A spicy chicken sandwich with hot honey sauce is one of my new favorite weekend lunches.
The spicy chicken sandwich has been all the rage for a while now. Popeyes had people lined up, and from all accounts, it lived up to the hype. It seems every other casual restaurant has been following with a version of their own.
Confession time – I have never tried the fast-food version. We don’t have a local Popeyes franchise. But it hasn’t stopped me from craving one, they sound delicious!
The hot honey sauce is a sweet and spicy concoction to complete the sandwich. You can buy it packaged or make a simple version at home.
I am not a fan of deep-frying at home. Instead, I prefer to pan-fry breaded chicken. We had chicken parmesan recently, and I decided the chicken, which is pan-fried with bread crumbs and parmesan would be delicious in a sandwich. I added some spice, and I am really pleased with the results.
Ingredients
Butter & Olive Oil: The combination of butter and oil is needed to create a flavorful, crunchy coating on the chicken.
Chicken Breast or Thigh: I tried this recipe with both chicken breast and thighs, and I found they both work well.
Egg: Helps the coating stick to the chicken and gives added richness.
Panko Bread Crumbs: Light, crunchy Panko bread crumbs create a really nice breading for the chicken.
Parmesan Cheese: Grated parmesan adds a real depth of flavor. I tried this recipe without the parm and the breading was missing the sharpness of the cheese.
Cayenne Pepper: Here comes the spice! Cayenne definitely packs a punch, so add accordingly depending upon your spice tolerance.
Salt & Pepper: Enhances the flavor.
Honey: Sticky, sweet, and an absolutely wonderful base for a sauce.
Sriracha: My absolute favorite hot sauce.
Buns, Pickles, Red Onion: Simple accompaniments for the sandwich.
Instructions
The first step is prepping and pan-frying the chicken. Slice a boneless, skinless chicken breast in half to create two fairly equal-sized pieces. The way, both chicken patties will be cooked through at the same time.
Heat a sauté pan with butter and olive oil. Make sure the bottom of the pan is coated with the butter and oil mixture.
Each piece of chicken is first coated in egg and then dredged through the flour/bread crumb/spice mixture.
Add each coated piece of chicken to the pan. Let it fry on the first side undisturbed for about five minutes. Flip and fry for another five minutes. The times may vary based on the thickness of the meat.
As the chicken is pan-frying, stir together the honey and sriracha. If you are craving a really saucy, drippy sandwich, make it so by increasing the amount of the hot honey sauce.
Prep your bun and toppings.
Once the chicken is cooked through, place the patties on buns and drizzle them with hot honey sauce. Add condiments and enjoy! Nice served with coleslaw or oven fries.
Spicy Chicken Sandwich with Hot Honey Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tsp butter
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 chicken breast or thigh sliced in half
- 1 egg beaten
- ⅓ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese grated
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 tsp sriracha or hot sauce of your choice
- Bun, pickles, thinly sliced red onion for serving.
Instructions
- Prep the chicken by slicing in half to form two relatively equal chicken patties. Place a well-beaten egg on a plate. Combine Panko breast crumbs, parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper on a separate plate.
- Dredge a piece of chicken through the egg and then the bread crumb mixture. Make sure all surfaces of the chicken is covered with the Panko mixture. Repeat with the second piece.
- Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add butter and olive oil. Swirl the pan as the butter melts, so it combines with the oil.
- Add the chicken pieces one at a time. Allow the chicken to pan-fry undisturbed for about 5 minutes. Once golden brown on the first side, carefully flip and allow the chicken to fry on the other side.
- Note: cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your chicken. When I made the recipe with thin chicken breasts it took 10 minutes – 5 minutes on each side. When I used thicker chicken thighs I needed a total of 15 minutes.
- Stir together the honey and sriracha sauce in a small bowl.
- Once the chicken is cooking through, place each patty on a bun. Drizzle with hot honey sauce and add pickles and red onions.