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Crispy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Recipe
It’s no secret I love anything covered in buffalo sauce! From wings to cauliflower or dip, I can’t get enough of the flavor.
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This crispy buffalo chicken sandwich is the ultimate comfort food — featuring juicy fried chicken thighs coated in tangy buffalo sauce, then topped with a cool and creamy blue cheese celery slaw. Perfect for game day, weeknight dinners, or whenever a spicy craving hits, it strikes the perfect balance between heat and crunch. If you love bold flavors like this, try my Fried Chicken Sandwich with Alabama White Sauce or Fried Chicken Biscuits with Hot Honey Butter next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Big Buffalo Flavor: Every bite packs that signature tangy, buttery, spicy punch buffalo fans crave.
- Crispy & Juicy Chicken: The chicken thighs fry up perfectly golden while staying incredibly tender inside.
- Cool, Creamy Contrast: The homemade blue cheese celery slaw balances out the heat for a crave-worthy bite every time.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Chicken – I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this recipe. Chicken thighs are both a cheaper cut as well as extremely flavorful. When fried, they remain incredibly tender. If swapping in chicken breasts, I would recommend slicing them thinner so they cook quickly and don’t dry out.
- Buffalo sauce – Buffalo sauce is a tangy and spicy sauce made with a combination of butter, hot sauce, white vinegar, Worcestershire and a little garlic powder for a kick. It can easily be made at home or you can use a favorite store bought sauce.
- Celery – I use a mandolin to thinly shave the celery on the bias to create a crunchy slaw tossed in the buttermilk blue cheese dressing.
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk creates a tangy base and also thins out the sauce and balances the robust flavor of the blue cheese.
- Blue cheese – Varieties of blue cheese can range in flavor from mild to more robust. A stronger blue cheese like roquefort, stilton or Maytag blue can stand up to spicy and bold flavors like the buffalo sauce.
- Potato bun – Potato sandwich buns are squishy with a moist texture. They add a great flavor and hold up better than brioche buns. I opt not to toast mine in this recipe in order to provide a contrast to the hot chicken.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pro Tip
For the crispiest chicken, let it rest on a wire rack after frying — not paper towels. This keeps the coating crunchy instead of soggy while you prep the buffalo sauce and slaw.
Swaps and Substitutions
- No blue cheese? Swap in ranch dressing for a milder, kid-friendly flavor.
- Lighter option: Use grilled chicken breasts or thighs instead of fried.
- Shortcut: Replace homemade fried chicken with frozen chicken tenders baked or air-fried until crispy.
- Different bun: Try brioche or sesame sandwich rolls if you don’t have potato buns on hand.
Shortcuts For This Recipe
There are a few ways to make assembling these buffalo chicken sandwiches quicker:
- Use frozen chicken tenders. Rather than frying your own chicken you can substitute store bought frozen chicken. You can also fry your own chicken and refrigerate or freeze it until ready to eat. I recommend reheating it in the oven or an air fryer until crispy.
- Store-bought sauce. I love making my own blue cheese sauce and buffalo sauce but choosing to use store-bought sauces makes it even easier to assemble this sandwich.
How to Make Crispy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches (Step-by-Step)
In a small mixing bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar, garlic and pepper until combined. Stir in the blue cheese. Use or store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.
Fill a large cast iron pan with vegetable oil so it reaches 2-inches up the pan. Heat the oil to 350°F (180ºC).
In a medium shallow bowl add the flour. Whisk the buttermilk and egg together in another medium bowl. Season chicken with salt and pepper. One piece at a time, dip chicken in the buttermilk mixture then dredge in the flour.
Shake off any excess flour and fry in the oil, flipping once, until the chicken is golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken and allow to drain on a paper towel-lined plate or baking cooling rack.
When ready to serve, drizzle with buffalo sauce and toss to coat.
Add the celery to a medium mixing bowl and toss with ⅓ cup of the blue cheese dressing.
Add the buffalo coated fried chicken thighs to the bottom bun then top with celery slaw. Close the sandwiches and serve.
How to Serve Crispy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
- Serve with extra blue cheese dressing or ranch for dipping.
- Add a side of fries, chips, or a green salad for a complete meal.
- For an extra indulgent twist, top with pickles or melted cheese before closing the bun.
- Make it a buffalo chicken slider bar for game day — smaller buns, same big flavor.
How to Store Crispy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
- Refrigerate: Store leftover fried chicken and slaw separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Warm the chicken in an oven or air fryer at 375°F until crispy. Avoid microwaving to prevent sogginess.
- Freeze: Fried chicken freezes well for up to 2 months. Reheat directly from frozen in a 400°F oven until heated through.
- Do not store assembled sandwiches — the buns and slaw will get soggy.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Yes! Slice them in half horizontally to create thinner cutlets so they cook evenly and stay tender.
What’s the best oil for frying chicken?
Use a neutral, high smoke-point oil like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil for the best results.
Can I bake or air fry the chicken instead?
Absolutely — bake at 425°F for about 25 minutes or air fry at 375°F for 12–14 minutes, flipping halfway through.
How spicy is this sandwich?
It’s got a medium kick from the buffalo sauce, but you can tone it down by using mild sauce or adding more blue cheese dressing.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this recipe for buffalo chicken sandwiches, give these a try and follow me on Instagram:
- Fried Chicken Sandwich with Alabama White Sauce
- Pimento Cheese Fried Chicken Sandwich
- Fried Chicken Biscuits with Hot Honey Butter
Thanks for cooking with me! If you made this recipe, leave a 🌟 rating and share your thoughts or tips below. I’d love to hear from you!
Crispy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Recipe
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Ingredients:
For the buttermilk blue cheese:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup crumbled blue cheese
For the fried chicken:
- Vegetable oil, as needed, for frying
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 1 pound
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- ⅓ cup Buffalo sauce, of choice
For assembly and serving:
- 5 stalks celery shaved on the bias
Instructions:
For the buttermilk blue cheese:
- In a small mixing bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar, garlic and pepper until combined. Stir in the blue cheese.
- Use or store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.
For the fried chicken:
- Fill a large cast iron pan with vegetable oil so it reaches 2-inches up the pan. Heat the oil to 350°F (180ºC).
- In a medium shallow bowl add the flour. Whisk the buttermilk and egg together in another medium bowl. Season chicken with salt and pepper. One piece at a time, dip chicken in the buttermilk mixture then dredge in the flour.
- Shake off any excess flour and fry in the oil, flipping once, until the chicken is golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken and allow to drain on a paper towel-lined plate or baking cooling rack.
- When ready to serve, drizzle with buffalo sauce and toss to coat.
For assembly:
- Add the celery to a medium mixing bowl and toss with ⅓ cup of the blue cheese dressing.
- Add the buffalo coated fried chicken thighs to the bottom bun then top with celery slaw. Close the sandwiches and serve.
Notes:
For the crispiest chicken, let it rest on a wire rack after frying — not paper towels. This keeps the coating crunchy instead of soggy while you prep the buffalo sauce and slaw.
Nutrition:
Calories: 687kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 237mg | Sodium: 1358mg | Potassium: 693mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 551IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 270mg | Iron: 5mg
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Oh my goodness!! Absolutely delicious!! Super easy to make. I used cabbage instead of celery in the slaw and I used a roquefort blue cheese as I wasn’t sure which one to use. It was amazing!! I was very surprised as this was my first time having something like this. This recipe was a winner and did not disappoint , Thank you so much!!
I love a cabbage slaw!! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for sharing Alexandra!
Simple and delicious!!! Love this recipe!!