Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Hot Honey Mayo

The ultimate chicken sandwich. When you don’t feel like spending money on fast food, try this easy crispy chicken sandwich at home, featuring a sweet and spicy mayo using hot honey. For those of you who don’t have buttermilk at home, (which is probably most) try this hack - use 1 cup of milk and add a couple drops of vinegar or lemon juice to it. Let it sit and then stir - voila! You’ve got buttermilk.

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Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Hot Honey Mayo

Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Yield: 4 sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

For the Chicken

• 2 chicken breasts, sliced in half

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 2 tbs Louisiana style hot sauce (like franks red)

• 2 tbs chives, minced

• 1 tsp dried dill

• 2 tsp chicken spice mix*

• Vegetable or canola oil for frying

For the Dredge

• 1 cup flour

• 2 tbs cornstarch

• 2 tsp chicken spice mix*

• A generous pinch of salt

For the Hot Honey Mayo

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1 tbs Louisiana hot sauce (like franks red hot)

• 1 tsp hot honey

• 1/4 tsp dried dill

• 1 tsp chicken spice mix*

For the Chicken Spice Mix

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 & 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1 & 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

To Assemble

• 4 buns, lightly toasted

• Sliced dill pickles

DIRECTIONS

1. Start by cutting the chicken breasts in half like a butterfly. Split it down the middle, and gently cut until you have 2 thinner pieces.

2. Make the chicken spice - you will use this for almost all elements of the sandwich. Combine all of the ingredients for the chicken spice mix in a small bowl, and mix well.

3. In a shallow dish, combine the buttermilk, 2 tbs hot sauce, chives, 1 tsp dried dill, and 2 tsp of the chicken spice mix. Mix or whisk well to combine, then submerge the chicken breasts in the marinade. Cover it and place it in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes, or overnight.

4. When ready to fry, combine all of the ingredients for the dredge and mix or whisk well to combine. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, making sure to press the flour into both sides of the chicken.

5. In a frying pan, add about 1 inch of canola or vegetable oil. Heat it up over medium low heat until it reaches 350 F, or until you add a small pieces of flour to the oil and it immediately sizzles. Add a chicken breast to the hot oil - I like to cook them one at a time to avoid the skin getting soggy from overcrowding. You want to cook each breast for 4-6 minutes on each side, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. If the chicken is browning too quickly, turn the heat down a touch to stabilize. Repeat until chicken is all cooked.

6. While the chicken is frying, prepare the hot honey mayonnaise. Combine all of the ingredients for the hot honey mayonnaise in a small bowl, and mix or whisk well until fully combined. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.

7. To assemble the sandwiches, spread the hot honey mayo on each side of your toasted buns. Lay the sliced pickles on to one side of the bun (or on both sides of you really like pickles), and then place the fried chicken breast on top. Drizzle a little more hot honey mayonnaise on top of the chicken and close the sandwich. Serve immediately.

NOTES

• For homemade buttermilk, combine 1 cup of milk with 1 tsp of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes then stir and use in place of storebought buttermilk.

• You can replace the breasts with thighs in this recipe.