadstuff by itself, I would opportunity it had a nice, crunchy exterior, almost for illustration an herb cracker, and a soft interior. I enjoyed nan jalapeño slices connected top, though they were mostly for spirit than spice.

Two bites in, I still hadn't tasted nan chicken, and I thought nan sub should've been amended stuffed pinch meat.

After biting successful to nan sub, I felt that nan ratio of vegetables to shredded chicken was somewhat off-balance.

There was nary condiment aliases topping for nan first 2 bites, and it conscionable felt for illustration I was eating bread, cheese, and veggies. There conscionable didn't look to beryllium capable chickenhearted successful nan sandwich I'd received.

I enjoyed nan breadstuff by itself and thought it would brace good pinch different flavors, but again, nan power seemed to beryllium missing.

Much for illustration my acquisition pinch nan Popeyes sandwich, I couldn't distinctly differentiate nan nacho-chicken flavors from nan expected spicy bread.

While this was my experience, a typical from Subway told maine that different guests had said nan "ghost-pepper breadstuff and caller sandwiches really travel pinch a kick."

The typical besides suggested I springiness it different try. Apart from nan spice, I thought it was a decent sub that could go a complete repast pinch immoderate other chicken toppings, truthful I'm unfastened to trying it again.

Overall, I don't deliberation either sandwich amplified nan power arsenic advertised, but each was worthy a try.

So which sandwich took nan apical spot for its spiciness? Sadly, to me, some tasted arsenic mild.

I did not spell successful expecting sweltering heat that would move my cheeks red, but I did deliberation nan sandwiches would time off a small tingling connected my tongue. However, that was not my experience.

Since my herb tolerance is considerably little than group competing successful herb challenges, I deliberation competitors would find easy wins pinch these sandwiches.

Judging by nan occurrence of Popeyes' ghost-pepper wings, though, it's imaginable that pinch nan correct customizations and a generous magnitude of sauce, nan chain's caller sandwich could deed nan correct spot for Gen Z customers.

Overall, I enjoyed Popeyes perfectly balanced crispy and juicy chicken, while Subway's caller ghost-pepper breadstuff had a bully crunchy texture, which I thought contrasted good pinch nan vegetables.