Copycat Popeyes Buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with spicy mayo is super crispy, spicy and tastes 1000x BETTER homemade!
If you’ve been craving fried chicken sandwiches we’ve got you covered with this delicious crispy Fried chicken Sandwich. It’s super crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside and loaded with spices. It’s as close as you will get to the famous Popeyes chicken sandwich which is currently sold out everywhere but in my opinion, it’s so much BETTER and surprisingly easy to make at home!
The sandwich comes together in under 30 minutes and can be prepared overnight. The chicken is first marinated in buttermilk (DIY buttermilk below) and spices then battered in a mixture of flour, corn starch, and MORE spices. The spices give the sandwich so much flavor but more importantly, they give it a crispy crust that is out of this world.
To make Popeyes chicken sandwich at home you will need:
- chicken breasts
- buttermilk
- flour
- corn starch
- spices
- brioche buns
To get the perfect size fillet: pound each chicken breast down to about 1/2 inch thickness then cut in half crosswise so you end up with a chicken cutlet about the same size as your buns.
To make 5-minute Buttermilk: Using buttermilk gives the chicken the authentic southern taste and helps the crust develop all those small crinkles that make it extra crispy. If you don’t have buttermilk at home, rest assured making your own buttermilk at home is super easy and done in 5 minutes. Stir 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar in a bowl and let stand for 5 minutes until the milk begins to curdle.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps make the crust super crispy and light as opposed to just battering the chicken with just flour. I highly recommend using it for the best results but If you don’t have cornstarch at home, replace it with more flour and add 1 tablespoon of baking powder.
The Bun: Using brioche buns takes this sandwich to the next level and will replicate the flavor and texture of Popeyes chicken sandwich.
To make spicy mayo sauce:
Combine 1/2 cup of mayo with 1 teaspoon hot sauce, teaspoon paprika or taco seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and whisk. The sauce is delicious in the chicken sandwich and is used to make the spicy version of Popeyes chicken sandwich.
How to Make in Chicken Sandwich the Air Fryer
To make this delicious Popeyes chicken in the air fryer, simply follow the recipe above.
Before frying, spray or brush the chicken with cooking oil and place directly into the air fryer.
Air Fry at 375F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway or until crispy and cooked through.
DIY Popeyes Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon EACH paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, salt
For Breading
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup corn starch
- 1 tablespoon EACH paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper (for spicy)
- 1 teaspoon EACH salt & pepper
Spicy mayo
- ½ cup mayo
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika, or cajun or taco seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
TO ASSEMBLE
- 4 medium-sized brioche buns
- Mayonnaise
- Sliced pickles
- 3-4 cups canola oil, for frying
Instructions
To Marinate Chicken
- Pound chicken breasts in between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise to make 2 small pieces of chicken about the same size as the bun (see video below).
- In a large bowl, buttermilk, paprika, garlic powder, salt & black pepper. Add the chicken to the mix and place in the fridge to marinate up to 24 hours or use right away.
To Cook Chicken
- Heat oil in a large heavy-duty skillet or pot on medium temperature or until the temperature reaches 350F.
- In a medium shallow bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, and spices. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of the buttermilk batter into the flour mixture and mix it through with a fork.Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken the flour mixture and press flour on the top chicken to form a thick crust. Transfer chicken to hot oil and fry for 3-5 minutes per side or until the outside is crispy and golden and the internal temperature reaches 165F.
To Assemble
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan and toast buns face down until golden and crisp. Whisk all the ingredients for the mayo in a small bowl and spread a generous layer of mayo on each bun. Top with pickles and chicken. Enjoy hot!
Video
Equipment
What kind of oil did you fry in & how much will I need? I couldn’t find in recipe.. did I miss it? Thank you- can’t wait to try this!
Never mind, totally found it!! Lol 🤦🏻♀️
It’s canola oil 🙂
I’m not very handy in the kitchen, but I can get by. This was so easy and delicious! It’s part of the dinner rotation now.
So, my boyfriend and I are looking to triple this recipe (from four sandwiches to eight). I assume, but would nonetheless appreciate confirmation on, multiplying ingredient amount by three. My concern is regarding the chicken breast. I would love recommendations on how much to purchase, as we’re going to be “pounding and cutting” to fit the size of the buns. Hoping to serve about 12 sandwiches total.
