Description
This Bang Bang Chicken Sandwich features crispy fried chicken cutlets coated in a spicy, tangy Bang Bang sauce served on toasted brioche buns with crunchy shredded lettuce or cabbage and optional pickles. Marinated for extra flavor and fried to golden perfection, it’s a deliciously bold American-inspired main course perfect for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (halved horizontally for 4 thin cutlets)
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- Vegetable oil for frying
Sandwich Assembly
- 4 brioche buns
- 1 cup shredded lettuce or cabbage
- Sliced pickles (optional)
Bang Bang Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: In a shallow bowl, whisk together buttermilk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Add the chicken cutlets to this mixture, ensuring they are fully submerged, and marinate for at least 30 minutes up to overnight for maximum flavor and tenderness.
- Prepare the Coating: In a separate bowl, mix the all-purpose flour with cornstarch thoroughly. This mixture will give the chicken a crispy texture when fried.
- Heat the Oil: Pour vegetable oil into a deep skillet or pot and heat it to 350°F (175°C). Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature for consistent frying.
- Coat and Fry the Chicken: Remove chicken from the buttermilk marinade, dredge each cutlet in the flour mixture, pressing to coat evenly to ensure a crispy crust. Fry each piece for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Avoid crowding the pan. Once fried, place chicken on a wire rack or paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Make the Bang Bang Sauce: In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, and rice vinegar. Stir well until the sauce is smooth and slightly spicy with a balance of sweet and tangy flavors.
- Toast Buns and Assemble: Lightly toast the brioche buns. Spread a generous amount of the Bang Bang sauce on both the top and bottom halves. Layer the fried chicken cutlet, shredded lettuce or cabbage, and pickles if using. Drizzle more sauce over the assembled sandwich for extra flavor before serving immediately.
Notes
- For extra heat, increase the sriracha quantity in the Bang Bang sauce according to your taste.
- To reduce oil usage, the chicken can be air-fried or oven-baked as a lighter alternative to frying.
- Swap shredded lettuce with coleslaw for additional crunch and flavor complexity.
- Use a mayonnaise substitute like vegan mayo to make the recipe dairy-free.
