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
For the spicy version, am I reading this right? A whole tablespoon of cayenne?
Yes, that is correct. It may seem like a lot but it gets diluted in the flour so it’s not over-powering at all!
4.5 stars only because they didn’t have that crispy crunch. Was it my fault? May be someone can respond on how to make them crispier. Other then that, everyone is asking when will I make them again.!
Oh no! not sure what went wrong. Did you pre-heat the oil?
Can you make this with boneless, skinless chicken thighs?
You absolutely can!!
I noticed on the video you add hot sauce to the chicken marinade , how much is needed for that step?
You can go ahead and add 1-2 tablespoons.
I had the same idea when I saw boneless thighs on sale! They came out great with a similar recipe, so they should work well with this one. The star does not reflect on this recipe since I have not tried it as of yet.
SOOO good. Unbelievably juicy!!
These were so so so good. Already planning to make it again next week. Thank you for this recipe!
This recipe was sent to me by a gf after she posted online saying ‘the pain shooting from your hand to elbow after biting your finger while eating a chkn sandwich’. My response ‘musta been some helluva chkn sandwich’ 🤣🤣. Shortly after she inboxed me the recipe. Needless to say, I can’t wait to try it and now even moreso after reading these comments🙌🏽🙌🏽
Can anyone tell me how many calories this has?
All of them.
Just made these and they were delicious! The crispy crunch, yum! I used a tad more butter to brown the brioche buns and glad I did. You could taste it. This was very easy and I will definitely make it again.
Just Made and ate a sandwich. Really good! The sauce tastes pretty spot on to me. I used smoked paprika and Cajun spice. Marinaded chicken tenders for 2 hours. Again I used smoked paprika and Cajun spices in the flour coating. I like how you added marinade to the flour for crispier texture. Used my electric skillet. 325* is a better temperature
This was fantastic! My chicken was fried to PERFECTION—that cornstarch really did the trick. There was plenty of spice and flavor. I will go less on the salt next time just because I’m sensitive to the taste. I traditionally make a pickle-brined chicken sandwich, so I was excited to use up some buttermilk to try this and it’s going to be hard to go back. Also, definitely not a healthy option LOL so be ready for the itis to kick in.
So detail to follow. Thank you much! My soon addicted chicken, I think he would love it.
Absolutely delicious!
I would give this a 4.5, as the crust wasn’t quite as flavorful (but then again, maybe we burnt it XD ) This recipe is GREAT for a Popeyes craving! I would say if you’re going to make this recipe, better to make more sandwiches than less so you waste as little oil as possible.
We love Popeyes chicken sandwiches. I’m glad I didn’t know about them when i was pregnant with my kids or it would have been crazy! But these. Way better but similar. Husband thought they were amazing and mechanic stopped by to work on our car and I gave him one and he said it was the best chicken sandwich he’s had. Ha! Pickle is the cherry on top! Theses were a hit and easy to make. Made homemade buttermilk like you suggested and was great.
What kind of pickles?
perfect recipe! I’ve tried so many fried chicken sandwich recipes and nothing beats this one. I’m someone that likes to eyeball seasonings and ingredients, but I followed this one exactly and it was amazing. My boyfriend told me it was the best chicken sandwich he’s ever had, and he eats a lot of them! I fried mine for an extra minute on each side to get it extra crispy, and the chicken was perfect. For the sauce, I didn’t have buffalo so I used a Cajun hot sauce. I prefer this over Buffalo because I love super spicy. MAKE SURE TO POUND YOUR CHICKEN BREAST! It makes such a big difference when it comes to frying evenly and getting a good ratio of breading. This is now a staple recipe in my kitchen!
I don’t know which recipe everyone else followed but I followed this one exactly. It was very bland. Thankfully I only fried 2 pieces of chicken and realized that the flavor wasn’t there before I wasted anymore.
I’m not sure why you found the recipe bland. Did you add all the seasoning called for?
Maybe you only used teaspoons instead of Tablespoons on the flour mixture? Mine was perfect.
I’ll be the one to say it. But if you think it “lacking” a tiny bit in flavor would “waste” the chicken maybe cook your chicken to the tee. Even a tiny bit of flavor will make a perfectly cooked chicken breast taste great to me thats the joys of chicken. But again the meat needs to be cooked to the TEE. meat thermometer is best for this
Delicious!!! So flavorful and crispy! My 17 yo son was the primary chef making this tonight…we used Hot Hungarian Paprika for some extra kick. The Spicy Mayo was fantastic! I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone and everyone. Thank you!
This chicken sandwich recipe is pretty much perfect. Just need to make sure you really push that chicken down into the flour mixture when dredging to get in all the nooks n crannies. I toss the fried chicken in buffalo sauce and finish with blue cheese dressing. One of my favorite recipes.
This is the BOMB !!!! I followed the recipe to a Tee—my family said it tastes better than Popeyes chicken sandwich…thank you, loved it..
