If you love the classic Chick-fil-a sandwich or even their competitor, Popeyes, then you will go crazy over this Spicy Chipotle Chicken Sandwich. It is crispy, it is hot, and putting it on a biscuit takes it over the top. Like I previously stated, the chicken itself is not actually fried, but seems like it could have been. The key to making baked chicken crispy, is not only a crunchy coating like cornflakes or panko breadcrumbs, but also olive oil. Lightly brushing the chicken with olive oil adds extra crispiness, that is similar, if not the same as a fried chicken sandwich. The best part is, you don’t have to deal with a huge greasy mess, like you do when deep frying. I personally used the convection setting on our oven to help simulate frying a little more and get the chicken to cook faster. If you have an air fryer you can cook the chicken in that, as long as you achieve a fried chicken look and taste, then you are successful.

My most favorite part about this chicken sandwich is the sauce. I find myself daydreaming over it every month. The sauce is so simple, yet so perfect. All you need is some butter, honey, a lot of chipotle chili spice, garlic powder, chili powder, and paprika. While the chipotle chili takes the show, the garlic, paprika, and chili powder add extra flavoring, that prevents the sandwich from being just chipotle and quite boring. As for the honey and butter, the two ingredients help tone down the heat of chipotle chili pepper. While I like a hot sandwich, this is good for someone who likes things spicy, but not burn your mouth spicy. Also, the sweetness of the honey and the heat of the chili powders makes for one delicious flavor combo. After all, sweet and spicy is a classic.

The final component of this sandwich is the bun aka the buttermilk biscuit. While you can use a high quality bun, like brioche, for this chicken (I have and it’s still amazing), I thought it would be fun to take on some Southern flair and switch things up by making a biscuit be the bun and boy was this a good idea. The biscuit is fluffy from the butter, flaky from the folding technique, and downright delicious. The key to making a good buttermilk biscuit flaky is using a folding technique similar to what you would do for croissants. Folding the dough over multiple times creates layers that folding the dough once just can’t do. Overall, a buttery flaky biscuit paired with fried chicken may be a better combination than chicken and waffles