This Spicy Chicken Sandwich is a crispy, spicy fried chicken breast on a soft brioche bun, topped with lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, and a sriracha mayo blend. It is perfect for those who crave a little heat in their chicken sandwich! If you enjoyed the spicy kick of this sandwich, you might want to try my Rodeo Crispy Chicken Sandwich next, an impressive sandwich that will definitely fill you up!
Spicy Chicken Sandwich Ingredients & Smart Substitutions
- Chicken: I used two large chicken breasts and cut them in half horizontally for a total of four chicken breasts.
- Flour Mixture: The flour mixture is made with all-purpose flour, salt, pepper, and chili powder. This helps create a flavorful and crispy coating for the chicken.
- Buttermilk Mixture: Buttermilk is mixed with eggs and sriracha. It not only helps the flour stick to the chicken but also tenderizes it and adds flavor. If you don’t have any buttermilk, make your own!
- Sriracha: Sriracha adds heat (with a hint of sweetness) to both the buttermilk mixture and the Sriracha mayonnaise topping. Add more for more of a kick.
- Buns: Brioche buns are soft and slightly sweet. I like how they complement the spicy chicken.
- Additional Toppings: I topped each sandwich with lettuce, dill pickles, and tomatoes. But, the options are endless when it comes to adding your favorite toppings!
How To Make A Spicy Chicken Sandwich With Grilled Chicken
If you don’t want to fry the chicken, you can make this sandwich with grilled chicken. To do that, first, marinate the chicken in the buttermilk, egg, and sriracha mixture for about an hour. Next, remove the chicken from the marinade and season with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Then, grill the chicken breasts until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Finally, assemble your spicy grilled chicken sandwich!
🚨 Ways To Make Your Spicy Chicken Sandwich Extra Hot! 🚨
These chicken sandwiches do have a kick. But, if there is not enough heat for you, first of all, I’m jealous, but second, there are ways to increase the spice level. Here are some things you could try:
- Increase the sriracha in either (or both) the buttermilk mixture or mayonnaise.
- Add a few dashes of hot sauce to the sandwich.
- Top the sandwich with jalapeno peppers.
- Use spicy pickles.
- Add red pepper flakes.
- Add a slice of spicy cheese, like pepper jack.
What To Serve With A Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Here are some delicious sides I would recommend to serve with the chicken sandwich:
- Air fryer sweet potato fries
- Air fryer french fries
- Homemade potato chips
- Coleslaw
- Onion rings
- Corn on the cob
- Roasted vegetables (like parmesan green beans or garlic parmesan asparagus)
Make Spicy Chicken Ahead: Storage & Reheating Tips
You can get the chicken made in advance so it’s ready to go when you are ready to make the sandwich. Once fried, let the chicken breasts cool completely. Next, store the chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 3-4 days. When ready to use it for the sandwich, heat the chicken in a skillet or oven so it stays crispy.
Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
Spicy Chicken
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 pound each, sliced in half horizontally into two pieces
- 1 ½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup (245 g) buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons sriracha
- vegetable oil, for frying
Sandwiches
- 4 brioche buns
- ½ cup green leaf lettuce
- ¼ cup dill pickles, sliced
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
Instructions
- In a medium-sized shallow bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, and chili powder.
- In a second medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and sriracha.
- Dredge each chicken piece first in the flour mixture, pressing to ensure the entire piece is coated. Tap off any excess flour.
- Dip the chicken into the buttermilk mixture, ensuring it is fully coated.
- Dredge the chicken again in the flour mixture. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
- Add about 2 inches of vegetable oil to a large pot. Heat over medium-low heat until the oil reaches 350°F on a candy thermometer.
- Working in batches, add 1-2 pieces of chicken to the pot. Fry for 4-5 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and is crispy and golden brown.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the hot oil and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- While the chicken is frying, lightly toast the brioche buns in a separate pan or in the oven.
- In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and sriracha.
Sandwiches
- Top the bottom half of each toasted bun with a slice of tomato, a fried chicken patty, green leaf lettuce, and 3-4 slices of dill pickles.
- Drizzle the sriracha mayo over the sandwich and top with the other half of the toasted bun.
- Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
I loved this sandwich! The chicken is perfectly crispy with just the right amount of heat from the sriracha. The brioche buns are soft and hold everything together well.
Elizabeth
I really enjoyed this sandwich. The breading on the chicken is crispy and the spice level is just right—not overwhelming (for me, anyway), but definitely there.
Bella
The sandwich is pretty good. The chicken is crispy and the sriracha gives it a nice kick, but it wasn’t as spicy as I expected.
Annabelle
This sandwich is decent. A spicy chicken sandwich would not be my first choice, but it was good for what it was.
Selena
This spicy chicken sandwich hits the spot. The chicken has a good crunch and the sriracha gives it a nice level of heat. I love the brioche buns—they’re soft and slightly sweet, which is a great contrast to the spicy chicken.
