Gird your loins, everyone: Wendy’s ghost pepper sandwich and fries are heading back to the menu. But when, you ask? When can I get Wendy’s Jalapeno Fresco Spicy Chicken Sandwich and Ghost Pepper Fries? Well, I’ve got good news and bad news for you on that front, so which would you like first? The good news? Will that soften the blow a little bit? OK. Here we go: Wendy’s ghost pepper sandwich and fries are available right now. As in, you could go get one for lunch today. Or for dinner. Or for a late breakfast, even, if that’s your thing. Spicy food fans, rejoice!
Initially released during 2015, Wendy’s Jalapeno Fresco Spicy Chicken Sandwich and its accompanying side, the Ghost Pepper Fries, made an unexpectedly large splash the first time round. It wasn’t the first time a fast food chain had used ghost peppers in their menu items, and these particular picks weren’t the only ridonculous spicy fast food options available at the time — but they were arguably the most interesting ones, and speaking from experience, they tasted pretty spectacular: Not so spicy they’d burn your mouth to cinders, but still with a hefty kick. They also — and to me, this was the most important thing — actually tasted like something. As in, they didn’t just taste hot. They were enormously flavorful, and that’s quite an achievement. I’m rather fond of spicy food, but only when it actually still tastes like something on top of the heat. Spiciness for spiciness’ sake is boring.
But because they were limited time offerings, the Jalapeno Fresco Spicy Chicken Sandwich and Ghost Pepper Fries vanished from the menu after a little while. Ever since then, we’ve had to content ourselves with recreating them at home in our own kitchens. (It’s a little labor-intensive, but not going to lie: The results are pretty tasty.)
Until now.
As of Wednesday, April 13, both the ghost pepper sandwich and the ghost pepper fries are back on Wendy’s menu, which — again — means you could literally go out right this very second and get them. However, remember when I said there was bad news, too? Well, brace yourselves, because here it is: As was the case in 2015, the re-release of the items is a limited time thing. They are not permanent additions to the menu, to the great chagrin of heat lovers everywhere. It’s worth noting that there isn’t a set end date at the moment — but since we don’t know exactly when they’ll depart for the Great Spicy Beyond, I’d take that as a reason to go satisfy your craving sooner, rather than later.
The Jalapeno Fresco Spicy Chicken Sandwich consists of Wendy’s spicy chicken topped with Colby Pepper Jack cheese, red onion, diced jalapenos, and (of course) ghost pepper sauce, all on a red jalapeno bun; the fries, meanwhile, arrive smothered in cheese sauce, diced jalapenos, shredded cheddar, and more ghost pepper sauce. What’s in the sauce itself? That’s something of a mystery, but all in all, the sandwich includes 10 different sources of heat: Red pepper, chili pepper, jalapeno peppers, paprika, black pepper, cayenne, capsicum, habanero, red jalapeno peppers, and ghost peppers. Rated at more than one million Scoville heat unites, ghost peppers are one of the hottest peppers in the world; the only ones that rank above it are the Infinity chili, the Naga Viper, the Trinidada moruga scorpion, and the Carolina Reaper.
Wendy’s Jalapeno Fresco Spicy Chicken Sandwich and Ghost Pepper Fries are available at participating Wendy’s locations; head here to find your nearest one and give them a call to see if they've got 'em. Happy lunching!
Images: Wendy's (2); Giphy
