Popeyes Seed Oil Report Card
Source: Popeyes U.S. Ingredient Information, April 2025. Tallow: Beef fat, BHT, citric acid, dimethylpolysiloxane.
Based on our menu research, Popeyes fries in beef tallow, not seed oil, but seed oils still show up in the sauces and spreads, the shrimp coating, and the Cajun Fries, which the supplier par-fries in vegetable oil. Across the 101 menu items we analyzed, it averages 5.0g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of B (Medium Risk).
What oil does Popeyes fry in? The full answer
Compare Popeyes with: Chick-fil-A · KFC · Raising Cane's · Wingstop
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Safest Orders at Popeyes
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Chicken Leg | 0.6g |
| 3Pc Blackened Tenders | 1.4g |
| Chicken Breast (Spicy or Classic) | 1.5g |
| 3pc Tenders | 1.5g |
| 5Pc Blackened Tenders | 2.1g |
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Build my orderWhat to Avoid at Popeyes
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| 6Pc Signature Hot Bone-In Wings | 31.3g |
| Coleslaw Large | 22.2g |
| 4Pc Classic Signature Chicken | 22.0g |
| 4Pc Spicy Signature Chicken | 22.0g |
| Red Beans & Rice Large | 18.6g |
Around the world: Popeyes
Coleslaw Large has 6.0g of PUFA in the United Arab Emirates but 22.2g in the US. Same chain. Why not here?
We have Popeyes in 12 countries. Here is what it cooks with in each one, and how the same menu items compare.
| Country | Cooks with | Cajun Fries Large | Cajun Fries Regular | Biscuit | Coleslaw Large | Coleslaw Regular | Buttermilk Ranch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. (this page) | beef tallow | 7.2g | 1.8g | 3.7g | 22.2g | 7.2g | 7.5g |
| Bahamas | Not disclosed | n/a | n/a | 3.0g | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Bahrain | Not disclosed | n/a | n/a | 3.0g | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Canada | beef tallow | 15.5g | 4.3g | 1.6g | 34.8g | 9.0g | n/a |
| India | Not disclosed | 3.2g | 1.3g | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Jordan | Not disclosed | n/a | n/a | 3.0g | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Mexico | Not disclosed | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 7.0g |
| New Zealand | beef tallow | 1.2g | 0.8g | 1.0g | 7.0g | 4.0g | 3.5g |
| Spain | sunflower oil | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Not disclosed | n/a | 8.0g | n/a | n/a | 5.0g | n/a |
| UK | beef tallow | 5.1g | 4.1g | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| United Arab Emirates | Not disclosed | 13.0g | n/a | n/a | 6.0g | n/a | 5.0g |
Items are matched by name, so portions and recipes can differ between countries. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item. Oil notes are as each country's chain discloses them.
Every Popeyes item, ranked
All 101 items we have for Popeyes, safest first. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Jalapeno Pepper | 0.0g |
| Chilled Mango Premium Lemonade | 0.0g |
| Frozen Mango Premium Lemonade | 0.0g |
| Chilled Strawberry Lemonade | 0.0g |
| Frozen Strawberry Lemonade | 0.0g |
| Fountain Drink | 0.0g |
| Minute Maid Lemonade | 0.0g |
| Hi-C Flashin' Fruit Punch | 0.0g |
| Mango Sweet Tea | 0.0g |
| Sweet Heat | 0.0g |
| Cocktail Sauce | 0.0g |
| BoldBQ | 0.0g |
