Hot Honey Fried Chicken Sandwiches

hot honey fried chicken sandwich on plate with pickle chips

5 from 45 votes

Hot Honey Fried Chicken Sandwiches

This Hot Honey Fried Chicken Sandwich is an indulgent treat. The chicken is marinated in a spicy buttermilk mixture, pan-fried to a crisp perfection then drizzled with hot honey and sriracha aioli and sandwiched on a brioche bun with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, crispy fried pickles. It’s the ultimate spicy chicken sandwich!

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

marinade time1

Total Time1 45

Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Cajun

Diet: Low Salt

Servings: sandwiches

Calories: 886kcal

Author: Sarah Jenkins

Ingredients

4 chicken breast pieces, about 1.5 inches thick
3 cups buttermilk
½ teaspoon salt
1 tbsp hot sauce
1 ½ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne
3-4 cups peanut oil
4 brioche buns
4 tablespoon sriracha aioli (sriracha mayo)
4 tablespoon hot honey
4 slices pepper jack cheese
4 large lettuce leafs
1 cup crunchy dillies (pickle chips)

Instructions

If your chicken pieces are thick, pound them to a more even thickness, or slice them lengthwise to make them thinner and easier to fry.
Add the buttermilk, salt, pepper, and a dash of hot sauce to a large bowl and mix well. Add the chicken to the bowl and let it marinate for at least an hour in the refrigerator.
Remove chicken at least 30 minutes prior to when you want to fry it.
Combine the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper in a large ziplock bag.
Set a rack on a baking tray to place the cooked chicken on when it’s finished.
Add the chicken pieces to the bag with the flour mixture and shake well to coat.
Heat oil in a large heavy bottom skillet (or a dutch oven) over medium/high heat.
Remove the chicken pieces from the flour mixture, shake off excess flour, and fry the chicken in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cover with the lid and fry for about 5-10 minutes. Uncover, flip the chicken, and fry for an additional 10 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
Place the fried chicken on the cooling rack to allow oil to drain and sprinkle lightly with salt.
Assemble the hot honey chicken sandwiches by slathering sriracha aioli to both sides of a brioche bun. Add the chicken with a drizzle of hot honey, then add the Pepperjack cheese, lettuce, and the crunchy pickles to the sandwich. Serve immediately.

Notes

Allow your chicken to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before frying and avoid overcrowding your pan when frying the chicken. The reason for both of these is that you want to keep the temperature of your oil at a consistent 325 degrees, otherwise your chicken will cook unevenly.
Use a low-smoke oil, like peanut oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
Cut your chicken into thinner pieces, or pound the breasts thinner to make them easier to fry.
Meal prep/make ahead by marinating the chicken overnight, then frying it the next day.
I love Mike's Hot Honey for this recipe, but if you don't have it, you can easily make your own. Simply place 1 cup of honey and 2 tbsps red pepper flakes in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, stir to combine, and allow to cool.

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