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    Home > Blog > Chicken & Poultry > Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe

    Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe

    by Jenny Park · Published: Jan 29, 2021 · Modified: Jul 16, 2022

    Jump to Recipe
    Our copycat Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe is easy to make at home! Super crispy and juicy fried chicken on brioche buns with pickle chips smothered in a spicy sauce. These are delicious and 100% worth making!
    Popeyes chicken sandwich at eye level to see all the sauce and pickles with fries on the side.

    After careful consideration, my husband and I finally did it – we tried the infamous Popeyes Chicken Sandwich.

    This sandwich went completely viral when it first came out and basically sold out everywhere! I remember being shocked by seeing crazy lines out the door, driving by one of their locations.

    After the crowds and lines finally died down, we gave them a try. We both thought the sandwich was really tasty and enjoyed the buttery brioche bun they used, but overall wished it was a little bigger, haha.

    My favorite part of the fried chicken sandwich was the flavorful and crunchy breading, that actually didn’t taste greasy, as well as the juicy chicken that was perfectly cooked. The sandwich seemed easy enough to try and recreate so I decided to tackle it at home.

    After a handful of tests in the kitchen, I ended up with a copycat Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe that I’m really happy with. It’s crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and finished with a simple spicy mayo with nice kick, salty pickles and a perfectly buttered and toasted brioche bun. Our Popeyes chicken sandwich recipe is fairly simple, don’t require any hard to find ingredients and are really delicious.

    How to Make our Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe

    Popeyes Chicken Sandwich recipe ingredients shot overhead.
    Jump to Recipe

    Process

    1. Pour buttermilk into a baking dish and add chicken breasts, turning to coat.
    2. Marinate chicken.
    Chicken breasts in buttermilk in a glass dish.
    Chicken marinating in buttermilk.
    1. In another baking dish combine flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Whisk together.
    Chicken breading mixture in a glass bowl.
    Chicken breading for popeyes chicken sandwich.
    1. Drizzle a couple spoonfuls of buttermilk from the baking dish with the chicken into the baking dish with the flour mixture and gently stir together.
    2. Season chicken breasts with salt and dredge into the flour mixture until fully coated.
    3. Shake off any excess coating and transfer to a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack.
    Jump to Recipe
    Chicken being tossed in a flour mixture to make a chicken sandwich.
    Chicken breaded waiting to be fried.
    1. While breaded chicken sits, preheat some oil in a large skillet to 350˚F.
    2. Carefully slide each chicken breast into the hot oil and fry for several minutes. Gently flip each piece of chicken and continue frying until golden brown, crispy and cooked through.
    3. Transfer cooked chicken onto a clean baking sheet lined with a cooling rack. Season with salt.
    A close up of Popeyes Fried Chicken on a wire rack.
    Ingredients for Popeyes Chicken Sandwich.
    1. Combine mayo and hot sauce into a small mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined.
    Popeyes chicken sandwich spicy sauce in a bowl.
    Popeyes chicken sandwich recipe sauce in a bowl combined.
    1. To assemble: Spread the spicy mayo on the tops and bottoms of each bun. Place pickles on top of the bottom bun and top with a piece of fried chicken. Place top buns over chicken and gently press. Serve immediately!
    Popeyes chicken sandwich sauce on a bun.
    Pickled and popeyes sandwich sauce on a bun.
    Building a popeyes chicken sandwich on a plate.
    Jump to Recipe

    Making the Fried Chicken and Sauce Ahead of Time

    Fried Chicken

    While we prefer to make and eat this right away for the freshest experience, you can fry the chicken ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.

    When ready to reheat, place chicken pieces onto a cooling rack lined baking sheet and heat for 10 minutes in a oven preheated to 375˚F. The chicken won’t get quite as crisp from when they were first fried, but will still be delicious and full of flavor.

    Sauce

    The spicy mayo can be made up to 1 week ahead of time and can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator.

    Popeyes fried chicken sandwich recipe up close looking into the side of the sandwich.

