Fried Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Recipe

featured fried buffalo chicken sandwiches.

5 from 3 votes

Fried Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Recipe

Tangy, spicy, and crispy, these fried Buffalo chicken sandwiches are addictive! Chicken breasts marinated in buttermilk and hot sauce, deep-fried, then slathered in Buffalo sauce.

Prep Time1

Cook Time20

Marinate Time2

Total Time3 20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: sandwiches

Calories: 562kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

Dutch Oven Optional
Instant-Read Thermometer

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts *
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 cup Buffalo Sauce **
cooking oil for frying***
4 hamburger buns toasted

Marinade:

1 cup buttermilk ****
1 teaspoon hot sauce *****
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Optional Sandwich Toppings:

sliced tomato
leaf lettuce
ranch or blue cheese dressing

Instructions

Marinate:

Using a sharp knife, cut each chicken breast in half, creating 4 thin pieces in total.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Place each piece between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound them to ½-inch thickness.
Place the pounded chicken in a plastic zip-top bag. Add the buttermilk, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Massage the liquid around the chicken, seal the bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-24 hours.
1 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Fry:

When ready to fry, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Pour the Buffalo sauce in a second bowl and set aside.
1¼ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon ground paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 cup Buffalo Sauce, 1 teaspoons ground black pepper
Pour the contents of the bag of chicken into a large colander, draining the buttermilk from the chicken.
Dip the chicken pieces into the flour mixture, then transfer them to the baking sheet. Allow them to rest for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1-inch of cooking oil in a frying pan or deep Dutch oven to 350°F.
cooking oil
Dredge the chicken through the flour mixture a second time before adding them to the hot oil.
Fry the chicken in batches for 2-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through to 165°F.
Set them on a cooling rack set over paper towels to drain.
Toss the fried chicken in the Buffalo sauce.
Build your sandwiches on toasted buns.
4 hamburger buns, sliced tomato, leaf lettuce, ranch or blue cheese dressing

Video

Notes

*I prefer chicken breasts for these sandwiches, but boneless thighs can be used instead.

**Use your favorite buffalo sauce. A bottle of Frank's RedHot Buffalo works great. Or make your own by combining hot sauce with melted butter. I like to add a bit of honey or brown sugar to my buffalo sauce for balance.

***Vegetable oil, canola oil, or another neutral high smoke point oil works best for frying.

****Make your own buttermilk by combining 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe.

*****You can use a standard hot sauce or Buffalo sauce for the marinade.

Tips:

I like to marinate my chicken overnight to develop the most flavor. However, I have successfully marinated the chicken in as little as 2 hours with great results.
To make these sandwiches even spicier, add ¼ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper to the flour mix in step 4.
For extra-crispy chicken, let the floured chicken rest for 10-15 minutes between the first and second dredge. This helps the coating stick better during frying.
Use a thermometer to keep the oil between 350–365°F. If the temperature drops too low, the chicken will absorb too much oil; too high, and the outside will brown before the inside cooks through.
Properly cooked chicken should reach 165°F internally.
For maximum crispiness, lightly toss or brush on the Buffalo sauce instead of dunking. Too much sauce can make the breading soggy before serving.
Nutritional information does not include optional toppings.

Alternative Cooking Instructions:

Grill: Marinate the chicken. Heat the grill to medium-high heat (375-450°F). I recommend coating the chicken in olive oil and rubbing the spices in, instead of using flour/cornstarch to coat. Grill chicken 8-12 minutes, flipping halfway through, until cooked through. Coat in Buffalo sauce before or after grilling, to your preference. Then assemble sandwiches.
Oven: Marinate chicken. Preheat oven to 400°F. Pay chicken dry, then coat in spices and Buffalo sauce. Bake chicken breasts for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through. Brush with extra buffalo sauce after cooking, then assemble sandwiches.

Make-Ahead: You can fry the chicken up to a day ahead. Reheat in a 400°F oven for 8-10 minutes to re-crisp before tossing in Buffalo sauce.

Storage: Buffalo chicken sandwiches are best enjoyed on the day they are made. Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition