Homemade Popeyes Chicken Sandwich | Cookies and Cups

Craving a fried chicken sandwich? Don’t go to your nearest fast food place, make a DIY Popeyes Chicken Sandwich instead!

Make sure to try my Homemade Chicken Nuggets Recipe too! Just like Chick Fil A!

Popeyes chicken sandwich with lettuce and pickles.

Make the Famous Popeyes Chicken Sandwich At Home!

Sometimes comfort food is mac and cheese, sometimes it’s a slice of chocolate cake, and sometimes its a fried chicken sandwich. This Popeyes Chicken Sandwich is so crispy, and a total treat for the tastebuds when combined with homemade spicy mayo.

You can make this sandwich for lunch, a quick dinner, you name it. If you’re not big on spice, feel free to eat this chicken sandwich with regular mayo – just make sure you don’t forget to make some homemade fries to enjoy on the side!

What’s So Great About Popeyes Chicken Sandwich?

Popeyes’ chicken sandwich is the best of the best when it comes to fast food. The breading on the chicken is so crispy and crunchy, but the chicken itself stays perfectly juicy! And when you throw in sliced pickles and spicy mayo… its a party of flavors you don’t want to miss. Make the sandwich yourself, though, and you can skip the guilt that comes with rolling away from the drive-thru!

What You’ll Need

So what will you need to put this masterpiece of a sandwich together? Round up the following:

For the Chicken

Chicken: You’ll need 2 pounds of boneless chicken breasts, cut into even sized pieces.
Buttermilk: To marinate the chicken in.
Seasoning: Add in paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper.

For the Spicy Mayo

Mayonnaise: The base for the spicy mayo, of course.
Hot Sauce: Feel free to adjust the amount according to your taste.
Seasoning: Throw in a little paprika and some cayenne pepper.

For the Breading

Flour: Use all purpose flour for the breading.
Corn Starch: Helps the breading to become crispy when frying.
Seasoning: Paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and fresh ground black pepper.
Vegetable Oil: For frying.

Assembly

Bread: I recommend using brioche buns.
Lettuce
Pickle Slices

How to Make a Popeyes Chicken Sandwich

Time to put this sandwich together! The process starts with a buttermilk marinade for the chicken. Then you’ll put the mayo together, assemble the flour mixture for breading and frying, and finally you build the sandwich with your warm, crispy chicken!

Let the Chicken Marinate: Place the cut chicken breasts into a large zip-top bag. In a medium bowl whisk together the buttermilk, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture on top of the chicken in the bag. Seal the bag and squeeze it to combine the marinade with the chicken. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight.

Make the Mayonnaise: In a medium bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, hot sauce, paprika, and cayenne pepper until combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The longer it sits, the more the flavors will combine.

Prepare the Breading: In a large bowl whisk together the flour, corn starch, paprika, garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.

Dredge Chicken in Breading Mixture: Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and using tongs, dredge each piece of chicken heavily in the flour mixture. Transfer to a plate, sprinkle a little extra flour mixture on top to prevent sticking and repeat with all the chicken.

Set Oven to Warm: Place a cooling rack onto a large baking sheet and set aside. You will place the chicken on this to stay warm in the oven while you fry all the chicken.

Fry the Chicken: Add the vegetable oil into a large Dutch Oven, or deep-sided, heavy bottomed pan. Oil should be 3 – 4 inches deep. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F. Add the chicken in batches of 2 or 3 pieces at a time and fry until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and place in the warm oven while you fry the remaining chicken.

Assembly: Spread the mayonnaise on each side of the bun. Place the fried chicken on the bottom bun. Top with lettuce, pickles, and the top bun. Serve immediately.

Tips for Success

Looking for some extra tips on making the best chicken sandwich? I’ve got you covered:

How to Keep Your Chicken Crisp: I use a wire rack on a baking sheet instead of paper towels to keep the chicken warm so the chicken stays crisp, while allowing any excess oil to drip off. Chicken on the paper towels can lead to the bottom of your chicken getting a little soggy.
Toast the Buns: Warm, slightly crispy brioche buns make this sandwich taste even better.
Let the Breading Sit on the Chicken: Do this for 5-10 minutes so that the flour mixture really sticks to the chicken, and doesn’t fall off when you fry it.

Variation Ideas

There are a lot of ways to make and enjoy a fried chicken sandwich! Here are a couple of ideas on switching things up:

Chicken Dipping Sauce: If you’re not big on spicy mayo, try this AMAZING Chicken Dipping Sauce instead!
More Mayo Substitutions: Ranch tastes great on a crispy chicken sandwich, as does BBQ sauce.
Add-Ins: Fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and even bacon are all quality add-ins!

Serving Suggestions

Wondering what to serve with your chicken sandwich? These are some of my go-to options:

Fries: Dip these in the spicy mayo too!
Coleslaw: You can put it in the burger, or enjoy it on the side – it’s up to you!
Onion Rings: If you’re not big on fries (… what?!) try onion rings instead.

Copycat Popeyes chicken sandwich on a plate.

How to Store Extras

Fried chicken will store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Make sure to keep the chicken and the mayo in separate containers.

Description:

A DIY Popeyes Chicken Sandwich will satisfy your strongest fried chicken cravings! Made with spicy mayo, crunchy pickle slices, and a brioche bun, you won’t be able to resist digging into this crispy chicken sandwich.

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into even sized pieces.
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

For the Spicy Mayo:

1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Breading:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup corn starch
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
3 – 4 cups vegetable oil for frying

Assembly:

8 brioche buns
Lettuce
Pickle slices

Instructions

Chicken:

Place the cut chicken breasts into a large zip-top bag. In a medium bowl whisk together the buttermilk, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture on top of the chicken in the bag. Seal the bag and squeeze it to combine the marinade with the chicken. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight.

Mayonnaise:

In a medium bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, hot sauce, paprika, and cayenne pepper until combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The longer it sits, the more the flavors will combine.

Breading and Frying:

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, corn starch, paprika, garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and using tongs, dredge each piece of chicken heavily in the flour mixture. Transfer to a plate, sprinkle a little extra flour mixture on top to prevent sticking and repeat with all the chicken.
Set oven to warm. Place a cooling rack onto a large baking sheet and set aside. You will place the chicken on this to stay warm in the oven while you fry all the chicken.
Add the vegetable oil into a large Dutch Oven, or deep-sided, heavy bottomed pan. Oil should be 3 – 4 inches deep. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F.
Add the chicken in batches of 2 or 3 pieces at a time and fry until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and place in the warm oven while you fry the remaining chicken.

Assembly:

Spread the mayonnaise on each side of the bun. Place the fried chicken on the bottom bun. Top with lettuce, pickles, and the top bun. Serve immediately.

Notes:

I use a wire rack on a baking sheet instead of paper towels to keep the chicken warm so the chicken stays crisp, while allowing any excess oil to drip off. Chicken on the paper towels can lead to the bottom of your chicken getting a little soggy.

Keywords:: popeyes chicken, popeyes spicy chicken sandwich