Low Maintenance Crispy Chicken Sandwiches

Healthier Fried Chicken But On Easy Mode

Oct 14, 2023

There aren’t many things that keep my attention on social media anymore. Scrolling through my feed, all I see are cute otters being needier than a child born yesterday and absolutely hilarious AI renditions of pop artists’ performances (think Squidward singing Britney Spears or 90’s Metallica singing Ed Sheeran). If I allow the social media algorithm to overload my dopamine receptors long enough, eventually it throws me a bone in the form of some mouthwatering clips of fried chicken sandwiches.

Those sandwiches look so good that on my next shopping trip, I helplessly impulse-buy all of the ingredients needed to recreate what I saw. Once I get to the house, it’s game time. I’ve got my breading stations ready, chicken portioned out, sandwich components prepped, and tens of spices laid out I’ll probably only use for this specific purpose. After continuously forgetting to use one hand for wet ingredients and the other for dry ingredients, my kitchen looks like both a tornado and a snowstorm hit at the same time.

Flour is everywhere, dishes are everywhere, and my chicken sandwich is nowhere. Now I feel like I should’ve just ordered takeout and called it a day.

This has often been my experience making fried chicken sandwiches at home. With so many steps and spices involved, it’s never exactly been something I could easily whip up at a moment’s notice. If I wanted one, I had to commit to spending nearly half the day prepping it, until now.

After countless hours of crying over spilled flour, I’ve developed two chicken sandwiches that don’t take all your time and patience to make. They can be made in less than 30 minutes and have very few ingredients, so you can spend less time wanting that chicken sandwich and more time enjoying it instead. On top of that, they are macro-friendly and a great way to get in a hearty serving of protein in the process. Here’s what’s on the menu:

Cajun Chicken Sandwich
Panko Chicken Sandwich

Now, on to the recipes!

Cajun Chicken Sandwich

53G Protein Per Sandwich | 544 Calories | 25 Minutes | 4 Servings

While most chicken sandwiches seem to require marinating in buttermilk for hours, followed by a five-step dredging process and a hopeful prayer for crispiness, this chicken sandwich is as straightforward as writing your name on a test. There’s one seasoning, one pass through the dredging station, and then the cooking begins. That’s it. The end result is a smoky, crispy, and somewhat spicy sandwich that will keep you from indulging in a fattier, deep-fried version.

Ingredient List

Sandwich

4 boneless chicken breasts
4 brioche buns
3 cups corn flakes, crushed
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
1 egg white
2 tsp cajun seasoning
Dill pickle chips

Sauce

4 tbsp light mayo
2 tbsp greek yogurt
Dash of hot sauce

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 390°F or the oven to 375°F.
Cut the chicken into desired size. (4 oz or 5 oz pieces).
Whisk together the egg, egg white, and hot sauce. Set aside. Add the cornflakes and flour each to their own plate.
Crush the cornflakes. Mix all of the ingredients under the sauce list.
Season each piece of chicken with 1/4 tsp of cajun seasoning on each side. Rub the seasoning into the chicken.
Coat the chicken lightly in flour, dip into the egg mixture, then add to the cornflakes. Press the chicken into the cornflakes, spoon cornflakes over the top, and continue to press cornflakes onto the chicken until it’s completely covered.
Spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray and add to the air fryer. Cook for 7-8 minutes. For the oven, cook for 20-25 minutes. Flip the chicken halfway.
Remove the chicken and sprinkle both sides lightly with additional cajun seasoning.
Toast the bun then spread 1 tbsp of the sauce to the bottom bun. Top that with the dill pickle chips followed by the cooked chicken. Finish by adding the top bun and enjoy!

Panko Chicken Sandwich

33G Protein Per Sandwich | 464 Calories | 25 Minutes | 4 Servings

Before the Chicken Sandwich Wars of 2019, there weren’t too many chicken sandwiches that were thick. They were always much thinner and had a more tender mouthfeel like the McDonald’s McChicken. While I’m definitely a fan of the big bird sandwiches that are now plastered on the menus of every gastropub and fast food place in existence, the original sandwiches still have their own nostalgic charm. They weren't designed to be the biggest or to boast the most outrageous toppings like many of today's offerings, but rather just be delicious and addictive. With this panko-crusted chicken sandwich, you’ll get to enjoy a taste of simpler times when we didn’t have 100 choices of chicken sandwiches to choose from.