We’re bringing the heat with this spicy buffalo chicken sandwich smothered in smoky blue cheese dressing and topped with a buttery brioche bun. Go ahead—indulge a little.
Just because the Super Bowl is over doesn’t mean we have to eat like it is. It’s time to fry some chicken, folks!
Buffalo chicken with blue cheese is my favorite guilty pleasure. It has everything—crispy fried chicken, spicy buffalo sauce, and creamy blue cheese dressing. But I can think of a few ways to make this finger lickin’ classic even better. Like putting it between two buns and adding a hint of smoke to the situation!
I gave your traditional blue cheese dressing a makeover by adding a little liquid smoke and roasted green onions. The subtle smokiness pairs so well with the cheese (you can add smoked blue cheese for double the smokiness) and mellows out the spiciness of the buffalo sauce without taking away from those classic flavors.
The new additions were sniff tested by Miss Leona (my kitty). She approves.
There are quite a few steps in this recipe since we are making the dressing from scratch, but the end result is totally worth it. I tested this recipe on some very hungry boys and they all said they wish they could find a place that sells a sandwich as good as mine. Do you want to know why? Because nothing tastes better than homemade—I’m telling you! There’s love in there.
Pounding the chicken takes the longest, but it’s actually my favorite part. If you don’t have a meat mallet you need to get one, like yesterday. It’s a great way to de-stress (and piss off your neighbors). There’s just something so satisfying about having a legitimate reason to pound the shit out of something. Is that wrong?
You don’t want to go overboard with toppings on this sandwich. Trust me, I did the first time around—it’s messy. Believe it or not, I’m showing some restraint with this dish. I am so extra when it comes to build-your-own burgers. I can never choose which toppings I want, so I pile everything on and it’s always bigger than my head and dripping down my arms.
In my opinion, you just need something for a little freshness and crunch. I chose some crisp green lettuce and raw onion to cut through that tangy, bold flavor of the buffalo sauce. But all the boys had it straight up just buffalo chicken and blue cheese, so feel free to choose your own adventure.
In fact, you don’t even have to make a sandwich! Dunk the tenders in blue cheese and call it a day. Or toss them in a salad—or a wrap. Mmm buffalo chicken caesar wrap!?
Enjoy.
BUFFALO CHICKEN SANDWICH + SMOKY BLUE CHEESE DRESSING
INGREDIENTS
For the smoky blue cheese dressing
- 1 cup mayo
- 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 5 roasted green onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup smoked blue cheese crumbles (or regular)
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the buffalo chicken tenders
- chicken breast (1 large breast makes 2-3 sandwiches)
- flour
- 2 eggs
- plain bread crumbs
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
- Frank’s RedHot Wing Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- oil of choice, for frying
- ghee (optional), for frying
For the Sandwich
- brioce buns
- green leaf lettuce
- red onion slices
- extra blue cheese crumbles
- smoky blue cheese dressing (above)
INSTRUCTIONS
For the smoky blue cheese dressing
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roast green onions for 15 minutes or until slightly charred. Finely chop into tiny pieces. In a stand mixer or large bowl whisk all ingredients except blue cheese crumbles until well combined. Fold in blue cheese crumbles with a spatula to keep chunks in tact. Adjust salt and pepper. You can thin out with a splash of milk if it’s too thick.
For the buffalo chicken tenders
Cut chicken breast in half and pound to 1/4 inch thickness. Start in the middle of the breast and work your way toward the edges. Cut into strips (tenders).
Make your dredging station by putting flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs in three separate long, flat dishes. Season flour with a pinch of salt and the breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add a splash of water to the eggs and beat.
Preheat frying pan over med-high heat with oil and a touch of ghee (if you have it). Ghee has a higher smoke point, so it can get hotter without burning. Make sure you have enough oil to coat the entire bottom of the pan. In another pan, heat buffalo sauce and butter under low heat. You can just eyeball how much sauce to use—I like em saucy.
Dredge chicken in flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs and shaking off any excess along the way. Fry until golden and crispy on each side. About 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken. When chicken is done, toss in buffalo sauce.
Build your sandwich with lettuce, red onion slices, smoky blue cheese dressing and extra crumbles. You can keep any leftover dressing in the fridge for up to 10 days.
For more chicken recipes check out my paprika chicken in white wine butter sauce or Tuscan-style chicken drummies.