These were delicious! We made some spicy and some not so spicy and they were both hits! Definitely plan to make this again!
This is an amazing recipe. Best chicken sandwich ever – better than popeyes, chick-fil-a or any other one out there for that matter. It is the most perfectly crunchy, crispy but juicy and tender perfection of a sandwich and now a bit of an obsession for me.
Do you know if I can use an air fryer ? If so how much time ?? Thank you .
it WAS AMAZING!! My 3 Adult boys LOVED IT!! I never eat mayo however this spicy mayo is SOO GOOD! I made it at 1 am and my son used the term BUSTIN!! THANK YOU so much for sharing this recipe!! May God bless you and may his face shine upon you! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
I made this today for my family and it came out perfect. Thank you!
Just made this for my son definitely a keeper
Do you know calories per sandwich by chance?
My husband made these for our quarantine take out night. The were amazing! The best meal he has ever made. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Could I use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Yes, the recipe will also work with boneless skinless thighs 🙂
My chicken sandwich turned out delicious. Thanks
Approximately how many calories are in one of these sandwiches?
Can I use 1 percent lactose milk instead of buttermilk?
It should work. To make it into buttermilk combine it with 1 tablespoon vinegar to make it into buttermilk.
My first good batter after years of trying!!
Glad it worked! 🙂
We don’t have a popeyes in the UK but these burgers were amazing! One of my favourites to make and I don’t even like cooking!
Can I do this in a deep fryer instead of on top of the stove?
of course! as deep frying in a deep fryer and a stove have almost no difference but getting chicken out of the deep fryer is much easier then fishing it out the pan. Plus thats what they use at popeyes
Yes, it will work!
This is so easy and great tasting. It was an instant favorite. Thank you!
How would the measurements differ for a serving of 5 instead of 4 ?
I would just keep everything the same as it won’t change much!
Okay we loved it! We have not ever had a Popeye’s sandwich, but who needs them?! I made my own buttermilk and marinaded for about 5 hours. I made enough chicken for the next day, wrapped it in paper towels to soak up moisture in the fridge and reheated in the oven.
Can I use vegetable oil?
Yes, that will work!
Can you post instructions for doing these in the air fryer after you’ve tested it out? Looks amazing. I’m trying your air fryer fried bone-in fried chicken tonight!
Yes! We are working on the air fryer version. In the meantime, check out our air fryer fried chicken which is similar to this!
This is the BEST chicken sandwich! I will always use the cornstarch in breading from now on. I bet my son we could make them better at home. Thanks for helping me win that bet!
Haha congrats! They are much better homemade, aren’t they 😉
Super easy to make. I used thin sliced chicken breast.
Can this be made ahead? Reheated somehow or even served cold?
These sandwiches are better when made fresh. The batter will get soggy as it sits. You can refrigerate the chicken as is marinates in the buttermilk or try freezing the chicken after you have breaded it then fry as needed.
Can I use thin sliced chicken breast for this recipe
Yes, Just be sure not to over-cook them because they are thin!
I did and it turned out fiiiiiine
This was very delicious, but I don’t think it tasted like Popeye’s chicken sandwich. Regardless. I will make this again and again. Very delicious and easy to make! Only reason I took off one star is that it’s not quite like Popeye’s.
More than likely because Popeyes uses MSG in their sandwich which is an artificial flavor enhancer.
This recipe is awesome. My family are huge chick-fil-a fans but this is better and
made at home. We will make this over and over.
Followed this recipe exactly, except I used chicken thighs and I cooked in Lard. SO.Damn.good! My only recommendation is to add more spice to the flour mixture. Making again tonight as chicken and waffles. I’m going to used Hot Honey on the chicken after it fries. CAnnot wait!
made this tonight,followed recipe exactly,and even tho I never tried the original,i loved this !!!!! let my chicken soak for 2 days and it was awesome !!!!!!!thank you so much !!!
Thanks for the great review, ENJOY! 😀
hi, I’m gluten free and dairy free. I doubt I’ll be able to make buttermilk… Any other subistute? Coconut milk, full fat, maybe? Almond milk? Looks like I can use everything else in this recipe!!!
Thank you and it all looks amazing!!!
I just read that I can make it using lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (1 tablespoon) with a vegan milk (about a cup) (looks like soy or almond works best). I thought I would post this in case anyone else wanted to try.
Once again, thank you and I will post my review as soon as I make it!
