Table of Contents
- What frying oil does popeyes use?
- Do Popeyes regularly change the cooking oil they use?
- Will I get a chance to see what frying oil Popeyes uses?
- What does the oil actually look like?
- And what happens when Popeyes cooks food in reused oil?
- And lastly, what about the unique taste of Popeyes?
- History of Popeyes
- The popularity of Popeye’s chicken
- What is Palm Oil?
- What are the health benefits of cooking with palm oil?
- Calories information
- Responsibly sourced ingredients
- Taste secret
- Last Thoughts
What frying oil does popeyes use?
Popeyes is a popular fried chicken brand that has quickly grasped the attention of many fried chicken lovers worldwide. This food chain has left behind major fast-food companies to become a leading fried chicken franchise.
But often, there are many questions asked relating to quality and health standards the company uses to produce such delicious fried items. The most common query is which oil doe Popeyes use for frying. This article will try to answer the question as clearly and concisely as possible.
Popeyes claims to source palm oil directly for all of their food items. The company now uses palm kernel oil as an active ingredient for its entire menu internationally, as per its official website.
Do Popeyes regularly change the cooking oil they use?
The answer is yes. The company claims to change the cooking oil every day. This definitely makes Popeyes stand out among its competitors; because we all know how dubious plenty of fried chicken restaurants are when it comes to changing or using fresh oil in their items.
Will I get a chance to see what frying oil Popeyes uses?
If you go and visit any restaurant in your city, odds are, you will be able to find at least one worker who might let slip some information about the oil they use for frying. However, if you’re unable to gather enough info from this source, there’s always an option to ask one of your friends who work at any such establishment!
What does the oil actually look like?
Many customers are curious to know what this fried chicken cooking oil looks like. And usually one of the employees is always happy to provide you with some, if not all, information about it. You can spot palm kernel oil by its distinctive white color and sweet smell. The taste is also pretty different from other cooking oils used in most fast-food chains.
And what happens when Popeyes cooks food in reused oil?
The company claims to use an advanced filtration method for their frying units that remove impurities before any new cooking begins. So, even if the frying unit has not been cleaned since the last day’s usage, there will be no traces of old oil left on your chicken or fish. This makes it safe to say that Popeyes’ food will be healthier than other fried items you might find elsewhere.
And lastly, what about the unique taste of Popeyes?
Many customers wonder why dishes made at Popeyes taste different from those cooked elsewhere. The secret actually lies in their unique cooking oil! Other restaurants use refined palm oil, whereas Popeyes uses unrefined oil for its frying units.
This special ingredient gives all these items a truly delicious flavor and aroma! So go ahead and enjoy your favorite dish without worrying about where it came from or what’s inside 🙂
History of Popeyes
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen was founded in 1972 by Al Copeland, an entrepreneur. The company initially started with a single restaurant opened in Arabi, Louisiana. The first fast-food chain restaurant was established under the name Chicken on the Run.
However, many years later, due to some issues related to its name, it had to switch to Popeyes Mighty Good Fried Chicken.
After this name change, Popeyes began selling franchises itself and expanded rapidly. As of 2014, there are more than 4,000 Popeye’s restaurants worldwide.
The popularity of Popeye’s chicken
The popularity of this brand is increasing day by day. I don’t think there’s a person in this world who hasn’t tasted their fried chicken or biscuits. According to the latest survey, Popeye’s restaurant ranked number one in the take-out and fast food industry and grabbed 20 percent of the market share.
Since then, Popeyes was founded in 1972 and has become popular for its spicy fried chicken dish. The company is known for its New Orleans-style menu items such as po’boys sandwiches, red beans, rice, jambalaya, etc., apart from its famous fried chicken. Its restaurants are currently found in more than 30 countries worldwide, most of them located in America itself.
Popeye’s restaurant chain is really very popular in the Southern United States. Its popularity has spread nationwide and internationally.
Popeye’s unique taste and flavor that everyone loves can not be found anywhere else. The uses of this special palm oil make their products tastier than others like KFC or McDonald’s.
What is Palm Oil?
Palm oil is a low-cost vegetable oil obtained from the fruit of African palm trees. This highly versatile product can be blended with other oils to make margarine, used as cooking oil, or processed into biodiesel.
This agricultural commodity has three main types: crude palm oil (COPO), palm kernel oil, and refined palm oil (RPO). COPO comes directly from mechanical pressing followed by refinery processes that produce RPO and PKO.
