Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe (Copycat)

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When you make this Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe, you will be instantly teleported to Popeyes but won’t have to be confronted with long lines or sold-out signs!

You eat plenty of chicken sandwiches in your life. However, this one is the one that stops you in your thoughts and stays in your mind long once you ate it. It’s wonderful. It’s good. It makes me really happy, and this version is simply as wonderful if not better than the original.

Also, be sure to check the Popeyes Blackened Ranch Sauce recipe!

Ditch the store-bought hot sauce and make your own Louisiana-style sauce for Popeyes’ spicy recipe. 

Ingredients

For the Chicken Marinade

• 2 chicken breasts, pounded and cut in half (for sandwich-sized portions)

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 tablespoon Louisiana hot sauce

For the Chicken Breading & Frying

• Vegetable oil (for frying)

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup cornstarch

• 1½ tablespoons paprika

• 1½ tablespoons garlic powder

• 1½ tablespoons onion powder

• 1½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning

• 1½ tablespoons cayenne pepper

• 2 teaspoons sea salt

• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

For the Spicy Mayo & Assembly

• ¾ cup mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce

• 2 teaspoons paprika

• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 4 brioche buns

• Kosher dill pickle slices

Instructions

1. Marinate the Chicken

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, cayenne, paprika, sea salt, black pepper, and hot sauce.

2. Submerge the chicken pieces fully in the marinade. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours for maximum flavor and tenderness.

2. Make the Spicy Mayo

1. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, hot sauce, paprika, Cajun seasoning, cayenne, and garlic powder.

2. Mix until smooth, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Bread the Chicken

1. Heat the frying oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F (175°C).

2. Prepare a baking sheet lined with paper towels or paper bags for draining.

3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Cajun seasoning, cayenne, sea salt, and black pepper.

4. Add about ⅓ cup of the liquid marinade into the flour mixture. Use a fork to mix, creating small clumps for extra-crispy breading.

5. Remove a piece of chicken from the marinade, pat off excess liquid, and dredge in the flour mixture. Press gently to ensure the coating sticks well. Repeat with remaining pieces.

4. Fry the Chicken

1. Fry the breaded chicken in batches for 4–6 minutes, turning as needed, until golden and crisp.

2. Remove to the prepared baking sheet and let rest for 2–3 minutes.

3. Return chicken to the hot oil for 1–2 minutes to double-fry, ensuring a shatteringly crisp crust.

5. Toast the Buns

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat.

2. Melt butter, then place the brioche buns cut-side down.

3. Toast until golden and slightly crisp.

6. Assemble the Sandwiches

1. Spread the spicy mayo generously on both halves of the toasted buns.

2. Add 4–5 pickle slices to the bottom bun.

3. Place a piece of crispy chicken on top, then crown with the top bun.

4. Serve hot and enjoy!

Tips & Notes

• Crispier coating: Lightly press the breading onto the chicken before frying for extra texture.

• Heat adjustment: Reduce cayenne by half for a milder version, or add extra for more spice.

• Oil temperature: Use a thermometer — maintaining 350°F is key to even cooking and crispiness.

Make-Ahead & Storage

• Make-Ahead: Marinate the chicken up to 24 hours in advance.

• Storage: Store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 400°F oven for 8–10 minutes to bring back the crunch.

• Freezer-Friendly: Freeze fully cooked chicken pieces for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven until hot and crispy.

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How to make Popeyes Chicken Sandwich

Step 1: Marinate the chicken breasts

First, prepare the chicken breasts by covering them with foil and flattening the thicker size using a meat mallet.

Add the buttermilk, eggs, cayenne, paprika, sea salt, pepper, and Louisiana hot sauce in a medium size bowl. Mix until it’s well combined. Marinate the chicken breasts for at least 4 hours, and for the best results, up to 24 hours.

Make sure it’s completely submerged in the marinade. 

Step 2: Prepare the spicy mayonnaise sauce.

In a separate, smaller dish, combine all of the ingredients for the spicy mayonnaise; mayo, paprika, hot sauce, Cajun, cayenne, and garlic powder. Place the covered bowl in the refrigerator and let the flavors combine for at least a few hours, preferably overnight. 

Step 3: Prepare the breading mix.

Put all the dry breading ingredients into a bowl of about medium size, and mix well; All-purpose flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Cajun seasoning, sea salt, and ground pepper.

Step 4: Fry the chicken

In a heavy-duty pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees.

Take the chicken marinade out of the fridge, and pour in a third of a cup’s worth of the marinade liquid into the flour mixture. Stir the flour mixture with a fork after adding the liquid marinade. Coat chicken with flour mixture, using as much marinade liquid as necessary to get a coating texture right. 

Place the chicken in the hot oil and cook it for four to six minutes. Remove the chicken and put it on a baking sheet that has been prepared.

After a short rest period, return the chicken to the frying oil and cook it for another minute or two.

Step 5: Prepare the buns and assemble them. 

Preheat the pan over medium heat. Then, when the butter has melted, lay the buns, cut side down, in the greased pan. Get the buns nicely browned and toasted until the butter bubbles and the edges crisp.

Add a generous amount of spicy mayo to the buns.

Place the bottom bun with four or five pickle slices on it. Top with the chicken breast.

Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Video Instructions

Let us know what you think of this Crispy, spicy, tangy copycat version of the famous Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe!

If you’ve liked this recipe, check out this Chick-fil-a Chicken minis copycat recipe.

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