• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
RecipeTeacher
  • Home
  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • Air Fryer Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • About
    • Welcome
    • Contact
  • Resources
    • RecipeTeacher101
    • Air Fryer Quick Guide
    • Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Quick Guide
    • Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners
    • Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners
    • Kitchen Essentials
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • RecipeTeacher101
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • RecipeTeacher101
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • ×

    You are here: Home » Air Fryer Recipes » Air Fryer Buttermilk Spicy Chicken Sandwich

    Air Fryer Buttermilk Spicy Chicken Sandwich

    Print Recipe
     
    Jump to Recipe
     
    Rate this Recipe

    Last Modified: January 14, 2021

    Fresh boneless chicken breast is marinated in a special buttermilk seasoning mix then breaded and air fried to juicy perfection. Served on a toasted bun with lettuce, tomato and an optional spicy mayo, this air fryer buttermilk spicy chicken sandwich is a delicious dream come true.

    Buttermilk chicken sandwich made in an air fryer

    It seems like every week there’s a new specialty chicken joint opening up somewhere nearby. And when they do, I can never believe the lines of people! Where I live in suburban Chicago, there’s several within a 10 minute drive and they are always packed. Even the nationwide fast food restaurants have chicken sandwiches that everyone wants to get their hands on. Can we make our own with our air fryer? You bet we can!

    We want to start with chicken breasts that are about 10-12oz in size. The first step is to cut them in half. We want our chicken sandwiches to be able to fit on a bun so we’ll cut the chicken breast in half crosswise, then pound them down a bit. We don’t want to pound them thin, just enough to even out the thicker parts. Next we pour 1 cup of buttermilk into a large zip top bag and mix it with paprika, garlic powder and a teaspoon of salt. Place the chicken into the buttermilk mixture, seal the bag and let it sit in the fridge for at least a couple of hours. Several hours is even better and overnight is even best! The buttermilk is a very special ingredient that tenderizes the meat and infuses a juiciness and flavor that’s simply awesome.

    Preparing the chicken for our air fryer buttermilk chicken sandwich recipe

    After the chicken breast spends some time marinating, we’ll setup our breading station. We let as much buttermilk as possible drip off the chicken, then it gets a quick coating of flour. Next is gets a dunk into the beaten eggs. Finally, we let any excess egg drip off before we place it onto a plate of Panko bread crumbs. Press it right into those breadcrumbs and get it good and coated. Place the breaded chicken on a plate and repeat the process with the remaining chicken.

    Recipe for an air fryer buttermilk chicken sandwich

    Spray some cooking spray into the air fryer basket and preheat at 390°(F) for 5 minutes. Then place the chicken into the air fryer and give them all a good spray with the cooking spray. This is important! Even though we’re not deep frying, there still needs to be some oil sprayed on to get a nice golden crisp. Now air fry the chicken at 390°(F) for 12 minutes. Flip halfway through cooking.

    Recipe for air fryer buttermilk chicken sandwich

    Spicy Mayo and Toast Your Buns!

    Now it’s time to build your sandwich and one of the foundations of a good spicy chicken sandwich is the bun. I love using fresh brioche buns. They hold up well and keep everything together. Spread a little butter on the inside of the buns and toast them first for optimum results. Then we need a spread on the sandwich which we’ll get by combining ½ cup mayonnaise with a teaspoon of hot sauce. Mix them together and it’s the perfect spread with just enough spiciness to add to the overall sandwich. Finally, add some fresh lettuce and tomatoes and of course… pickles!

    Air fryer buttermilk spicy chicken sandwich

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Recipe fo air fryer buttermilk chicken sandwich

    Air Fryer Buttermilk Spicy Chicken Sandwich


    ★★★★★

    5 from 5 reviews

    • Author: RecipeTeacher
    • Total Time: 27 minutes
    • Yield: 4 sanwiches
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    Use your air fryer to make the most delicious homemade buttermilk spicy chicken sandwich.


    Ingredients

    Chicken Marinade

    • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    Breading

    • ½ cup all purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 eggs
    • 1.5 cups Panko breadcrumbs

