Popeyes New Louisiana Garlic Wings Review: Tasty Wings And A Sauce That's Liquid Gold

Popeyes' battle in the chicken wars continually rages on, and includes several crispy fronts. There's the chicken sandwich one, where it tries to out duel rivals Chick-fil-A and McDonald's. There's a fried chicken one, marching to the beat of its own drumsticks, versus the likes of KFC and Jollibee. And finally, perhaps the one Popeyes is most invested in, is the saucy nuggets and wings one, where everyone's trying to out drizzle the other. 

Popeyes started rolling out saucy wings in 2023, and continued to add new flavors in the ensuing years. In 2025, figuring that seven flavors was not enough, Popeyes is dowsing its boneless and bone-in wings with a new one that goes by the name Louisiana Garlic. The company describes it as a garlic-infused buttery sauce inspired by the Cajun flavors of its home state of origin. In a statement, Amy Alarcon, Popeyes' VP of Culinary Innovation said, "We needed to make sure our distinct Cajun flavor was tied to one of our signature wings, so that whether you attend the big game in Louisiana or watch from your house, you can get a real taste of New Orleans."

So, is this latest condiment coating Popeyes' crispy chicken an awesome sauce-um that truly honors its homeland, or a disgrace to the Bayou state that you can simply say goodbye-you to? With napkins in hand, The Takeout got its hands dirty to see where the truth lies in this chew & review.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Popeyes' new wing flavor — Louisiana Garlic — is available to order starting January 7, at participating locations. It is a limited time flavor offering, and will remain on menus until mid-February, while supplies last. The Louisiana Garlic flavor can be ordered for Popeyes' classic boneless wings or spicy bone-in wings. Like all other flavors, it can also be ordered as an à la carte side dipping sauce.

As with other items on Popeyes' menu, these wings can be ordered in-store, at the register, kiosk or drive-thru where available. Advance ordering for pick-up or delivery is available through Popeyes' app or website.

Prices vary per store, but at my local Popeyes in Manhattan, a six-piece order of classic boneless wings or spicy bone-in with Louisiana Garlic sauce ran $5.99. Larger quantities are available, in batches of six. At the same store, a side sauce went for .75 cents.

A six-piece boneless order of Louisiana Garlic nets 1,436.5 calories, 101.8 grams of fat, 33 grams of saturated fat, 5 grams of trans fat, 102.9 milligrams of cholesterol, an astounding 7,920.8 milligrams of sodium, 93.9 grams of carbohydrates, 5.3 grams of fiber, 5.5 grams of sugar, and 36 grams of protein.

A six-piece spicy bone-in order of Louisiana Garlic nets 1,580.6 calories, 111.3 grams of fat, 34.6 grams of saturated fat, 3.8 grams of trans fat, 201.8 milligrams of cholesterol, 4,522 milligrams of sodium, 83.1 grams of carbohydrates, 4.9 grams of fiber, 4.9 grams of sugar, and 61 grams of protein.

The standalone Garlic sauce nets 416.3 calories, 42 grams of fat, 7.8 grams of saturated fat, 1.1 grams of trans fat, 1,600.8 milligrams of sodium, 9 grams of carbohydrates, 1.3 grams of fiber, 3.1 grams of sugar, and 1.1 grams of protein.

Before I focused on the wings, all lathered up in the sauce, I wanted to spend some time alone with the sauce itself. I ordered a side one, and after popping the lid, started to acquaint myself with whatever Louisiana Garlic was going to be. It looked more liquidy than saucy, with a beautiful brownish-orange hue, speckled with what looked like a sea of pepper flakes. A quick whiff revealed it to have a smoky hot sauce essence.

I took a spoonful directly to the mouth, and my first reaction was not about what it tasted like, but the texture onslaught that ensued. The sauce was very fluid, with a silkiness to it, and lets you know right away that it's swimming in seasonings. After I got used to its texture, I was able to discern its taste — a buttery hot sauce that was both salty and peppery, and surprisingly, containing muted notes of garlic. While it didn't really pack an initial heat, the hotness quickly started to bubble up with each taste. It induced head sweets, and a well needed clearing of the sinuses in the cold weather.

When the sauce got mixed in with Popeyes' chicken wing offerings, it only opened up its winning flavor profile even more. On top of both the boneless and bone-in wings, the sauce glistened in the light, like almost discovering some kind of secret gold. Popeyes' chicken meat is always very succulent, and this loose sauce in a way made the chicken even juicier than it already was.

As a life-long Popeyes aficionado, and modern food reviewer, I've had my fair share of the chains' wings, in all their glorious sauces. I'd actually be hard pressed to even name one of those sauces that aren't worth trying. Yet, since Popeyes started getting all saucy in the last couple of years, the one flavor that remains at the top of my list is Garlic Parmesan. With this brand new flavor having the word "garlic" in it, I was wondering how it would differentiate itself, and perhaps even try to surpass Garlic Parmesan's greatness.

While Louisiana Garlic didn't really come through with the promised latter part of its name, in the end, it did greatly honor its Cajun roots. This magic sauce felt like a mixture of Crystal hot sauce swimming in a buttery crawfish seafood boil. Louisiana Garlic's liquidity turned out to actually be its biggest strength, and with its smooth spiciness. It helped to separate it from the rest of the pack of the other hot flavored sauces dotting Popeyes' menu.

I'm a little bit shocked this new flavor is only pegged for a limited time run, as I feel like it has legs to run a lot longer. Sure, it's no Garlic Parmesan, but Louisiana Garlic is truly an awesome sauce.

At a midtown Manhattan location of Popeyes, I ordered six boneless Louisiana Garlic wings, six bone-in Louisiana Garlic wings, six bone-in Garlic Parmesan, as well as a single serving side dipping cup of the Louisiana Garlic sauce. The taste test began with trying the standalone sauce, and then the Louisiana Garlic wings, in no particular order. I followed it up with tasting the Garlic Parmesan for a final comparison. A lot of napkins were used to wipe the sauce off my fingers, and a cup ranch dipping sauce, as well as a cup of Sprite helped to combat the spiciness of the Louisiana Garlic wings.

This chew and review was based on the sauce's flavor, appearance, garlickiness, Cajun bona fides, originality, and overall lovability. Another person sampled the wings with me, to offer a second opinion, although they didn't love them as much as I did.