These Buffalo chicken sandwiches are loaded with shredded chicken and smothered in homemade Buffalo sauce, topped with jalapenos and blue cheese crumbles. Easy to make and nice and spicy!
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Recipe
It's sandwich time, my friends. Are you feeling hungry? There are many, many sandwich options for us in this kitchen, but tonight we're making one our favorites - the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich!
We both love Buffalo Chicken. It is outstanding on its own, all spicy and tangy and delicious, but shred it up, pile it on a bun with lots of blue cheese crumbles and dressing drizzled over the top? To die for.
I love mine with roasted jalapeno slices and extra blue cheese. We're basically taking all the wonderful flavors of buffalo chicken wings and turning them into a sandwich. I think you're going to love this recipe.
These sandwiches are great for game day gatherings and parties. They cook up fast and easy, so they're also perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Done in under 30 minutes! Great for meal planning. Big time saver.
Let's talk about how to make Buffalo chicken sandwiches, shall we?
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Ingredients
- FOR THE BUFFALO SAUCE
- Butter, Louisiana style hot sauce (Franks Red Hot is very popular though I use Valentina HOT), apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, paprika, granulated garlic, salt and pepper. Also, I like a pinch of ghost pepper powder in mine. See my my homemade buffalo sauce recipe.
- FOR THE CHICKEN
- Olive Oil. For cooking.
- Chicken. Use boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
- Seasonings. Smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne powder, salt and pepper to taste.
- FOR THE SANDWICHES & GARNISH/TOPPINGS
- Sandwich buns. French rolls are good, as are hoagie rolls or brioche buns.
- Roasted jalapeno peppers.
- Blue cheese crumbles.
- Blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing - optional, if desired.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches - the Recipe Method (with Shredded Chicken)
MAKE THE BUFFALO SAUCE
Stir together all of the Buffalo sauce ingredients except the butter to a small pot and heat to low heat. Whisk in the butter a bit at a time until it is all incorporated and the sauce becomes smooth and thick. Set aside until ready to use.
FOR THE BUFFALO CHICKEN
Season the Chicken. Season the chicken generously with your seasoning blend. I'm using paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Cook the Chicken. Heat the oil in a large pan to medium high heat. Sear the seasoned chicken 5 minutes per side, then reduce heat to low. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of Buffalo sauce. Cover and simmer another 5 minutes, or until you reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer.
You can also grill the chicken or use a slow cooker, like this easy shredded chicken recipe.
Chop or Shred the Chicken. Remove from heat and chop or shred the chicken. The choice is yours.
ASSEMBLE THE SANDWICHES
Extra Buffalo Sauce. Smother the chicken with the remaining Buffalo sauce and distribute to the toasted buns.
Toppings. Garnish with jalapeno slices, blue cheese crumbles and blue cheese dip or ranch dip, if desired. Sliced red onion is nice, too!
Boom! Done! Your shredded Buffalo chicken sandwiches are ready to serve! Bust out the chips, my friends! Or serve them with carrots and celery on the side for dipping into your extra blue cheese or ranch dressing. Get a little crunch factor.
This will make you 6 good sized sandwiches. You can easily make more sandwiches with less buffalo chicken on them.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- The Buffalo Sauce. You can use any buffalo wing sauce that you prefer, or make your own. Spicy Buffalo sauce is basically a Louisiana style hot sauce mixed with melted butter, though I like to include a few other ingredients in my homemade Buffalo sauce. It's really easy to make from scratch.
- The Chicken. Any cooked chicken will work here. You can use chicken breast, chicken thighs, or a combination, either chopped, pulled chicken or shredded. I use this Buffalo Chicken Recipe and either chop or shred it for making sandwiches. Save yourself some time and grab a rotisserie chicken from the store and shred it yourself. Use grilled chicken as well. So good!
- The Toppings. I love sliced roasted jalapeno peppers with mine, along with blue cheese crumbles. Use your favorites. Other options include extra hot sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, sour cream. I also like mine with blue cheese dressing, but Patty prefers ranch dressing. Which do you prefer?
- The Sandwich Buns. Use your favorites here. We love larger French rolls that get nice and crusty when toasted, but are somewhat airy and a bit chewy with texture. Hoagie rolls are good, as are bolillo rolls, Italian bread or Cuban bread.
Storage and Leftovers
Store any leftover buffalo chicken in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Store leftover buns separately in plastic wrap. Store leftover buffalo sauce in a sealed container in the fridge for a month.
You can easily reheat the chicken on the stovetop in a small pot, then enjoy it on toasted buns.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my Buffalo chicken sandwich recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. I hope your family loves them. Keep it spicy!
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE BUFFALO SAUCE
- ½ cup Louisiana style hot sauce - Franks is very popular though I use Valentina HOT
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika - I use Hungarian paprika – smoked is great too
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic or more to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- OPTIONAL: Pinch of ghost pepper flakes for XTRA HOT! Or try Cayenne Flakes for nice hot.
- 1 stick butter - 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts (8 ounces each, or use chicken thighs)
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE SANDWICHES
- 6 sandwich buns lightly toasted
- 2 roasted jalapeno peppers sliced
- Blue cheese crumbles
- Blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing - optional, if desired
Instructions
FOR THE BUFFALO SAUCE
- Stir together all of the Buffalo sauce ingredients except the butter to a small pot and heat to low heat. Whisk in the butter a bit at a time until it is all incorporated and the sauce becomes smooth and thick.
- Set aside until ready to use.
FOR THE CHICKEN
- Season the chicken generously with your seasoning blend. I'm using paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large pan to medium heat. Sear the seasoned chicken 5 minutes per side, then reduce heat to low. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of Buffalo sauce.
- Cover and simmer another 5 minutes, or until you reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer.
- Remove from heat and chop or shred the chicken.
ASSEMBLE THE SANDWICHES
- Smother with the remaining Buffalo sauce and serve on toasted buns.
- Garnish with jalapeno slices, blue cheese crumbles and blue cheese dip or ranch dip, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 3/11/22 to include new information and video. It was originally published on 3/8/21.
Nick says
I actually had some leftover chicken tenders from a restaurant that i reheated in the airfryer. Made the Buffalo sauce and coleslaw with blue cheese dressing. Delicious
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it.
Ellinore says
This recipe is absolutely amazing! Instead of shredding the chicken I cut it into thin strips and tossed it in the homemade sauce, a recipe I will use again and again for sure!
Mike H. says
Thank you so much, Ellinore. Enjoy!
Chris Poole says
Made this tonight. So awesome!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Chris! Nice!!
DavidS says
Made it according to the recipe and it was a hit!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great to hear, David! I appreciate the comments!!
Jérémie says
The Buffalo sauce and blue cheese combination worked remarkably in your Buffalo Chicken Burger recipe. Here, too, it is so great! I could eat that sandwich day and night! Thanks Mike.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Jérémie! We really enjoy Buffalo chicken sandwiches. So easy to make, and always satisfying.
Ramya says
will be making this soon with few subs i never had buffalo chicken sandwich as am a vegan will tag you on twitter if i make this Thanks Ramya