Cajun Fried Chicken Sandwich with Creamy Ranch Slaw

The fried chicken sandwich is a classic Southern favorite, but we wanted to kick things up a notch! This easy version adds a kick of Creole flavor to the batter for a hint of spice combined with a creamy ranch slaw to cool things off.

There is nothing like the crisp crunch of good fried chicken. It’s a savory bite that satisfies the salty umami flavor we crave. It’s rich and indulgent, and when done right, this crispy chicken sandwich is magic in every single finger-licking bite. 

The creamy ranch buttermilk brine soaks the chicken thighs and locks in tons of moisture while giving it a subtle kick of flavor. By seasoning the breading with Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, it adds that heat without overpowering it with too much heat. 

The secret ingredient is baking powder in the coating too. This helps with that crunch by drying out the skin of the chicken and adding an extra snap to the bite. The dryer your chicken is, the better the batter crisps, and let’s be honest, that’s what we’re really here for. Get ready for the best chicken sandwich you’ve ever had.

What is Fried Chicken Sandwich?

Take tender chicken breasts and coat them in a flour mixture, fry them until golden brown in hot oil, and you have delicious fried chicken. Add those tenders to soft buns with your favorite toppings, and you’ve created fried chicken sandwiches. These tasty creations are typically topped with coleslaw and pickles. Other favorite toppings include lettuce, tomato, hot sauce, mayonnaise, and onions.

Ingredients Needed for Fried Chicken Sandwich

For the Brine

Boneless skinless chicken – this is the best variety to give you that savory crunch when the sandwich is complete.

Buttermilk

Tony Chachere’s Creole-style Ranch Dressing

For the Batter

Flour

Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Blend

Baking Powder

For the Slaw

You’ll be mixing together red and green cabbage, carrots, scallions, onions, jalapenos, and ranch dressing.

To put everything together, you’ll need brioche buns and pickles! Dill pickles or butter pickles are top choices.

How to Make Fried Chicken Sandwich Recipe

For success with this recipe, marinate the chicken in the Ranch buttermilk mix overnight. And you can make the slaw ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge for up to a day until ready to eat. 

When you are ready to cook, you want to make sure your oil is hot enough to deep fry the chicken. If the oil temperature isn’t 350 – 375 degrees, things will become soggy as it takes longer to cook. Testing a small piece or using a deep-fry thermometer is a way to ensure success. Use a Dutch oven for best results.

Prep the Chicken

Setting up a “batter station,” like a battle station, but less intense, to make the workflow easy and less messy helps too. Working from left to right, arrange a shallow bowl with the flour mix next to a baking sheet with a wire rack set over it.

This is the order you will dip the chicken, and having it all in a row makes for less mess and easy work before you move on to frying. 

Finish by placing the chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet to transfer to the oil. 

These steps may seem silly but serve a purpose in making this dish come together quickly and with minimal mess. 

Fry the chicken

Place the chicken in the hot oil for about 5 minutes until it turns golden brown.

Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and repeat with the remaining chicken. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees for safe consumption. Place the fried chicken on a wire rack or paper towels to get rid of excess oil.

Sprinkle Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning on top of the chicken.

Make the Slaw & Assemble

In a large bowl, toss your vegetables together. Add ranch dressing on top and toss to coat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

When you are ready to serve, toast your buns if you wish. Toasted buns will give you a simple crunch! Place a heaping portion of slaw on the bottom bun and top with fried chicken. Add pickle slices and the top bun. Serve while hot! Additional toppings and variations can of course, be substituted if you don’t prefer slaw.

What to Serve with Fried Chicken Sandwich

It’s hard to beat a crisp potato chip with a fried chicken sandwich. But a large salad, some delicious rice and beans, or just baked beans are pretty good too. And if you are really feeling up to it, smoked mac and cheese cools off that spicy thigh pretty well too. You can also skip the bun and put the chicken atop the mac and cheese with the slaw piled on top. If you love french fries as much as the next person, these are a staple as well.

Leftovers and Reheating

Wrap your leftover chicken patties in foil or place them in an airtight container. Store the coleslaw and chicken in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and assemble them when you are ready to eat. Just reheat the chicken in the oven or microwave for a short time.

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This simple recipe will give you the best fried chicken sandwich you’ve ever tasted. Golden crispy chicken with a hint of heat. Topped with coleslaw and butter pickles, your taste buds are in for a treat! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to help the next guy out by rating the recipe and leaving a comment below!