I made this and will make it again with some adjustments (not the fault of the recipe). I did not have buttermilk, so I made it with 1 cup milk and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. It seemed thinner than buttermilk would be. I will make it using buttermilk next time. Also, adding the few tablespoons of buttermilk to the flour mixture is critical – that is what creates the chunky coating. I believe that I will achieve a better coating next time with real buttermilk. Still, the flavor was excellent. I served it on a toasted brioche bun with the pickles and sauce for myself. My husband enjoyed his with Sweet Baby Ray’s bbq sauce. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
Thanks for the detailed feedback!
If you don’t want to buy a quart of buttermilk just for this recipe, you can use plain yogurt and thin it out with a little water to achieve a buttermilk consistency. Yogurt and buttermilk are very similar.
Tried this today and it was very good!
My only take is that it needs way more spice. I added a lot of hot sauce on the sandwich after tasting it. Other than that it’s a pretty solid recipe!
So delicious, the chicken was so juicy and the pickles and brioche buns really set everything off!
Love this recipe. Thanks so much. I make the kids chicken tenders this way now too!!
Awesomeness!!! Made ours with boneless skinless chicken thighs. It was great!
Layla, this recipe is amazing!! Thank you! I never knew how to get thick, crunchy coating at home. These are beyond delicious!!
Really good but your recipe doesn’t have hot sauce in the buttermilk marinade listed but it’s on the video.
Really delicious and love how crispy they were
Making this tonight! Everything is prepped and ready to go! Can’t wait to taste it!
Enjoy!!
Can this be done in an air fryer if so how long would you fry it for and at what temp
This was an OUTSTANDING recipe. I was so excited last night when I had it in the marinade and prepared the spicy mayo. When I opened up that container today, it was an amazing smell. I did everything by your instructions (including butter toasting the brioche buns) and it was to die for! Next time I will probably add one more tablespoon of cayenne to our dry mixture to kick it up a notch but you were SPOT ON. Thanks for sharing a terrific recipe!
Excellent recipe, would add a little more cayenne. Also added lettuce, onions and jalapeño peppers to the sandwich.
I have made this over half a dozen times. I like mine with honey mustard sauce, instead of mayo. Adding a bit of the marinade to the dry mixture is what makes it.
The absolute best chicken sandwich recipe EVER!!!!
I made it as well and tastes great…. I don’t Understand how many grams of chicken breast in each burger
Mine didn’t have enough chicken so I think I need to add more
SOOOO GOOOD!!!
Someone ate the leftovers and the family went crazy mad!!! 😂
Tried this recipe for the first time today! I used chicken thighs (boneless) instead of breasts and doubled the recipe. Overall it was a very successful attempt, however we face some issues with the crispy coating being cooked much earlier than the the chicken itself, so we fried it until golden brown, then popped the chicken into the toaster over for about 10 minutes so it could continue cooking without burning the outer coating! Hope this tip helps! They were delicious and definitely spend a little more and get brioche buns, they are heavenly!
I have learned first to cut chicken breast in half horizontally,. Next I pound out the chicken to a thinner fillet, which. reduces cook time to 3-4 minutes or less on each side thus eliminating the dark coating. I use a meat tenderizer hammer to thin the breasts and tenderize them to perfection before marinade.
I made it was really good we put some coleslaw too
Has anyone tried this in an airfryer? wondering if it would work – how long to cook for, etc…
I’m wondering the same thing
It works in the air fryer
It works very well. Make sure you spray the cage well and spray the chicken with oil. Cook at 400 for about 12 minutes. Flip. Spray. Cook again for 5 minutes. Came out perfect.
Did you follow the recipe exactly as is for the air fryer?
We made it tonight in the air fryer, coated the chicken in egg, then flour and then egg again. It was amazing!
AMAZING!!! THE FAMILY WENT NUTS FOR IT
I made this & my bunch said “ it’s better than what you get at Popeyes “ !! Delicious…
Yay!!
This recipe is PERFECT!!! I made this for my family and it was a hit. Will definitely be making it again. Oh and the spicy mayo… Yeeessss.!!! LOVE IT!!!
So happy they enjoyed it!
i made this and my kids told me to make it everyday
Delicious recipe!!! Only marinated the chicken for <2hrs; while it marinated, I prepped the breading and spicy mayo so everything came together pretty quickly just in time for lunch. Thanks so much for sharing – will definitely refer to this recipe again for future meals!
This recipe turned out AMAZING! I only marinated for 2.5 hours but it still turned out very juicy. The only step I skipped was adding some of the buttermilk mixture to the breading. Instead, I added the chicken to the breading with a lot of buttermilk mixture dripping off. The sauce was delicious! It definitely set the sandwich off. This will definitely go into my recipe staple.
I can’t find the temperature the oil should be at for frying. Please advise.
The temperature should be 350F. It’s in step 1 of cooking the chicken. Enjoy! 🙂