Tina, You can actually make your own buttermilk with plant-based milk! Follow the same steps above using lemon or vinegar. Enjoy <3
Full fat or light coconut milk.. u can probably try coconut cream…its like milk
Excellent recipe, but as expected there was way more than enough coating for the chicken. delicious!
Made it last night..it was AMAZING. I didnt use salt for the flour and only 1 tsp of salt for the marinade.. packed with flavor. My son like spicy so he used tapatio and franks red hot sauce for the sauce.
Where’s the nutrition info??
There is none. Should be about the same as the real thing though.
This reciepe does not have how much hot sauce was used in the marinade but shows the hot sauce in the marinade in the video?
The hot sauce in the marinade is optional! Go ahead and add a tablespoon or two if desired 🙂
Hot sauce for the spicy mayo.
cAN i MAKE THE CHICKEN SANDWICH IN AN AIR FRYER?
Spray the air fryer and chicken with oil and air-fry for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Keep an eye on them from burning and be sure to flip half way through!
What temperature on the air fryer?
375F for about 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
I haven’t tried it yet, it looks good and sounds good. but i was wondering if it would still taste the same if i used chicken thighs instead, to make fried chicken
It will taste the same in terms of flavor and spice but the texture of the chicken will be different. It’s just a matter of personal preference! 🙂
Very great tasting sauce!!
Loved how similar it was to the popeyes chicken sand which, very flavorful and crisp. the sauce and pickles compliments the chicken very nicely.
The best chicken sandwich this side of HEAVEN. just sayin
my sons love these sandwiches, Can you use an air fryer in lieu of deep frying? I have a cuisinart air fryer toaster oven.I’d like an healthier option:-)
I haven’t tried them in the air fryer but it sounds do-able! Be sure to spray the air fryer and chicken with oil and air-fry for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
This is actually better than the sandwich you get at popeyes! This has be ome our go-to chicken sandwich. Great recipe. The only thing we changed is using somed paprika instead of “regular” paprika.
Smoked paprika is the best if you can get your hands on it! 😉
Wheres the recipe ???????
The recipe is inside the recipe box. If you can not find it, scroll to the top of the page and click on the “jump to recipe” button!
Yummmmmm!! So good! My husband loved it he ate 2 sandwiches!!
This recipe is delicious! I personally don’t think it tastes exactly like Popeyes but it is still very good. It was my first time ever frying chicken and it was super easy. I would’ve added more salt to the batter for more flavor. Other than that I will be making this recipe again this weekend with the adjustments and I know my boyfriend will love it! 🙂
My husband jokingly said he wanted Popeyes spicy chicken sandwich for his bday dinner. We don’t have a Popeyes NEAr by. so, I looked for a recipe Online and came across this one. I told my husband he wouldn’t know if it compares to Popeyes or not, but it was very delicious. I did everything as the recipe stated. But, I dont understand drizzling some of the marinade into the flour mixture, i did it anyway and as I thought it JUST made little clumps in the flour. However, what I did do is LET the marinade drip off, dredge in the flour mixture, then dredge quickly in the marinade and one more sweep with the flour mixture. The crust was very crispy. The only piece that it started to slide off was the one piece that was thicker and needed to cook longer. I should have pounded that piece thinner. Anywho. I’M not sure how often I would make this because we can’t eat like this every day! but for special occasions it hit the spot. I ate it with pickles and a side salad as we carbed out on homemade carrot cake.
This was husband approved and he said very tasty.
Glad the sandwich made it to the birthday dinner table and was approved by him!!
Thank yiu. Im making this tod and I will reme wh you said
Heres an update: i made the chicken sandwiches last nIght. Everybody went crazy over it. I omiTted the hot sauce because my husband cant handle spicy things much anymore. I was worried aboUt the Slap yo momma seasoning, but it was PERFECT. I followed the recipe STRICTLY and it was perfect. I did MARINATE the chicken at least 8 hours though. My husband said this is a hit. Thank yOu for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Michelle! So happy you and your family enjoyed them! 🙂
My 7 year old fell in love with this sandwich and he hates sandwiches! The seasoning was perfect.
Yes!! glad he enjoyed it 😀
Drizzling the buttermilk or egg into the flour mixture is to mimic the well used batch of batter you get after Repeatedly making this. What it does is makes the extra flaky texture you see at pop eyes that you do NOT se at chic fila