Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich but with a few twists. Crispy fried chicken sandwiched between two toasted slices of sourdough bread with pepper jack cheese, jalapeños, coleslaw and a pepper relish aioli. The sourdough is fresh, the chicken is crisp, the jalapeños are spicy, the coleslaw is crunchy and the pepper relish aioli adds a little sweet acidity to pull all of these delicious ingredients together.
This recipe is well balanced between flavors and textures. It is a delicious dinner to serve to guests and can also be a fun lunch to enjoy during the week or on a weekend. This can be a really fun recipe you can make outside if you have a griddle and serve at a summer barbecue. Frying on a griddle such as a Blackstone is great because it avoids the mess it makes inside.
This was inspired by my Copycat Homemade Popeye's Chicken Sandwich on this site, and pairs well with this Truffle Parmesan French Fries.
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Ingredients
- fresh sourdough bread
- thin sliced chicken breasts
- flour
- garlic powder
- salt and black pepper
- eggs
- bread crumbs
- pepper relish
- mayonnaise
- lemon juice
- jalapeños
- pepper jack cheese
- coleslaw
- canola oil or peanut oil
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Slice the jalapeños. On medium high heat, in either a cast iron skillet or deep fryer heat up the peanut oil until the oil temperature is about 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk the eggs. Coat the thinly sliced chicken breast in the flour mixture. Transfer it to the eggs and coat in egg. Immediately transfer to the bowl of bread crumbs and coat.
Place the breaded chicken breasts in the hot oil. Fry for out about 5-7 minutes, flipping halfway through. The friend chicken should be golden brown when done. Place chicken on a wire rack or a plate covered with a paper towels to drain excess oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pepper jack cheese on top of chicken and bake on a baking sheet until cheese melts.
Combine mayonnaise, pepper relish and lemon juice in a small bowl. Toast the sourdough bread in the toaster or on the stove on medium heat.
Coat the bottom slice of sourdough with coleslaw. Place the chicken on top. Spread the jalapeños on top of the chicken evenly. Coat the top slice of sourdough with the pepper relish aioli. Close the sandwich. Serve immediately.
Hint: to avoid the mess with deep frying, fry outside on an outdoor griddle. This works the same as frying on the stove but avoids the mess inside.
Substitutions
- Coleslaw - instead of coleslaw mix, use ice burg lettuce for a similar crunchy texture
- Sourdough Bread - use brioche buns for a more classic fried chicken sandwich
- Chicken - use thinly sliced chicken thighs if chicken breasts are not available
- Frying -an air fryer can be used if you want to get the fried affect with less oil
Variations
- Spicier- add spicy pepper relish to the pepper relish aioli for an extra kick. You can also add hot sauce to the aioli
- Deluxe - add crispy onions or extra slices of cheese
- Classic Chicken Sandwich - use a brioche bun and add mayonnaise and pickles for a classic chicken sandwich version
See this Classic Chicken Sandwich on my website!
Equipment
To make this recipe, you will need a few small bowls to create a dredging station before frying the chicken. You will also need a deep fryer or a large cast iron skillet or a dutch oven to fry. A sharp knife and cutting board is also needed to chop the jalapeños and slice the sourdough if you are cutting from an entire loaf.
If you plan on frying outside, I suggest either using a deep fryer or a cast iron skillet on a griddle. I find that sometimes it is just easier to fry outside because it avoids the annoying mess indoors.
Storage
Store the ingredients in the refrigerator separately prior to assembling. Reheat the chicken before serving leftovers. Store the bread in a bread box or on the counter wrapped in tin foil. If the sandwich is already assembled, wrap it in tin foil and place it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven so the sandwich retains some crisp.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
For better and fresher flavor, make this recipe with fresh sourdough. Whether you bake it yourself or buy it at the store the best way to make this sandwich is with fresh sourdough bread. If sourdough is something you are interested in, access my free eBook on getting started with sourdough starter here!
FAQ
The best oil to use is peanut oil or canola oil. They both have a high smoke point which is essential for safe frying. You can also use vegetable oil if one of these are not an option.
You absolutely can! You can marinade the chicken in a buttermilk mixture with some pickle juice and spices for a nice, flavorful, juicy chicken breast. Some of the spices that can be added are cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt and pepper.
You want your chicken to be fried until the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Spicy Chicken Sandwich Recipe:
Fried Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Equipment
- 3-4 small bowls
- 1 cast iron skillet or deep fryer
Ingredients
Sandwich Ingredients
- 8 slices sourdough
- 4 thin sliced chicken breasts
- 1 cup flour
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- 3 jalapeños sliced
- 8 slices pepper jack cheese
- 1 cup cole slaw
- canola oil or peanut oil for frying
Pepper Relish Aioli
- 2 tablespoon pepper relish
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Slice the jalapeños.
- Combine mayonnaise, pepper relish and lemon juice in a small bowl.
- On medium high heat, in either a cast iron skillet or deep fryer heat up the peanut oil until the oil temperature is about 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk the eggs.
- Coat the thinly sliced chicken breast in the flour mixture. Transfer it to the eggs and coat in egg. Immediately transfer to the bowl of bread crumbs and coat.
- Place the breaded chicken breasts in the hot oil. Fry for out about 5-7 minutes, flipping halfway through. The friend chicken should be golden brown when done. Place chicken on a wire rack or a plate covered with a paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pepper jack cheese on top of chicken and bake on a baking sheet until cheese melts.
- Toast the sourdough bread in the toaster or on the stove on medium heat.
- Coat the bottom slice of sourdough with coleslaw. Place the chicken on top. Spread the jalapeños on top of the chicken evenly. Coat the top slice of sourdough with the pepper relish aioli. Close the sandwich. Serve immediately.
Notes
- To avoid the mess with deep frying, fry outside on an outdoor griddle. This works the same as frying on the stove but avoids the mess inside.
- Use fresh sourdough bread for best results.
- Thin sliced chicken breast provides the best results.
- For spicier flavor, use hot pepper relish for the aioli.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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