    Spicy Mayo

    • ½ cup mayonnaise
    • 1 teaspoon hot sauce

    Instructions

    1. Pound the chicken breasts to even thickness (about ½″) and cut crosswise to make 2 equal halves. Set aside.
    2. In a large container or ziptop bag, add buttermilk, garlic powder and salt; whisk until well combined. Add chicken breasts to the buttermilk mixture and marinate in the fridge for 2-24 hours.
    3. Setup Breading Station: In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, onion powder and salt. In another bowl, beat 2 eggs. Finally on a wide plate add the panko breadcrumbs.
    4. Take the marinated chicken, one at a time and let the excess buttermilk mix drip off, then coat it in flour. Shake off excess flour and dunk into egg mixture. Let excess egg drip off and then place it on the plate with the panko breadcrumbs. Coat well with the breadcrumbs, pressing in if need be. Set aside and repeat with remaining chicken.
    5. Spray air fryer basket or tray with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil and preheat air fryer at 390° for 5 minutes. When ready, place chicken into air fryer and use air fry setting at 390°(F) for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
    6. While chicken is cooking, use a small bowl and mix mayonnaise with hot sauce. Set aside. You can also toast the sandwich buns and set aside.
    7. When the chicken is done, check for internal temp of 165°(F). Then place chicken on buns with the spicy mayo spread, fresh lettuce and tomatoes. And of course, top with pickles! Enjoy!

     

    • Prep Time: 15 min
    • Cook Time: 12 min
    • Category: Lunch, dinner
    • Method: air fryer
    • Cuisine: American

    Keywords: buttermilk, spicy, chicken sandwich, air fryer

    Did you make this recipe?

    Be sure to leave a comment and rating below. I appreciate your feedback!

    Also, tag @recipe_teacher on Instagram and hashtag it #recipeteacher

    Recipe for an air fryer buttermilk spicy chicken sandwich

    3.2K shares
    • Facebook67
    • Email
    • Yummly

    Easy Recipes for Everyone!

    Subscribe to get the latest updates and videos

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Review & Comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. Melissa N.

      January 08, 2023 at 5:30 pm

      This turned out perfectly crunchy and the chicken was so tender and flavourful! My go to recipe from now on!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • RecipeTeacher

        January 08, 2023 at 8:31 pm

        Thanks for the feedback, Melissa! I love this one too!

        Reply
    2. Helen Byl

      July 31, 2022 at 8:08 pm

      This is the second time I have made this. First time was delicious. The second time I didn’t have pinko so I used corn flake crumbs and this took it to a whole new level. Wonderful recipe. My grandson loves it.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • RecipeTeacher

        July 31, 2022 at 8:57 pm

        Hi Helen! Corn lakes are such an awesome breading for chicken! Thanks so much for the note and i’m glad you and the grandson are enjoying the recipe!

        Reply
    3. Cheryl

      December 11, 2021 at 7:03 pm

      Made this recipe for dinner this evening. Started marinating chicken last night. Perfect spice level for me. Hubby added more spice to the mayo. Chicken was so juicy. Thumbs up from this household.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. Jenny

      December 08, 2021 at 6:48 pm

      I made these for dinner tonight. I marinated the chicken for 24 hours. We skipped the cayenne because there are some in my family that can’t do spicy. These turned out amazing! Everyone enjoyed them. We will definitely be making these again! Thanks for the awesome recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • RecipeTeacher

        December 08, 2021 at 9:29 pm

        Thanks, Jenny! We love these too! Even without the cayenne they’re fun to make and enjoy. I appreciate the feedback.

        Reply
    5. Susan

      October 19, 2021 at 7:36 pm

      This chicken sandwich was amazing. I did not have time to marinate for the 2 hours but still delicious. And the sauce was amazing. I will definitely make again.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • RecipeTeacher

        October 19, 2021 at 8:37 pm

        Isn’t is good! We love it too! Thanks for the feedback, Susan.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Jason of Recipeteacher.com

    Hi, I’m Jason and i’m here to help you make easy, delicious homemade recipes. My approach is to provide the easy-to-understand instructions, use simple ingredients, and have you make the best meals possible.

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • recipe for air fryer pork chops
      Best Damn Air Fryer Pork Chops
    • Best Damn Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
    • Instant Pot pulled pork recipe
      Best Damn Instant Pot Pulled Pork
    • Instant Pot pressure cooker pork tenderloin recipe
      Best Damn Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
    • recipe for air fryer chicken breast
      Best Damn Air Fryer Chicken Breast
    • Instant Pot pork chops recipe
      Best Damn Instant Pot Boneless Pork Chops
    • Chicken legs made in an air fryer
      Best Damn Air Fryer Chicken Legs
    • Recipe for oven baked pork chops
      Oven Baked Bone-In Pork Chops
    • Recipe for air best damn air fryer salmon
      Best Damn Air Fryer Salmon
    • Recipe for air fryer brussels sprouts
      Best Damn Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

    Easy Recipes for Everyone!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact & Correspondence

    • Contact
    • How to Leave a Review
    • Welcome to RecipeTeacher!
    • Media Kit

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 RecipeTeacher.com

    • Pinterest
    • 67Facebook
    • Email
    • Yummly
    3240 shares