    Tips and Tricks for our Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe Success

    • If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to regular dairy milk and allowing the mixture to sit for a minute.
    • Add some cayenne pepper (1/4 to 1 teaspoon) to the flour mixture to really bump the heat up!
    • Allow breaded chicken to sit out for 15 to 20 minutes. It will really help the flour coating to adhere to the chicken better and prevent the coating from falling off when fried. It will also help to dry the dredging mixture out, creating a crispier, crunchier coating once the chicken is fried.
    • Although not necessary, I love swiping a small amount of mayo on the tops and bottom of each brioche bun and lightly toasting them, mayo side down, in a skillet. This creates a nice lightly toasted texture to the insides of each bun, while keeping the outside of the buns buttery and fluffy.
    Jump to Recipe

    Variations for our Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe

    • Shredded iceberg lettuce can be added to the sandwich for some fresh, crunchy texture.
    • Cabbage slaw is also a great addition to the sandwich for a creamy or vinegar crunch to the sandwiches.
    • Spicy mayo can be swapped out for a buttermilk ranch dressing or even barbecue sauce.
    • Slices of cheese (we prefer American) can be added to the sandwiches. If you add the slice of cheese to the tops of the freshly fried chicken, the heat should slightly melt the cheese without having to bake them off in the oven.

    I love fried chicken sandwiches, and this copycat Popeyes chicken sandwich recipe really hits the spot. It’s a fun splurge meal to enjoy, especially with a side of French fries or potato chips. They’re also so much easier to make than you would think!

    For a yummy variation, try our Chick Fil A Sauce on your next chicken sandwich! If you love fried chicken as much as I do you will also love our Chicken Fried Potatoes (a fun vegetarian take on fried chicken!), or our Baked Nashville Honey Hot Chicken Sandwiches!

    Popeyes fried chicken sandwich on a cutting board with french fries.

    More Sandwich Recipes You Will Love

    • Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
    • Grilled Tri Tip Sandwich
    • Carne Asada Torta
    • Turkey Sausage Breakfast Sandwiches
    • Slow Cooker Pickled Pulled Pork Sandwiches
    • Pork Katsu Sandwich
    Click here for more Chicken Recipes!

    Check out our Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Google Web Story.

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    A close up of Popeyes Chicken Sandwich with fries on a wooden board.

    Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe

    4.96 from 99 votes
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    Our copycat Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe is easy to make at home! Super crispy and juicy fried chicken on brioche buns with pickle chips smothered in a spicy sauce. These are delicious and 100% worth making!
    RECIPE BY Teri & Jenny
    Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 11 minutes mins
    Inactive Time: 30 minutes mins
    Total Time: 56 minutes mins
    Servings: 2 people

      INGREDIENTS  

    fried chicken

    • 1½ cups buttermilk
    • 2 skinless chicken breasts small, about 5 ounces each.
    • 1 cup flour
    • 3 tbsp cornstarch
    • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
    • 2 tsp garlic powder
    • 2 tsp onion powder
    • 1½ tsp salt

    frying

    • 2 cups fryer oil

    spicy mayo

    • ⅔ cup mayo
    • 2 tbsp hot sauce

    assembly

    • 2 brioche buns lightly toasted
    • ¼ cup pickle chips

      INSTRUCTIONS  

    • Pour buttermilk into a baking dish and add chicken breasts, turning to coat. Allow mixture to sit for 30 minutes.
    • In another baking dish combine flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Whisk together.
    • Drizzle a couple spoonfuls of buttermilk from the baking dish with the chicken into the baking dish with the flour mixture and gently stir together.
    • Season each chicken breast with salt and dredge into the flour mixture, on both sides, until fully coated.
    • Shake off any excess coating and transfer to a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack.
    • While breaded chicken sits, preheat 3 inches oil in a large skillet to 350˚F.
    • Carefully slide each chicken breast into the hot oil and fry for 5 to 6 minutes. Gently flip each piece of chicken and continue frying for an additional 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown, crispy and cooked through.
    • Transfer cooked chicken onto a clean baking sheet lined with a cooling rack. Season with salt.
    • Combine mayo and hot sauce into a small mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined.
    • To assemble spread the spicy mayo on the tops and bottoms of each bun. Place pickles on top of the bottom bun and top with a piece of fried chicken. Place top buns over chicken and gently press. Serve immediately!