| Pepsi | 0.0g |
| Dr Pepper | 0.0g |
| Unsweetened Tea | 0.0g |
| Chilled Premium Lemonade | 0.0g |
| Fanta Orange | 0.0g |
| Diet Coke | 0.0g |
| Fanta Strawberry | 0.0g |
| Frozen Premium Lemonade | 0.0g |
| Sprite | 0.0g |
| Mountain Dew | 0.0g |
| Coca-Cola | 0.0g |
| Sweet Tea | 0.0g |
| Diet Pepsi | 0.0g |
| Chilled Pineapple Premium Lemonade | 0.0g |
| Pineapple Sweet Tea | 0.0g |
| Pineapple Unsweet Tea | 0.0g |
| Frozen Pineapple Premium Lemonade | 0.0g |
| 1Pc Tender Kids Meal | 0.3g |
| Chicken Leg | 0.6g |
| Corn on the Cob | 1.0g |
| Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Cup | 1.3g |
| 3Pc Blackened Tenders | 1.4g |
| Chicken Breast (Spicy or Classic) | 1.5g |
| 3pc Tenders | 1.5g |
| Cinnamon Apple Pie | 1.5g |
| Cajun Fries Regular | 1.8g |
| Mashed Potatoes with Cajun Gravy Regular | 1.9g |
| Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie | 1.9g |
| 1Pc Leg Kids Meal | 2.1g |
| Cajun Rice (Regular) | 2.1g |
| 5Pc Blackened Tenders | 2.1g |
| Chicken Wing | 2.3g |
| Cajun Gravy | 2.5g |
| 5Pc Tenders | 2.7g |
| 6Pc Boneless Wings | 2.8g |
| Honey BBQ Chicken Sandwich | 2.8g |
| 2Pc Signature Chicken, Classic or Spicy (White: breast + wing) | 2.8g |
| Chopper's Cupcake | 3.0g |
| Bayou Buffalo | 3.0g |
| Mashed Potatoes with Cajun Gravy Large | 3.4g |
| Biscuit | 3.7g |
| Chicken Thigh | 3.8g |
| Homestyle Mac & Cheese (Regular) | 3.9g |
| 8Pc Butterfly Shrimp | 4.1g |
| 2Pc Signature Chicken, Classic or Spicy (Dark: thigh + leg) | 4.4g |
| Mardi Gras Mustard | 4.5g |
| 3Pc Signature Chicken, Classic or Spicy (Mixed: breast + thigh + leg) | 4.9g |
| 3Pc Signature Chicken, Classic or Spicy (White: breast + 2 wings) | 5.1g |
| Bacon & Cheese Honey Chicken Biscuit | 5.1g |
| Honey BBQ Bacon & Cheese Chicken Sandwich | 5.2g |
| 12Pc Boneless Wings | 5.5g |
| Cajun Rice (Large) | 5.5g |
| Blackened Ranch | 6.0g |
| Signature Sauce | 6.0g |
| Wild Honey Mustard | 6.0g |
| Honey Chicken Biscuit | 6.0g |
| 6Pc Bone-In Wings | 6.1g |
| 6Pc Ghost Pepper Bone-In Wings | 6.1g |
| 6Pc Honey BBQ Bone-In Wings | 6.1g |
| 6Pc Sweet & Spicy Bone-In Wings | 6.1g |
| 6Pc Buffalo Rub Bone-In Wings | 6.4g |
| 6Pc Garlic Parmesan Rub Bone-In Wings | 6.4g |
| 6Pc Lemon Pepper Rub Bone-In Wings | 6.4g |
| 3Pc Signature Chicken, Classic or Spicy (Dark: wing + thigh + leg) | 6.7g |
| Red Beans & Rice Regular | 6.8g |
| Cajun Fries Large | 7.2g |
| Coleslaw Regular | 7.2g |
| Blackened Ranch Wrap | 7.3g |
| Homestyle Mac & Cheese Large | 7.4g |
| Buttermilk Ranch | 7.5g |
| Nuggets (8 pc) | 8.0g |
| Fried Pickles | 9.0g |
| 4Pc Boneless Kids Meal | 10.0g |
| Spicy Chicken Wrap | 10.2g |
| Classic Chicken Wrap | 11.0g |
| 12Pc Bone-In Wings | 12.2g |
| Classic Flounder Fish Sandwich | 13.0g |
| Spicy Flounder Fish Sandwich | 13.0g |
| Spicy Chicken Sandwich | 13.1g |
| Classic Chicken Sandwich | 13.1g |
| Flounder Fish Sandwich | 14.0g |
| Shrimp Tackle Box | 14.0g |
| Classic Bacon & Cheese Chicken Sandwich | 15.5g |
| Spicy Bacon & Cheese Chicken Sandwich | 15.5g |
| Red Beans & Rice Large | 18.6g |
| 4Pc Classic Signature Chicken | 22.0g |
| 4Pc Spicy Signature Chicken | 22.0g |
| Coleslaw Large | 22.2g |
| 6Pc Signature Hot Bone-In Wings | 31.3g |
Fry Oil History at Popeyes
Cooking in reduced trans fat shortening since May 2007.
