With the perfect amount of spice and a ton of flavor, this Spicy Chicken Sandwich with Cilantro Lime Mayo is so good that the family asks for it over and over again!
Love a good chicken sandwich? Also check out this Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Ranch Chicken Sandwiches with Ranch Slaw, or Pizza Topped Grilled Chicken Sandwich.
A Great Summertime Dinner
As the weather starts to get warmer and as we head towards summer, I want to start simplifying things. Lots of sandwiches, burgers and wraps for dinner.
This Spicy Chicken Sandwich with Cilantro Lime Mayo just may become a staple this year. It comes together pretty quickly (besides the marinating time), and only requires about 6 minutes of cooking time. Which is perfect if you are one of those people who hates heating up the kitchen when the weather gets warmer.
And don’t let the “spicy” part of this Spicy Chicken Sandwich scare you away. They have a ton of flavor, but are not overly spicy. In fact, my kids were totally fine eating them. If you want to add more spice, you can add in more hot sauce, or maybe a splash or two of a hotter hot sauce than buffalo sauce. But overall, I thought the spice level was perfect. And that Cilantro Lime Mayo? I want to slather that on everything.
This is the perfect dinner as summer gets into full swing!
Ingredients
For the Cilantro Lime Mayo:
- Mayonnaise & Greek Yogurt: I like to use a mix of half mayo and half Greek yogurt, but really, you could use all of one or the other.
- Lime Juice: Fresh is best here!
- Cilantro: I usually just eyeball this amount. And I love cilantro, so I will sometimes add more!
- Garlic: If you don’t like the flavor of raw garlic, you can use garlic powder. But I love the fresh garlic flavor!
For the Spicy Chicken Sandwiches:
- Egg: This recipe is a little different in that the egg is used for the marinade as well as the “glue” to keep the breading on the chicken.
- Buffalo Sauce: The buffalo sauce is where the spiciness comes from. If you want even more spiciness, you can top your sandwich with buffalo sauce.
- Oregano: This is for flavor.
- Salt: Also for flavor. Don’t skip this!
- Chicken: I use 2 chicken breasts that you will cut in half to form 4 thiner pieces of chicken. This is a great way to stretch the chicken, as well as help it to cook quickly.
- Tortilla Chips: I love the tortilla chip breading on this chicken – it gets nice and crispy!
- Olive Oil: The olive oil is for frying the chicken. You could also use a different neutral oil of your choice.
- Rolls: I use Kaiser rolls, but any sort of bun will work. Homemade Hamburger Buns would be fantastic!
- Lettuce and Onion: These are just for topping the sandwiches. I like to use red onions, but you can use what you prefer.
How to Make Spicy Chicken Sandwiches
- Make the mayo first. The more time this has to hang out in the refrigerator, the better. For the mayo, you simply need to just mix all of the ingredients together.
- Next marinate your chicken by combining the egg, buffalo sauce, oregano and salt in a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Cut your chicken breasts in half horizontally, making 4 thinner pieces of chicken. Place these in with the marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but up to 8 hours.
- When you’re ready to make the sandwiches, pulse the tortilla chips in a food processor until they are rough crumbs. You could also smash then in a ziplock bag.
- Next you’ll want to coat the chicken in the crumbs. This is easiest if the tortilla chip crumbs are in a shallow bowl. Remove one piece of chicken from the bag at a time, letting any excess marinade drip off. Place chicken in the bowl with the tortilla chips and coat completely. Set this aside and continue with the rest of the chicken.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet – I like to use a cast iron skillet. Once hot, fry the chicken, about 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through.
- To assemble, place a piece of chicken on each bun and top with lettuce, onions, and some of the Cilantro Lime Mayo.
Tips and Tricks
Serve extra buffalo sauce or hot sauce at the table for those who want to up the spice factor. Or if you want to make them spicier for everyone, add a little cayenne pepper into the crumbs.
We are just pan-frying the chicken in a small amount of oil. If you want to do more of a deep fry, I would suggest using an oil with a high smoke point – like vegetable oil or canola oil.
Don’t overcrowd the skillet when cooking the chicken. I like to cook 2 pieces of chicken at a time. You can place the cooked chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet and place it in the oven on a low temperature to keep the first batch warm while you are cooking the second batch.
You can also add tomato or pickles to the toppings.
More Sandwich Recipes
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches
Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Monte Cristo Sandwich
Club Sandwich
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
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Spicy Chicken Sandwich with Cilantro Lime Mayo
Ingredients
Cilantro-Lime Mayo:
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 5 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 clove garlic minced
Spicy Chicken Sandwiches:
- 1 egg lightly whisked
- 3 tablespoons buffalo sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 8 oz each boneless chicken breasts
- 4 1/2 ounces tortilla chips about 6 cups
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 Kaiser rolls
- red onion slices
- torn lettuce leaves
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt and lime juice and stir until smooth. Stir in the cilantro and garlic. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- Combine the egg, buffalo sauce, oregano and salt in a gallon sized ziplock bag. Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally, making 4 thinner pieces of chicken. Add them to the bag and seal. Refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours, turning the bag occasionally.
- Place the tortilla chips in a food processor and process until crumbs. Place in a shallow dish.
- Working with one piece of chicken at a time, remove from the marinade and allow any excess marinade to drip off. Coat the chicken in the crushed tortilla chips. Set aside and continue with the remaining chicken.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned, about 3 minutes, then turn and cook the second side until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 more minutes.
- To serve, spread the Cilantro-Lime Mayo on the bottom of each of the rolls. Top with red onions, lettuce, and a piece of chicken. Spread some more of the mayo on the top half of the roll and place on top of the chicken.
Deb says
Made these for dinner last week and everyone in my family was surprised by how much they loved them! The tortilla chips are a fun crust and the sauce is delicious. We let people add more buffalo sauce on top if they wanted it spicier.
Charlie says
These sound so good!
Because of my preference I will be using boneless thighs.
Thanks for sharing.
Amelie Moore says
Ohhh these look cool! I haven’t yet made chicken sandwich! You have motivated me – thank you
Ashley@blondegirlcravings says
I adore a big, delicious sandwich. Can’t wait to try this!
Malinda @Countryside Cravings says
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks time is going way to fast!!! I totally am not ready for the constant ” I’m bored”!!! The crispy coating on this chicken sandwich is killing me, can’t wait to try this out!
Nikki says
I love a good chicken sandwich! Looks great, Xx
cookbook queen says
I’m loving the crispy coating on that chicken!!! And girl — I am SO feeling you. Lucy’s last day is May 25 and Jon David’s is a few days after. I am in FULL PANIC MODE.
Sheryl | When Hungry says
Yum!! That fried chicken fillet looks perfect!
Liz says
Chicken sandwich sounds great. Thank you and have a good week.