      NOTES  

    FAQs
    • What if you don’t have buttermilk? You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to regular dairy milk and allowing the mixture to sit for a minute.
    • Why add some of the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture? This will create little pebbles in the dredging mixture, which will turn into thicker patches of fried coating in each piece of potato, which will maximize the flavor and crunchy texture once the potato rounds are fried.
    •  Can you adjust the spicy levels?Absolutely! We only added heat to the sauce portion of the sandwich, which can definitely be adjusted based on preference. If you want the chicken itself to be spicy, you can stir in a few dashes of hot sauce to the buttermilk that the chicken sits in, or you can add some cayenne pepper to the flour mixture (I recommend starting with 1/4 teaspoon on work your way up if you like it pretty spicy!) or you can do both!
    • Can this be made ahead of time? While we prefer to make and eat this right away for the freshest experience, you can fry the chicken ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. When ready to reheat, place chicken pieces onto a cooling rack lined baking sheet and heat for 10 minutes in a oven preheated to 375˚F. The chicken won’t get quite as crisp from when they were first fried, but will still be delicious and full of flavor.
    • Can the sauce be made ahead of time? Yes! The spicy mayo can be made up to 1 week ahead of time and can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator.
    Tips and Tricks for Success
    • Allowing the breaded chicken to sit out for a little while (15 to 20 minutes), will allow the flour coating to adhere to the chicken better and prevent the coating from falling off when fried. It will also help to dry the dredging mixture out, creating a crispy, crunchy coating once the chicken if fried.
    • Although not necessary, I love swiping a small amount of mayo on the tops and bottom of each brioche bun and lightly toasting them, mayo side down, in a skillet. This creates a nice lightly toasted flavor and texture to the insides of each bun, while keeping the outside of the buns buttery and fluffy.
     
    Calories: 1414kcal Carbohydrates: 113g Protein: 48g Fat: 85g Saturated Fat: 24g Cholesterol: 267mg Sodium: 3431mg Potassium: 887mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 11g Vitamin A: 2856IU Vitamin C: 12mg Calcium: 301mg Iron: 5mg
    CUISINE: American
    KEYWORD: fried chicken, sandwich
    COURSE: dinner, lunch, Main Course

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    January 29, 2021 / 50 Comments

    About Jenny Park

    Jenny Park is half of Spoon Fork Bacon. She is also a food stylist and recipe developer. One of her favorite foods is donuts. #sfbJENNY

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    Reader Interactions

    January 29, 2021 / 50 Comments

    Comments

      4.96 from 99 votes (68 ratings without comment)

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    1. Anne

      January 17, 2021 at 1:37 pm

      5 stars
      What hot sauce do you use for the spicy Mayo?

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        January 17, 2021 at 2:54 pm

        Hi! I like using red rooster or sriracha for this, but something like tapatio, Cholula or even Tabasco (if you like a more vinegary taste) would work great

        Reply
    2. Kirah

      December 20, 2020 at 6:26 pm

      5 stars
      These sandwiches tasted amazing! So close to Popeye’s I couldn’t tell the difference. I used chicken thighs instead of breast but they would be amazing either way.

      Reply
    3. rem

      December 14, 2020 at 1:57 pm

      what if you don’t have cornstarch?

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        December 16, 2020 at 9:20 am

        You can either use tapioca starch or just omit it and you’ll still have a great sandwich!

        Reply
    4. Tony Blackie

      November 29, 2020 at 9:04 pm

      CRAZY, THERE ARE NO QUANTITIES!!

      Hi Jenny, I have read and re read the recipe!!

      Why no quantities??

      I don’t know much of whatever. I am not a cook and need to know how much.

      Why have you not put this in.

      I am so looking forward to making :)

      Reply
      • Teri Lyn Fisher

        November 29, 2020 at 9:49 pm

        Hi Tony – What do you mean no quantities? On the ingredient list?

