I bet you’ve never had a spicy chicken sandwich with yogurt in it before! Sounds weird, but stick with me. I love using basic pantry staples in fun new ways, so I created these Spicy Chicken Sandwiches to show how versatile yogurt can be and how it can be used in both sweet and savory recipes. Because the more versatile an ingredient it, the less likely it is to go to waste, and we don’t like food waste around here!
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After having success using plain yogurt in place of buttermilk to bread my Homemade Baked Chicken Nuggets, I knew I had to do it in sandwich form. The process is basically the same, except I added spicy heat in three layers to the chicken! YES! And then I made a simple Honey Yogurt Coleslaw that is every so slightly sweet, to balance the heat of the chicken.
Can These Sandwiches be Reheated?
These Baked Spicy Chicken Sandwiches are definitely best when baked fresh, hence the small two sandwich batch size, but I have had decent luck reheating the baked chicken in a skillet over medium-low heat. They aren’t as crispy as they are when freshly baked, but the hot skillet does get rid of some of the moisture making the breading less soggy.
Slaw Options
If you’re not into a sweet slaw, try making a batch of my Homemade Ranch Dressing to use as your slaw dressing instead. Ranch pairs great with spicy chicken. P.S. the ranch dressing recipe also uses plain yogurt. ;) Or you could just make it easy and use some store-bought ranch dressing.
Baked Spicy Chicken Sandwiches
Servings 2Ingredients
Baked Spicy Chicken
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs ($0.13)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne ($0.05)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.02)
- 1.5 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.06)
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt ($0.25)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1 tsp hot sauce ($0.04)
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2/3 lb.) ($3.99)
Honey Yogurt Slaw
- 3 cups shredded cabbage slaw mix (pre-bagged) ($0.65)
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise ($0.17)
- 1/3 cup plain whole milk yogurt ($0.33)
- 1/2 Tbsp honey ($0.06)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard ($0.06)
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.02)
For Serving
- 2 buns ($1.00)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Place a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet to hold the breaded chicken.
- In a wide shallow bowl or container, combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper for the chicken's breading. Once combined, add the cooking oil and stir until the seasoned breadcrumbs resemble damp sand.
- In a separate wide shallow bowl or container, combine the yogurt, salt, and hot sauce.
- Place the chicken breast on a cutting board, cover with plastic, then use a mallet or rolling pin to gently pound the chicken breast to an even thickness, no more than 3/4-inch thick. Cut the chicken breast in half, then season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of cayenne.
- Dip each piece of chicken into the yogurt and hot sauce mixture, making sure to fully coat the chicken, then into the seasoned bread crumbs, again coating both sides. Place the coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet with wire rack.
- Bake the chicken for 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF, carefully flipping the chicken once half way through.
- While the chicken is baking, prepare the honey yogurt slaw. In a small bowl stir together the mayonnaise, yogurt, honey, Dijon, vinegar, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper.
- Place the shredded cabbage slaw mix in a large bowl, pour the prepared dressing over top, and stir until the cabbage is coated in dressing.
- Once the chicken is finished baking, build the sandwiches. Place one piece of spicy chicken on each bun and top with a generous pile of the honey yogurt slaw. Enjoy!
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Nutrition
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How to Make Spicy Baked Chicken Sandwiches – Step by Step Photos
Begin by preheating the oven to 425ºF. Place a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet to hold the breaded chicken. To a wide shallow bowl or dish add 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1/8 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Stir the breadcrumbs and spices together until combined, then add 1.5 Tbsp cooking oil and stir until the mixture resembles damp sand.
In a separate wide shallow bowl or dish, combine 1/4 cup plain yogurt with 1/8 tsp salt, and 1 tsp hot sauce.
Place one boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2/3 lb.) on a cutting board and cover with plastic to prevent splatter. Use a rolling pin or mallet to gently pound the chicken to an even thickness, no more than 3/4-inch thick.
Cut the chicken breast in half and season each side with a pinch of salt and cayenne.
Dip each piece of chicken into the spicy yogurt mixture, making sure it’s completely coated, then into the seasoned breadcrumbs, again making sure they are completely coated. Place the breaded chicken on the prepared baking sheet with wire rack.
