If you're looking for a flavor bomb of a recipe, look no further than this Fried Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with Blue Cheese Slaw! Crispy, buttermilk-fried chicken is drenched in an addictively spicy buffalo sauce, paired with blue cheese slaw to cool things down, then the whole thing is finished off with crispy, spicy fried shallots for a pop of extra flavor and crunch.
Quick Recipe Insights
- 🕒 Prep Time: 30 mins
- 🔥 Cook Time: 30 mins
- 🍔 Servings: 6 sandwiches
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Spicy, tangy, crispy, creamy
- 🧀 Star Players: Fried chicken, buffalo sauce, blue cheese slaw, spicy fried shallots
- 🍽️ Perfect For: Game days, indulgent weekends, late-night cravings
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This recipe actually started as a riff on my original Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich. Once that version was perfected, I knew I had to create a spicy spin that paid homage to classic hot wing flavors. So I tossed the crispy chicken in a homemade buffalo sauce, layered it with cooling blue cheese slaw, and topped it all off with spicy fried shallots for extra crunch. Messy? Absolutely. But it instantly earned its spot as my go-to spicy chicken sandwich.
This crispy chicken sandwich brings the heat, but if you're in the mood for something a little lighter, my chicken schnitzel sliders are a perfect alternative, especially for gamedays!
Components and Ingredients
This sandwich stands out for its crispy buttermilk fried chicken, tangy buffalo sauce, and cooling blue cheese slaw-all topped with crispy and spicy fried shallots. Each component is broken down below.
You could also try this with my recipe for Carolina Red Wing Sauce for a tangy North Carolina Barbecue-inspired twist! Want more ways to use buffalo sauce? Don't miss my Ultimate Buffalo Chicken Dip for another hot wing-inspired fan favorite!
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Chicken Breast or chicken thighs can be used for this sandwich. Chicken thighs are juicier and have more flavor.
- A combination of buttermilk, lemon juice, and hot sauce brings three separate sources of acidity in the breading, which adds flavor and tenderizes the chicken.
- Peanut Oil - My preferred oil for frying due to its high smoke point and neutral flavor.
Buffalo Sauce
- I prefer to use Texas Pete brand hot sauce since it has good flavor and isn't too spicy. Feel free to substitute your favorite hot sauce here!
Blue Cheese Slaw
- Fresh cabbage and carrots add a ton of texture compared to pre-shredded cole slaw mix.
- Crumbled blue cheese adds creaminess and just the right amount of tang for balance.
Spicy Fried Shallots
- These spicy fried shallots use some of the buffalo sauce and the leftover dredging flour from earlier in the recipe.
- Adding a touch of buttermilk adds acidity.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Ingredient Substitutions
- Blue Cheese: If you're not a fan of blue cheese, simply omit it from the slaw or switch to ranch dressing. I've got a recipe for the best buttermilk ranch dressing that works perfectly for this slaw. Feel free to use store-bought versions of either blue cheese or ranch dressing to help save some time.
- Buffalo Sauce: Any store-bought Buffalo sauce will work for this recipe. I prefer sauces that have a good balance of flavor and heat, like Frank's RedHot Buffalo Sauce or Texas Pete Buffalo Sauce.
- Slaw: Short on time? Switching to pre-shredded cole slaw mix will help cut some time in the kitchen!
- Buns: Feel free to use store-bought buns, but my recipe for the ultimate homemade burger buns is ideal for this recipe.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
These sandwiches are packed with flavor and surprisingly easy to pull off. Here's a quick step-by-step breakdown of how to make them. Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1 - Prepare Chicken and Batter: Pound and season the chicken with salt. Mix the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients for the breading in separate dishes.
Step 2 - Bread the Chicken: Dip the chicken in flour, then the buttermilk mix, then back to the flour and rest 30 minutes on a wire rack.
Step 3 - Make the Buffalo Sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer. Keep warm until assembly.
Step 4 - Prepare the Blue Cheese Slaw: Stir together the thinly sliced cabbage, carrots, and blue cheese slaw ingredients. Cover and chill until ready to assemble.
Step 5 - Marinate Shallots: Add thinly sliced shallots to the prepared buffalo sauce and buttermilk. Allow to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
Step 6 - Fry Chicken: Fry the chicken in 350 to 375°F oil until golden brown and crispy. Keep warm in a 200°F oven until ready to assemble.
Step 7 - Fry the Shallots: Toss the marinated shallots in leftover dredging flour and fry until crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and season generously with black pepper and kosher salt.
Step 8 - Assembly: Toss the fried chicken in buffalo sauce. Add slaw to the bottom bun, add a chicken, more slaw, add crispy fried shallots on top, then finish with the bun.
Expert Sandwich Tips
- Let the breaded chicken rest for 30 minutes before frying. This helps the coating stick and fry up extra crispy.
- Sauce only what you plan to eat, and do it right before serving. That way, leftovers stay crispy. Craving more crispy, saucy fried chicken? Check out my Takeout-Style Orange Chicken.
- Make the sauce, slaw, and marinate the shallots the day before. It cuts down on game day chaos.
- Keep fried chicken warm in a 200°F oven on a wire rack while finishing the rest of the batch.
Storing and Reheating Tips
Store all of the components of this recipe in separate containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Any longer than that, transfer them to the freezer. Keeping things separate ensures that the chicken stays crispy during reheating.
The best way to reheat the chicken is to air fry it for 6 to 8 minutes at 400°F or until crispy and warmed through. A regular oven at 400°F will work, but may take a few minutes longer. As always, you can microwave them, but it won't be as crispy. If frozen, simply thaw the chicken in the refrigerator overnight, or on the countertop for a few hours.