        Reply
    5. Jimmy

      October 22, 2020 at 8:04 pm

      5 stars
      I’m a beginner cook and have never fried anything, but your video was so helpful! These turned out so crispy and not oily. Thanks for the fantastic recipe

      Reply
    6. Dennis Yannakos

      September 05, 2020 at 10:01 pm

      5 stars
      Blame you for making my children addicted to this dish! LOL~
      Thanks

      Reply
    7. Tris

      September 03, 2020 at 12:07 pm

      5 stars
      This is probably my favorite fried chicken recipe to make. I never fry things at home, but this is the exception. Thanks!

      Reply
    8. Mary Thomas

      August 15, 2020 at 6:07 pm

      5 stars
      This was so good. Can’t wait to make it again!

      Reply
    9. Erica L

      August 05, 2020 at 4:25 pm

      5 stars
      These were so so so good. Already planning to make it again next week. Thank you for this recipe!

      Reply
    10. Anne

      August 01, 2020 at 3:51 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! One of the best fried chicken sandwiches I’ve ever had!!

      Reply
    11. Sarah

      August 01, 2020 at 3:50 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for my kids this weekend…fantastic!! Will definitely make again. Thanks!

      Reply
    12. Emily C

      July 31, 2020 at 7:57 pm

      5 stars
      Best fried chicken recipe I’ve ever made! Adding it to the rotation

      Reply
    13. Ron Morris

      July 30, 2020 at 5:23 pm

      5 stars
      As good as the original.

      Reply
    14. Jessica

      July 30, 2020 at 12:23 pm

      5 stars
      The chicken was so crunchy. The sauce was delicious.

      Reply
    15. Cheryl Morris

      July 29, 2020 at 9:50 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is great. I loved the treat of having Popeyes chicken at home and it was so easy to make. The sandwich was so crispy and flavorful. My family really enjoyed dinner. This will be a go to recipe often. The notes were very helpful. Thank you!

      Reply
    16. Debbie

      July 26, 2020 at 8:49 pm

      5 stars
      Uhhhhh, this sandwich was CRAZY GOOD!!

      Reply
    17. Joan

      July 25, 2020 at 11:40 am

      5 stars
      My husband made these earlier this week and I was blown away! He’s made fried chicken one other time and it was just okay. These sandwiches were incredible. I actually requested he make them again next week! Thanks!

      Reply
    18. Christine

      July 25, 2020 at 11:38 am

      5 stars
      I finally bit the bullet and made this! I usually hate frying in my house, but this was totally worth it!! That breading in unreal!!

      Reply
    19. Mike

      July 22, 2020 at 9:11 am

      5 stars
      My girlfriend and I both loved this recipe! We don’t normally like frying at home, but this was well worth it. Already have plans to make it again next week!

      Reply
    20. Jordan

      July 22, 2020 at 6:43 am

      5 stars
      Wow! This was delicious! So crunchy and juicy!! My entire family devoured these! They’re now on our monthly dinner rotation! Thanks!

      Reply
    21. Darren

      July 21, 2020 at 7:23 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for my family tonight and it is delicious! Num nummmmmssssss

      Reply
    22. Ashely M

      July 21, 2020 at 7:17 am

      5 stars
      I had all the ingredients for this. Thanks for the delicious recipe!

      Reply
    23. Doris

      July 19, 2020 at 10:04 am

      5 stars
      Awesome recipe which I have seen before on another cooking show ( the Kitchen) Sunny Anderson cut the cutlets with kitchen shears at various intervals to get the same crunchy texture ( drizziling the buttermilk in the flour) . I would not change a thing about your version…. to die for!!!!! Totally agree with letting the chicken rest for 15 minutes or so to make flour adhere better. Don’t skip this step. Thanks for a keeper.

      Reply
    24. Aubrey

      July 19, 2020 at 9:46 am

      5 stars
      Made this last night. The coating on the chicken is so good. I can’t wait to make them again.

      Reply
    25. Pat Hull

      July 18, 2020 at 8:34 pm

      5 stars
      I just love the recipes they show, always new ideas.

      Reply
    Newer Comments »

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    Popeyes Chicken Sandwich recipe with french fries next to the sandwich.
    Popeyes chicken sandwiche on a cutting board with french fries next to it.
    Close up on a popeyes chicken sandwich recipe with french fries next to it.

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