The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
SPICY FRIED-CHICKEN SANDWICH
“Crunchy, juicy, and slicked with mayo, a spicy fried-chicken sandwich is a lunchtime favorite, but we aren’t about to heat up a skillet of frying oil whenever the craving strikes. The air fryer gave us a less greasy route that was nearly as convenient as hitting up our favorite lunch spot. For our spicy chicken sandwich to live up to its name, we added heat in three stages. First, we whisked hot sauce into the egg-flour dredging mixture to ensure that the heat was directly coating the chicken rather than getting lost in the breading, as it does in many recipes. Combining more hot sauce with mayonnaise for a creamy spread upped the heat level further. An unwritten rule of fried sandwiches states that a pickled element is a must; this was our opportunity to add even more heat with fiery sweet pickled jalapeños in lieu of pickle chips. Shredded lettuce provided a crisp, fresh component that tempered the heat a bit.”— From“America’s Test Kitchen Air Fryer Perfection”
1 cup panko breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 large egg
3 tablespoons hot sauce, preferably Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken
breasts, trimmed
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 hamburger buns, toasted if desired 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1/4 cup jarred sliced jalapeños
Toss panko with oil in bowl until evenly coated. Microwave, stirring frequently, until light golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer to shallow dish and set aside to cool slightly. Whisk egg, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, flour, garlic powder, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper together in second shallow dish.
Pound chicken to uniform thickness as needed. Halve each breast crosswise, pat dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dredge in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then coat with panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
Lightly spray base of air-fryer basket with vegetable oil spray. Arrange chicken pieces in prepared basket, spaced evenly apart. Place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until chicken is crispy and registers 160 degrees, 12 to 16 minutes, flipping and rotating chicken pieces halfway through cooking.
Combine mayonnaise and remaining 1 tablespoon hot sauce in small bowl. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over bun bottoms, then top with 1 piece chicken, lettuce, jalapeños and bun tops. Serve.
Serves 4.
Per serving: 496 calories (percent of calories from fat, 44), 34 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 24 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 124 milligrams cholesterol, 735 milligrams sodium.