Sink your teeth into this fresh and succulent Spicy Chicken Sandwich. Admire how easy it was to make, then high-five yourself for choosing this homemade treat over a (low-quality) drive-thru chicken sandwich.
Chicken breasts bathed in a flavorful buttermilk marinade, coated in spiced panko breadcrumbs, then baked until crisp and nestled in your favorite bun with creamy sriracha sauce.
A grilled chicken sandwich is delicious, but when you crave crunch, your instinct may lead you to fast food chains for your crunchy chicken sandwich.
Stop right there!
I insist you try homemade spicy chicken sandwiches instead.
Spicy chicken sandwiches at home
Making your own spicy chicken sandwich is shockingly easy!
- No frying required (yay for less mess and no butter or vegetable oil).
- The breasts for these spicy chicken sandwiches are baked.
- No multiple dredging steps or flour mixing; Simply marinate the chicken and then coat with panko.
Like Baked Fried Chicken and Air Fryer Fried Chicken Breast, the chicken in this sandwich tastes fried but is shockingly baked.
The chicken breast is incredibly juicy on the inside (no dry chicken allowed!) while being crispy on the outside.
Our Spicy Chicken is basted with a simple sauce that’s a healthy version of spicy mayonnaise: a blend of non-fat Greek yogurt and sriracha.
How to make a spicy chicken sandwich
The key to this flavorful chicken sandwich is the baking setup.
By placing the chicken on a wire cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet, it can be crisped on all sides.
Tip for tender chicken
For evenly baked, tender chicken, pound it first. This will make the meat more tender and the breast evenly thick. Place the chicken in a ziptop bag for a clean tenderization, then pound.
The ingredients
- buttermilk. Marinating the chicken in spiced buttermilk makes it so tender and juicy.
- Spices. The marinade and breadcrumbs are simply but heavily seasoned with salt, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. This flavor is just right hot.
- breadcrumbs. Use panko over regular breadcrumbs as their larger texture makes for a crunchier coating.
- Sriracha. To drive home the “spicy” in the Spicy Chicken Sandwich, it’s marinated with sriracha and served with a yogurt sriracha sauce. It gives the sandwich the perfect bite.
- Greek yogurt. Blended with sriracha, non-fat Greek yogurt makes a creamy, healthier sauce.
- pastries. Serve your baked spicy chicken on your favorite hamburger bun; I think brioche buns are divine.
The directions
- Pound the chicken breasts to an even 1/4-inch thickness.
- Whisk together the buttermilk, sriracha, salt, and onion powder.
- marinate chicken.
- Dredge chicken in spiced panko mixture.
- Place the prepared chicken on an ovenproof rack on a rimmed baking sheet, then spray the chicken with nonstick spray.
- Bake the flavorful chicken at 425 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F and has crispy edges.
- Make the sauce: Combine yogurt, sriracha, and salt in a small bowl. Serve flavorful chicken on toasted buns with the sauce and toppings. ENJOY!
storage tips
- To store. Store leftover chicken separately (instead of assembled sandwiches) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- To warm up. Reheat flavorful chicken in an air fryer, toaster oven, or in the oven at 350 degrees F to crisp the chicken again.
- Freeze. The texture of thawed and reheated frozen spicy chicken isn’t as crispy, but you can freeze leftover chicken in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
remnants of ideas
You’ll be thrilled to have extra chicken fillets after serving your sandwiches. Slice your leftovers and serve them over a salad for lunch the next day, or eat them alone for dinner with green beans and bread.
What to serve on a spicy chicken sandwich
Hot. Crispy. Tender. Juicy.
YES, this chicken sandwich has it all.
frequently asked Questions
This sandwich goes just as well with chicken drumsticks or chicken breasts. A bonus to using chicken thighs would be that they could fit nicely on a bun due to their smaller size.
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own in a pinch by mixing 1 tablespoon white vinegar with 1 cup milk.
To make a crispy, flavorful gluten-free chicken sandwich, simply roll the chicken in gluten-free breadcrumbs and serve without the bun or on a gluten-free bun.
My vote is sandwich style extra sliced ​​cucumbers and lots of sauce! Lettuce would add a nice crunchy addition, with tomatoes for a chilling factor.
For the spicy chicken sandwiches
- 4 6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1.5 pounds total)
- 1 Cup buttermilk*
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha or hot sauce of your choice
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups Panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
To serve
- 4 Hamburger buns
- cucumbers
- tomato
- lettuce
For the sauce
- 1/2 Cup low-fat Greek plain yogurt
- 2 teaspoon Sriracha
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
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Place two pieces of chicken in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. Using a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat mallet, pound the chicken to an even thickness of 1/4 inch. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
-
In a bowl or container, stir together the buttermilk, sriracha, 1 teaspoon of the salt salt, and the onion powder. Add the chicken, toss in the marinade, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
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When you are ready to make the sandwiches, place the rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 425°C. Place an ovenproof rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Coat the rack with non-stick spray.
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In a shallow bowl, mix together the panko, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade one at a time, shaking off the excess and tossing in the panko mixture on both sides, pressing down as needed to coat. Place the breaded chicken on the prepared rack. Spray the chicken with nonstick spray.
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Bake the flavorful chicken until the chicken reaches 165℉ on an instant-read thermometer, 20 to 25 minutes.
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While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, sriracha, and salt.
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To serve, toast the buns (if desired – this is easy to do in the oven) and spread the sauce on top and bottom. Place the lettuce on the bottom bun, followed by the tomato and chicken. Top with cucumbers.
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Instead of buttermilk, you can mix 1 cup whole milk or skim milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar.
-
Cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken breasts, it’s best to look for smaller ones (they also fit easier in a sandwich)
-
You could swap in chicken thighs (the size would work even better)
- TO STORE: Store leftover chicken separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- TO WARM UP: Reheat flavorful chicken in an air fryer, toaster oven, or in the oven at 350 degrees F to get the chicken crispy again.
- FREEZE: The texture of thawed and reheated frozen spicy chicken isn’t as crispy, but you can freeze leftover chicken in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Portion: 1 Sandwich (with bun and gravy)Calories: 552kcalCarbohydrates: 48GProtein: 61GFat: 11GSaturated Fatty Acids: 3GPolyunsaturated fat: 2GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 3GTrans fats: 0.03GCholesterol: 152mgPotassium: 1084mgFiber: 2GSugar: 9GVitamin A: 385ieVitamin C: 8thmgCalcium: 228mgIron: 4mg
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