Popeyes Cajun Rice: Price, Calories and Nutrition (2026)

Popeyes Cajun Rice is the side for people who want actual food, not just filler. It is seasoned long-grain rice cooked with ground meat and the Louisiana seasoning blend, the fast food descendant of Louisiana dirty rice. Every grain carries flavor: savory, peppery, deeply seasoned, with little flecks of meat and spice throughout. In 2026 a regular order carries 170 calories and 7 grams of protein, and a price starting from $2.49. That combination, real protein in a side dish at a side dish price, makes it one of the smartest orders on the Popeyes menu. Here is the current price, the calorie count, and the full nutrition breakdown.

Popeyes Cajun Rice price (regular): from $2.49. Popeyes Cajun Rice calories (regular): 170. Prices vary by location because Popeyes restaurants are franchised and set their own menu prices, with most markets landing between $2.49 and $2.99 for a regular. The 170 calorie figure covers one regular order as served.

Last updated: July 28, 2026

Table of contents

• What is Popeyes Cajun Rice
• Cajun Rice nutrition facts
• Cajun Rice vs Red Beans & Rice
• Cajun Rice vs Cajun Fries
• Allergens
• Getting the best value on Cajun Rice
• Frequently asked questions

What is Popeyes Cajun Rice

Cajun rice is Popeyes’ take on Louisiana dirty rice, a traditional dish of rice cooked with chicken livers or ground meat and the Cajun trinity of bell pepper, onion, and celery, heavily seasoned. The fast food version keeps the essentials: seasoned rice with ground meat mixed through and the Louisiana spice blend giving it the signature peppery warmth. It is the most savory, most substantial side on the menu, the one that eats almost like a small entree.

That substance is the point. At 7 grams of protein, the Cajun rice delivers more than twice the protein of Cajun fries for 100 fewer calories. It is the side that makes a light meal complete: a 3-piece tenders order with Cajun rice instead of fries is a meaningfully more balanced lunch. Regulars in Southern markets have known this for years, which is partly why the rice has a cult following that the fries, for all their fame, do not quite match.

One thing worth knowing: availability has thinned out in some non-Southern markets, where the rice occasionally disappears from boards that keep the fries and mashed potatoes permanently. If your local Popeyes carries it, that is a point in that location’s favor. It is worth asking about when it is missing, because it does come back.

Cajun Rice nutrition facts

Full nutrition breakdown for one regular Cajun Rice, based on Popeyes’ official US nutrition data as reported by 2026-updated nutrition databases.

Nutrient	Amount per regular Cajun Rice
Calories	170
Total fat	5g
Total carbohydrates	25g
Protein	7g
Sodium	530mg

This is one of the best nutrition panels on the Popeyes sides board. The 170 calories are modest, the 5 grams of fat are low for the menu, and the 7 grams of protein are the standout: no other standard side delivers this much protein at this calorie count. Sodium at 530 mg is moderate by Popeyes standards, lower than the fries and far lower than the mashed potatoes with gravy.

For context, the Cajun rice is the protein winner among sides and the runner-up on calories. Mashed potatoes are lighter at 110 calories but carry 750 mg of sodium and only 3 grams of protein. Coleslaw is lighter on sodium at 210 mg but has just 1 gram of protein. The rice is the balanced choice: real protein, moderate sodium, genuine flavor.

Cajun Rice vs Red Beans & Rice

These are the two Louisiana heritage sides, and they invite direct comparison. Cajun Rice: 170 calories, 7 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, 530 mg of sodium, from $2.49. Red Beans & Rice: 260 calories, 7 grams of protein, 16 grams of fat, 580 mg of sodium, from $2.49.

The Cajun rice wins on calories and fat by a clear margin: 90 fewer calories and less than a third of the fat. The red beans win on fiber, with 6 grams against the rice’s 1, and on heartiness; the beans are the more filling, more stew-like dish. Protein ties at 7 grams each, which is the interesting part: both sides deliver real protein, unlike the fries or mashed potatoes.

Pick the Cajun rice when you want the lighter, more versatile side that pairs with anything. Pick red beans and rice when you want the heartier, more comforting bowl, almost a small meal on its own. There is no bad choice here; they are the two best sides on the menu by most nutritional measures.

Cajun Rice vs Cajun Fries

This is the practical decision most customers face, because fries are the default combo side. Cajun Fries (regular): 270 calories, 3 grams of protein, 15 grams of fat, 620 mg of sodium. Cajun Rice (regular): 170 calories, 7 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, 530 mg of sodium. The rice wins on every single nutritional measure, and it is not close.

The fries win on craveability. Nobody dreams about Cajun rice the way people dream about the fries, and the fries’ crisp seasoned edges are a genuine pleasure. But the swap is free in any combo, and it transforms the meal: 100 fewer calories, more than double the protein, a third of the fat, less sodium. If you eat at Popeyes regularly, making this swap the default is the highest-impact change you can make to your order.

Allergens

Popeyes Cajun Rice contains soy, and wheat is possible from the seasoning base, so check with the restaurant if you have a wheat allergy. The rice does not contain milk or egg in the recipe. As with everything at Popeyes, it is prepared in shared kitchens, so cross-contact is possible. Always check with the restaurant if you have a serious allergy.

Getting the best value on Cajun Rice

• At from $2.49, the Cajun rice is the best protein-per-dollar side on the menu: 7 grams of protein for the price of fries.
• It substitutes for fries in any combo free of charge. This swap is the single best nutritional upgrade available at Popeyes.
• The rice pairs especially well with tenders. A 3-piece tenders order with Cajun rice is 560 calories with 42 grams of protein, a genuinely balanced fast food meal.
• Availability varies by market. If your location does not list it, ask; it rotates back onto boards regularly, and Southern locations carry it permanently.
• The large Cajun rice at $4.99 to $5.29 is a substantial portion, but note the large runs about 510 calories with 1590 mg of sodium. It is a sharing size.
• In the Popeyes app, the rice appears in combo customizations and bundle offers. Setting it as your default side in app orders makes the smart choice automatic.

Frequently asked questions

ManuBite Team. We track fast food prices and nutrition across the USA so you always know what your meal really costs, in dollars and in calories.

Craving more Popeyes favorites? Read our Red Beans & Rice guide, Cajun Fries guide and our Mashed Potatoes with Cajun Gravy guide for prices, calories and nutrition facts.