A Rodeo Crispy Chicken Sandwich is a crispy chicken fillet topped with cheddar cheese, tomato, onion rings, bacon, and jalapeno peppers, drizzled with homemade cowboy ranch dressing. All the fixings are piled onto a toasted hamburger bun for a hearty sandwich that is sure to satisfy every appetite! I also have an impressive Rodeo Burger you will love!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Chicken: Look for frozen crispy chicken breast fillets to use in the sandwich. I have instructions for heating them in the air fryer. But, you could also cook them following the oven instructions on the package. If you want to make homemade crispy chicken patties, check out my crispy chicken recipe to use.
Cheese: I added slices of sharp cheddar cheese to the sandwiches. You could experiment with other kinds of cheese like pepper jack, swiss, provolone, or your personal preference. On the other hand, you don’t have to add any cheese. The sandwich will still be amazingly delicious!
Hamburger Buns: Choose your favorite hamburger buns. I like to toast the buns before piling on all of the layers. Pretzel buns would also be good!
Toppings: To top the cheesy chicken fillet, I added tomato, crispy onion rings, bacon, and jalapeno peppers. If you don’t want a kick from the peppers, leave them off of the sandwich.
Cowboy Ranch Dressing: Cowboys are a part of a rodeo, so it just makes sense that you need cowboy ranch dressing for this rodeo sandwich! Cowboy ranch dressing is a flavorful dressing that starts with my cowboy ranch seasoning (ranch seasoning mix with a blend of additional seasonings). We also loved the sandwich with softened cowboy butter spread on the toasted buns!
Can I Make This Sandwich Ahead Of Time?
You could get the parts of the sandwich ready to go in advance. Then, it is just a matter of assembling it! Get the chicken fillets and the bacon cooked. Allow each to cool and then store each separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to assemble, reheat them in the microwave or oven. The onion rings can also be made ahead of time. Reheat in the oven to restore some of their crispness. The toppings can be cut and saved until ready to use and the cowboy ranch dressing can be made and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Can I Make This Sandwich With Grilled Chicken?
Absolutely, you can definitely make the sandwich with grilled chicken instead of crispy chicken. Grilled chicken brings a different texture and flavor profile to the sandwich, which can be equally delicious and satisfying!
What To Serve With Rodeo Crispy Chicken Sandwich
To create a well-rounded and satisfying meal, consider pairing your Rodeo Crispy Chicken Sandwich with a variety of side dishes. Here are some options that can complement the sandwich:
- Roasted Potato Wedges
- Shoestring Fries
- Homemade Potato Chips
- Coleslaw
- Wedge Salad
- Corn on the Cob
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Fruit Salad
- Cowboy Beans (of course!)
Rodeo Crispy Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 frozen breaded chicken breast fillets
- 2 slices sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 hamburger buns
- 4 slices beefsteak tomato, divided
- 6 medium onion rings, prepared, divided
- 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled, divided
- 1 large jalapeno pepper, sliced into thin rounds, divided
- ¼ cup cowboy ranch dressing, divided
Instructions
- Lightly spray the frozen breaded chicken fillets with cooking spray.
- Place the chicken fillets into the basket of an air fryer.*
- Air fry at 375°F for 5 minutes. Carefully flip the chicken and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through and crispy.
- While the chicken fillets are cooking, lightly toast the hamburger buns in a separate pan or in the oven.
- When the chicken fillets are done, remove them from the air fryer, place them on a plate, and top each with a slice of cheese.
Assembly
- Top the bottom half of each toasted bun with tomato slices, chicken patty with cheese, 3 onion rings, half of the crumbled bacon, and jalapeno slices. Drizzle with cowboy ranch dressing.
- Top with a bun and serve warm.
Video
Notes
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
This is such an amazing and easy way to upgrade a traditional crispy chicken sandwich! The sandwich has an added drizzle of cowboy ranch dressing for out-of-this-world flavor. I also loved the kick of heat you get from the jalapenos, and the crunch from the onion rings, too! I will be making this again!
Elizabeth
Wow! This is an impressive and super flavorful sandwich! Plus, it's easy to put together using frozen chicken patties! Winner, winner, chicken sandwich dinner. Oh, and once you taste the homemade cowboy ranch dressing, you will want that for lots of other foods!
Annabelle
Such a good sandwich! The texture was great, the flavor was impeccable, and the ranch puts it over the top!
Bella
This sandwich is packed with flavor. Juicy, crispy, and savory. So difficult to not finish the whole thing! The cowboy ranch is a star of the show for sure! You cannot go without it.
Selena
Such a yummy sandwich! I adored the crispy bacon and the spice from the jalapeños. The cowboy ranch took it over the top! Can't wait to make these for my family.
Rachael
So good! I love the cowboy ranch on this sandwich, it is fantastic! The jalapeños added just the right amount of spice, too.
Loved this recipe. It was yummy and so quick and easy to put together.