Palm oil is a vegetable-based frying oil having a high smoke point. Palm oil comprises 50% saturated fats, 45% monounsaturated fats, and 3% polyunsaturated fat. It can be heated without breaking down and smoking as other oils do.
Palm oil is rich in carotenoids, with beta-carotene as the main source. It is a natural source of vitamin E and has been added to some margarine. Palm oil also contains fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K2.
What are the health benefits of cooking with palm oil?
Healthy for heart
Palm olein (the major component of palm oil) raises HDL’s (good cholesterol). Oleic acid from palm oil reduces LDL (bad cholesterols). Therefore replacing unsaturated fats from other oils into your diet with palm olein will benefit your heart by reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and coronary hearts disease.
Healthy for skin
Palm oil can be used to prevent dryness, flaking, and dermatitis in babies’ skin when it is rubbed onto their skin or added to baby baths. Also, it’s widely used in skin care products because of this reason.
Healthy for bone metabolism
Researchers have found out that palm oil helps calcium absorption in the body, which will help strengthen bones among postmenopausal women.
Therefore many restaurants, including Popeyes, use palm oil for deep frying as it also can be heated to high temperatures without breaking down and smoking as other oils do. Maintaining its properties at high temperatures makes it very favorable for deep frying.
Calories information
As popeyes use palm oil for frying, the fried chicken found here will be not only quite light with a crisp crust but also healthy. The calories in popeye’s fried chicken are considerably low compared to other fried chicken restaurants.
A piece of Popeyes fried chicken with skin contains 188 calories, the same with skin removed has 128 calories.
Tender white meat without skin brings down the calorie count to 150 per serving. Breading accounts for 281 calories in a piece of regular fried chicken and just 156 without breading. A leg and thigh together have 200 calories* while a regular breast and drumstick is only 168 calories*.
These oils produce a light, crispy fried chicken that is not greasy. According to the official website of Popeyes, these cooking oils ensure that their fried chickens are cooked just right with the perfect touch of saltiness in every bite.
Responsibly sourced ingredients
Popeye pledges to use ingredients more responsibly sourced than ever before. Popeyes use high-quality chicken with no hormones/antibiotics and 100% vegetarian-fed chickens. The company is working towards removing colors and flavors from artificial sources and switching to no/low trans-fat cooking oils.
The brand also aims to eliminate antibiotics having human importance from their chicken products. The only fast-food chain that has decided to make this change is Popeyes. This makes Popeyes the first-ever fried chicken restaurant company commit to cooking their chicken in a 100% cage-free environment.
In addition, Popeyes will also be using fresh potatoes instead of frozen ones which have changed its secret recipe for many years. The brand new french fries contain 21 ingredients: Potato Starch, Salt, Natural Flavor (vegetable source), Dextrose, and Corn Syrup Solids.
Taste secret
Popeyes puts a lot of emphasis on the taste and quality of their food. The company claims that its Chicken is always marinated for 24 hours in Popeye’s secret recipe spices that ensure a perfect blend of herbs, spices, and real lemon juice.
The secret ingredient for Popeyes is that they marinate their chicken in buttermilk, giving it a unique tangy flavor. Moreover, the marination technique is done in-house, not outsourced somewhere. All this care and love about the food is definitely going reflect on its taste.
Popeye’s Cajun Spice is another Taste secret. It is a special blend developed exclusively for Popeyes by an exclusive supplier. This secret spice mix has remained unchanged since Popeyes was founded in 1972. The ingredients used in this blend are genuine spices imported from different countries worldwide.
Popeye’s Cajun Spice is only called spicy because of its flavor. It doesn’t involve the use of chili peppers in cooking the chicken. Popeyes uses a blend of spices that provides a kick without increasing your heart rate or sending you into sweats. It does not meet FDA requirements to be advertised as “hot.”
There are no MSG or preservatives added to this product, so you can be assured you get 100% pure flavors on your tongue when you eat Popeyes’ chicken.
Last Thoughts
In the end, we assure you that Popeyes gives you a complete package when it comes to food and taste. It’s definitely a place you should visit once in your lifetime, if not more.
Healthy eating is the key to a healthy lifestyle, so be sure to get the facts about the ingredients that make up Popeyes’ menu items before you order next time. You may find that what you think is the best choice for your health is actually the worst. Educate yourself and make Popeye’s a treat, not a habit.
Best of luck, and enjoy your reading!