Heat the leftover buffalo sauce on the stove or in the microwave, and toss the chicken in the sauce right before assembling the rest of the sandwich.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich FAQ's
Drain the chicken on a wire rack instead of paper towels, then keep it warm in a low oven (200°F). This prevents steam from softening the crust while you finish frying the other pieces of chicken.
Buffalo chicken sandwiches usually taste best freshly fried, but you can prepare all of the components a day ahead of time, and keep them separate in the refrigerator until ready to reheat and serve. Reheat the fried chicken in a 425°F air fryer for 5 to 7 minutes for the crispiest results.
Soft, sturdy buns like brioche or potato rolls work best. I highly recommend you check out my recipe for the ultimate homemade burger buns. They are soft, squishy, and delicious, yet hold up to hefty toppings. Toasting them helps prevent sogginess and adds extra flavor, too!
More Craveable Chicken Recipes to Try
Looking for more spicy chicken recipe ideas? Check out a few of my other game day favorites and bold spicy chicken dishes below:
Did you make this recipe for Fried Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches with Blue Cheese Slaw?
Let me know how yours turned out in the comments below, and don't forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
Fried Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (With Blue Cheese Slaw)
Equipment
- Mandolin Slicer For slicing the cabbage
- Wire Cooling Rack
- Saucepan
- Large Pot or Dutch Oven For Frying
Ingredients
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- 3 Chicken Breasts Pounded to ½-inch thick and sliced in half - or- 6 Boneless skinless chicken thighs flattened to ½" (about 1 ½ to 2 lbs.)
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Cup Buttermilk
- ½ Cup Whole Milk
- ¼ Cup Hot Sauce Texas Pete brand preferred
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice From about ½ lemon
- 1 Egg Beaten
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Fine Sea Salt Divided
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Paprika
- ¼ Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Granulated Garlic
- ½ Teaspoon White Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Quart (32 oz.) Peanut Oil Or other neutral frying oil
Buffalo Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 Cup Hot Sauce Texas Pete brand preferred
- ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice From about ¼ Lemon
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper
Blue Cheese Slaw
- ½ Head Green Cabbage Thinly Shredded - About 2 Cups
- ¼ Head Purple Cabbage Thinly Shredded - About 1 Cup
- 1 Medium Carrot Grated - About 1 Cup
- ½ Cup Mayo
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 (5 oz.) Container Crumbled Blue Cheese About ¾ Cup
- 1 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt Plus more to taste
- ¼ Teaspoon Celery Seed
- ¼ Teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper Plus more to taste
Spicy Fried Shallots
- 2-3 Small Shallots Sliced into ⅛ inch rings
- ¼ Cup Buffalo Sauce From Above
- 1 Tablespoon Buttermilk
- ¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt Plus more to taste
- ¾ Teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper Divided
- 1 Cup Leftover Fried Chicken Dredging Flour From previous steps
Hamburger Buns
- 1 Batch Ultimate Homemade Hamburger Buns or Store-bought Hamburger Buns
Instructions
- Prep the Chicken: Pound chicken to ½-inch thick (and cut in half if using breasts). Season both sides with 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Let rest while prepping other components.
- In a shallow dish, whisk buttermilk, whole milk, hot sauce, lemon juice, egg, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. In a separate dish, mix flour, cornstarch, paprika, smoked paprika, garlic, remaining kosher salt, white pepper, black pepper, and cayenne.
- Working one at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour mix, pressing to coat on both sides. Shake off excess and place on a wire rack. Add 3-4 tablespoons of the buttermilk mixture to the flour and mix lightly with a fork to create small clumps.
- Dip the floured chicken in the buttermilk mixture, then return to the flour, pressing down firmly to coat on both sides. Shake off excess flour and return to the wire rack. (Reserve 1 cup of the seasoned flour for the shallots later). Rest for at least 30 minutes while making the sauce, slaw, and preparing the shallots.
- Make the Buffalo Sauce: In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add hot sauce, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Keep warm on low until ready to use.
- Make the Blue Cheese Slaw: In a large bowl, combine both shredded cabbages, carrot, mayonnaise, cider vinegar, crumbled blue cheese, sugar, celery seed, salt, and pepper. Stir until evenly coated. Cover and chill until assembly.
- Marinate the Shallots: Toss shallot rings with ¼ cup of the prepared buffalo sauce (from above), buttermilk, salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Marinate 20-30 minutes, up to overnight.
- Fry the Chicken: Preheat the oven to 200°F. Heat 1 quart of oil in a Dutch oven (or other large pot) to 350-375°F. Working in batches, fry the chicken for about 6-8 minutes per batch, turning often, until golden and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Drain on a wire rack, immediately season with kosher salt, and transfer to the oven to keep warm.
- Fry the Shallots: While the chicken cools, dredge the marinated shallots in the reserved seasoned flour. Shake off excess and fry 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy. Generously season with the remaining ½ teaspoon of black pepper and a pinch of salt.
- Assemble the Sandwiches: Add the buffalo sauce to a large bowl, and toss the fried chicken pieces one at a time as you assemble each sandwich. Add slaw to the bottom bun, top with sauced chicken, add more slaw, and some crispy fried shallots on top. Finish with the top bun and serve.
Harry K says
Hands down, the absolute best chicken sandwich I've ever had. Every component is necessary and perfect. This messy boi has it all, it's rich, tangy, spicy, crispy, and crunchy. The blue cheese slaw by itself is something special and woe be it to anyone who skips the fried shallots. They are the crown that adorns this king of sandwiches!
Jacob says
This is the recipe I've been searching for! Banging chicken and the slaw just takes it to the next level!