Bake the chicken for about 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF, flipping the chicken once half way through (I usually do it at the 15 minute mark). The best way to flip the chicken without the breading falling off is to use tongs and pinch the sides of the chicken pieces, rather than pinching top and bottom.
While the chicken is baking, prepare the honey yogurt slaw. In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp mayonnaise, 1/3 cup plain whole milk yogurt, 1/2 Tbsp honey, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, and a little freshly cracked pepper. Stir until smooth.
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Pour the dressing over 3 cups shredded coleslaw mix (pre-bagged shredded cabbage and carrots). Stir until the cabbage is coated in dressing.
Then just build the spicy chicken sandwiches. Place one piece of baked spicy chicken on each bun and add a generous pile of the honey yogurt slaw. Enjoy!
This was absolutely delicious! I love how it used mostly ingredients I already had. I subbed in chicken thighs and it worked just as well. The honey slaw definitely stole the shows, very tasty. Will be making this again.
I love this recipe and it’s staple for me. Could the chicken be cooked in an air fryer?
Hi, there! Since we haven’t tested this recipe using an air-fryer, I don’t want to give you any specific recommendations since I can’t promise you will achieve equally successful results. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a shot! I see another commenter on this post mention they “prefer” them in the air fryer! Just make sure the center of each piece of chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165*F before removing it from the air fryer. Best of luck! ~ Marion :)
This was the perfect texture and was super tasty but just a smidge too spicy for me. I also didn’t have any yogurt and used sour cream instead. Will be making this a ton with a bit less spice.
Can these be pre prepared and frozen?
I don’t recommend it. It will give you textural issues. XOXO -Monti
This really hit the spot! I was craving a crispy chicken sandwich. So good! I had mine with a honey dijon sauce because that is what I was craving. Much, much better than a fast food restaurant.
Is the carb count with buns? Or just the chicken and slaw? Cooking for a diabetic…..
The carb count is with the buns! To lower carbs even further, try a brand like L’oven Fresh Keto Friendly Buns, which only has 2 grams of net carbs per serving.
I’ve made this a few times now and I LOVE not having to go through the hassle of frying. I did a quick pickle juice brine this last time to keep the chicken breast moist and baked with convection to help with crisping up the outside, but otherwise kept the recipe the same, and it was perfect. So easy and satisfying. Thanks for all that you do!
These are very delicious! I wanted a nice hot chicken sandwich without the hassle of frying. These were nicely spicy, juicy and perfectly cooked following the recipe exactly. We will be entering these into our regular rotation of meals.
I want to use the hot honey that I bought so could I replace the hot sauce with the hot honey?
I suppose it’s worth a try but the honey will be a lot sweeter and not as spicy as the hot sauce, so it will turn out differently.
Love this recipe!! I use half regular breadcrumbs half panko and add about a tablespoon of nashville hot chicken seasoning. I definitely prefer them in the air-fryer over the oven.
That looks great – I had a spicy dish last night. It has to be done, even during the summer months! Most of all it helps clear the airwaves and definitely makes me feel fresher and happier :D
Delicious, breading was the perfect balance of crispy and crumbley. Exactly what I was looking to make!
I’ve made these at least 20 times by now. Also passed it on to my friends with no complaints.
I have a question about this recipe: could I use plain Greek yogurt? I know it’s thicker. Will it work the same?
You’ll just need to thin it out with milk or water to make it like buttermilk consistency. It’s way too thick in its original form to coat the chicken correctly. :)
Love these. I’ve made them numerous times now. Would they freeze well?
I haven’t tried freezing these but I suspect the breading wouldn’t hold up well. :(
The texture of the chicken and breading was amazing and my whole family loved it! However, the hot sauce was a bit too much for my picky, sensitive kids and I will definitely leave it out next time. Do not skip the pounding step! It makes a major difference in the texture of the chicken. I skipped the slaw because I knew my picky kids wouldn’t eat it and we topped our sandwiches with mayo and pickles and served with mac and cheese and green beans on the side.