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!

Popeyes Spicy Chicken Sandwich Recipe Notes

• A thermometer is essential to monitor and regulate the oil temperature as you go.
• Keep a spider-skimmer to skim out all the fallen breading so it doesn’t burn in your grease.
• It is ideal for marinating the chicken a minimum of the night before; however, the complete 24 hours is ideal.
• About the spices – the higher quality, the better this dish will be.
• I really like Penzey’s spices, and I am setting out to buy those slowly once my cheaper versions run out. They aren’t even costlier; they’re less accessible as they aren’t at grocery stores.

Ingredients you’ll need

• Chicken breasts
• Buttermilk
• Eggs
• Cayenne pepper
• Paprika
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Cajun seasoning
• Sea salt and pepper
• Louisiana hot sauce
• Vegetable oil
• All-purpose flour
• Cornstarch
• Mayonnaise
• Butter
• Brioche buns
• Kosher dill pickle slices

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

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.

Share the image below to your Pinterest board if you like this Copycat Popeyes Chicken Sandwich recipe!

Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe 

Get ready to make the most mouthwatering chicken sandwich of your life with this easy copycat recipe! You won’t be able to resist the crispy, spicy excellence. Bon appétit!

Chicken Marinade

• 2 pounded chicken breasts, and cut in half to sandwich size
• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne, paprika, sea salt, pepper
• Tablespoon of Louisiana hot sauce

Chicken Breading and Frying

• Vegetable oil
• 1.5 cups of flour, all-purpose
• 3/4 cup of cornstarch
• 1.5 tablespoons of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Cajun seasoning, and cayenne pepper.
• 2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 2 teaspoons of ground pepper

Spicy Mayo and Assembly

• 3/4 cup of mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons of Louisiana hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons of paprika
• 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 4 buns, Brioche
• Kosher dill pickle slices

How to make Spicy Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe (Copycat)

• Marinate the chicken for 4-24 hours before serving.
• Add the buttermilk and all marinade ingredients to a medium size bowl and mix well.
• Put the pounded chicken breasts into the marinade, and make sure it’s absolutely submerged. Tightly cover and refrigerate.
• Prepare the spicy mayonnaise by mixing all the ingredients in a smaller bowl; mayo, paprika, hot sauce, Cajun, cayenne, and garlic powder.
• Cover and put aside in the fridge to allow time for the flavors to meld along nicely.

Breading & Frying Popeyes Spicy Chicken Sandwich:

• Heat oil to 350 degrees using a heavy-duty pot.
• Prepare a landing destination for the finished chicken while the oil is heating.
• In this case, I use a baking sheet lined in paper bags or a couple of layers of paper towels.
• Using a medium-sized bowl, prepare the dry flour mixture by combining all the breading ingredients.
• Take out the chicken marinade from the fridge, scoop 1/3 cup of the liquid marinade, and add it to the flour mixture.
• Use a fork to mix the liquid marinade into the flour mixture.
• Take the chicken from the marinade, one at a time, and dry pat excess moisture with paper towels before placing it in the flour mixture.
• Coat chicken completely with flour mixture, adding additional marinade liquid as needed.
• Place the chicken into the frying oil for about 4-6 minutes.
• Take away the chicken and place it onto a lined baking sheet.
• Let the chicken rest for a couple of moments, then return to the frying oil for another minute or two.

For the buns:

• Heat the pan to medium heat.
• When it’s hot enough, add the butter and place the buns on the buttered surface.
• Toast till the edges of the buns are nicely butter-crisp.

Assemble the Popeyes Chicken sandwich:

• Add spicy mayo to each side of the buns, and do it generously.
• Add 4-5 pickle slices to the bottom bun, add chicken breast and place the top bun.

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.