By May 2007 Popeyes had rolled out zero gram trans fat biscuits to all 1,878 of its US restaurants and brought its fries down to one gram per serving. The core fried chicken still carried up to 1.5 grams of artificial trans fat while the company kept testing a new shortening for it. Source
Every documented oil switch across the industry lives on the Oil History timeline.
Frequently asked
Does Popeyes use seed oils?
Based on our menu research, Popeyes fries in beef tallow, not seed oil, but seed oils still show up in the sauces and spreads, the shrimp coating, and the Cajun Fries, which the supplier par-fries in vegetable oil. Across the 101 menu items we analyzed, it averages 5.0g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of B (Medium Risk).
What oil does Popeyes cook with?
Our research indicates: Beef tallow (in the fryers). Popeyes' own U.S. Ingredient Information (April 2025) lists "Tallow: Beef fat, BHT, citric acid, dimethylpolysiloxane" as the frying fat for every fried item: bone-in chicken, tenders, boneless wings, sandwich filets, Cajun Fries, popcorn and butterfly shrimp, and the fried pies. No vegetable oil is listed in the fryer. Vegetable oils come in with supplier ingredients instead: the Cajun Fries are par-fried in a canola, soybean, sunflower, cottonseed or palm blend, the shrimp coating carries cottonseed and/or soybean oil, and soybean oil is the base of the mayo, spreads, dipping sauces and biscuit dressing. Preparation can vary by location, so treat PUFA numbers as estimates.
Does Popeyes use beef tallow?
Yes. Our research indicates Popeyes fries in beef tallow. Beef tallow is far lower in PUFA than seed oils.
Is Popeyes seed oil free?
Not fully. Our research indicates Popeyes fries in beef tallow, but seed oils still show up in the sauces and spreads, the shrimp coating, and the Cajun Fries, which the supplier par-fries in vegetable oil. See the lower-PUFA orders above for the cleanest picks.
What is the safest thing to order at Popeyes?
3Pc Blackened Tenders is the lowest-PUFA item we analyzed at Popeyes, at an estimated 1.4g PUFA. See the Safest Orders list on this page for more options.
What should I avoid at Popeyes?
6Pc Signature Hot Bone-In Wings is the highest-PUFA item we analyzed at Popeyes, at an estimated 31.3g PUFA. Fried items and creamy, mayo-based sauces are usually the heaviest.
What are seed oils?
Seed oils — canola, soybean, sunflower, corn, and similar vegetable oils — are extracted from seeds using high heat and chemical solvents. They are very high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), which are unstable at cooking temperatures and can oxidize easily. Many health-conscious eaters choose to minimize seed oils and prefer foods cooked in beef tallow, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil instead. This page shows estimated PUFA grams per menu item to help you make more informed choices. These are estimates — actual values vary by preparation and location. New to the topic? Start with what seed oils are and the complete list, or read the evidence on why people avoid them.
Compare other chains
Chick-fil-A · KFC · Raising Cane's · Wingstop · Zaxby's · Bojangles
See where Popeyes lands on the full Seed Oil Index, or check which chains cook in real fats on Tallow Watch. Wondering about a specific dish instead? The Is It Seed Oil food guide answers it for 200+ everyday foods, and the distributor oils page covers what independent restaurants fry in.