Air Fryer Spicy Chicken Sandwiches

closeup of a spicy chicken sandwich with pickles

5 from 2 votes

Air Fryer Spicy Chicken Sandwiches

Tender air fried chicken strips, dredged in a spicy oil sauce are layered on a bed of lettuce and topped with pickles and ranch.

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer recipe, chicken, comfort food, game day

Servings:

Calories: 804kcal

Author: Julie Clark

Ingredients

For the Chicken Strips:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast strips
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs beaten
3 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot Sauce)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
nonstick cooking spray
hot sauce (recipe below)

For the Hot Sauce:

½ cup hot oil (vegetable, olive, your choice!)
2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder

For the Sandwiches:

6 hamburger buns
1 cup shredded lettuce
½ cup bread and butter sliced pickles
½ cup ranch dressing
chicken strips

Instructions

Make the Chicken Strips:

In a flat dish, mix the buttermilk, eggs and hot sauce together.
In a separate flat dish combine the flour, cornstarch and salt.
In a third flat dish place the panko.
Dip the chicken in the flour, making sure to cover completely. Then dip it in the buttermilk, then lay it in the panko and spoon panko on top. Press down gently to help the panko stay on the chicken.
Place 4 to 5 chicken pieces in the air fryer basket, and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place the basket in the air fryer and set to 360° Fahrenheit . Set the timer for 8 minutes.
After the 8 minutes, flip the pieces over and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Return to the air fryer and set the timer for 3-5 more minutes. Chicken should reach 165° Fahrenheit internal temp. The exact timing will depend on how big the chicken tenders are.
Remove the chicken and repeat until all the chicken has been “fried”.
Dip the chicken in the hot seasoned oil (recipe below) and turn to coat, if the sauce gets too thick, add more hot oil. Place chicken on a plate.

Make the Hot Sauce:

Make this while the chicken is air frying.
Heat oil in a small saucepan or skillet over medium low heat.
Make sure the oil is nice and hot, then add all the ingredients and stir.
Let this sit for 5 minutes before using.

Make the Sandwiches:

You can toast the bread on a pan with a little butter or some nonstick cooking spray if you would like, or just serve them as they are.
Place a good serving of lettuce on the bottom of the bun. Stack pieces of chicken on the lettuce, add plenty of pickles and drizzle with ranch. Place the top bun back on and serve.
These are delicious served with french fries and pickles or any side dish you choose.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the recipe making 6 sandwiches, with 1 serving being 1 sandwich with all the fixings (hot oil sauce, ranch, pickles, bun, etc). Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition