Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich
Chef Jack Ovens
Qualified Chef · 1.63M Subscribers
Updated August 2026
A proper fried chicken sandwich, the kind worth the extra steps. Buttermilk and sriracha marinate the chicken, then it’s dredged and fried until the coating goes thick and craggy.
The sauce is a homemade mayo built up with ketchup, Worcestershire, and horseradish, giving it a savoury depth that a plain mayo just doesn’t have.
Marinate the chicken overnight if you can. It genuinely makes a difference to how tender and flavourful it ends up.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich
CHICKEN · SANDWICH · MEDIUM
Why You'll Love This Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich
A Proper Craggy, Crispy Crust
Pressing the flour mix firmly onto the marinated chicken is what gives you that thick, uneven, genuinely crispy crust, rather than a thin coating that goes soft in minutes.
The buttermilk and sriracha marinade tenderises the chicken and flavours it all the way through, not just on the surface, especially if you can leave it overnight.
And the sauce is genuinely worth making from scratch. Ketchup, Worcestershire, and horseradish blended through a proper mayo base gives it a lot more depth than anything from a jar.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 4 Chicken Thigh Boneless & Skinless
- 250 ml Buttermilk
- 15 ml Sriracha Sauce
- 4 g Garlic Powder
- 4 g Onion Powder
- 4 g Smoked Paprika
- Salt & Pepper
Flour Mix
- 225 g Plain Flour All Purpose
- 24 g Cornflour Cornstarch
- 4 g Smoked Paprika
- 4 g Onion Powder
- 4 g Garlic Powder
- 5 g Celery Salt
Mayonnaise (Sauce)
- 180 ml Nuetral Oil
- 1 Large Whole Egg You Can Use Pasteurised If Needed
- 7.5 ml White Vinegar or Lemon Juice
- 5 g Dijon Mustard
- 15 g Tomato Ketchup
- 15 ml Worcestershire Sauce
- 15 g Horseradish
- 4 g Smoked Paprika
- 4 g Garlic Powder
- 4 Brioche Buns Toasted
- 2 Tomatoes Sliced
- Dill Pickles Sliced
- Lettuce Washed
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
- Neutral Oil For Frying
Method
Chicken Marinade & Flour Mix
- Add the buttermilk, sriracha sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and a pinch of sea salt flakes to a mixing bowl and combine. Add the chicken thighs and mix to coat. Wrap tightly and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
- In a clean bowl, add all the flour mix ingredients and mix to combine. Set aside.
Mayonnaise (Sauce)
- To make the mayonnaise, place the olive oil, egg, white vinegar, and Dijon mustard into a tall jar or container. Blend with an immersion blender until thick and all of the oil is incorporated.
- Transfer the mayonnaise to a mixing bowl and add the tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and seasoning to taste. Mix to combine and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
Cooking & Serving
- Pour enough oil into a pot or high-rimmed pan to fill it by half. Heat over high heat to 170°C (340°F). Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) (optional).
- Place the marinated chicken into the flour mix and dredge well to completely cover, doing this in batches. Place on a plate.
- Fry the chicken in the hot oil for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden, crispy, and cooked through to an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F). Remove and drain over a wire rack on a baking tray, or on paper towels.
- Toast the burger buns under the grill/broiler in the preheated oven (optional), or in a pan with a splash of oil or butter, or in the toaster if they fit.
- Spread the mayonnaise generously over the top and bottom buns. Add the lettuce on the bottom, then the tomatoes, chicken, pickles, and top bun. Serve and dig in.
Chef's Tips
Let the chicken marinate for as long as you can, ideally overnight — the buttermilk tenderises the meat and the sriracha adds flavour all the way through, not just on the surface.Press the flour mix firmly onto the chicken as you dredge it — a well-packed coating is what gives you that thick, craggy crust once it hits the hot oil.Don't skip checking the oil temperature before frying — if it's too cool, the coating will absorb oil and turn greasy instead of crisping up.
Storage & Reheating
The fried chicken will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container, and reheats best in the oven or air fryer at 180°C (350°F) for 8-10 minutes until hot through and crispy again — the microwave will make the coating go soggy. Assemble the sandwiches fresh rather than storing them built, as the buns will go soggy sitting with the mayo and tomato. Because the sauce contains raw egg, use a pasteurised egg where possible, especially for pregnant, elderly, very young, or immunocompromised eaters — it'll keep in the fridge for around 5-7 days rather than the couple of weeks you'd get from shelf-stable, store-bought mayo.
Serving 1SandwichCalories 1394kcalCarbohydrates 80.6gProtein 45gFat 99.5gSaturated Fat 12.5gPolyunsaturated Fat 17.7gMonounsaturated Fat 61.17gTrans Fat 0.3gCholesterol 189.7mgSodium 1208.2mgPotassium 637.4mgFiber 3.6gSugar 12.1gVitamin A 197.7IUVitamin C 4.63mgCalcium 118.5mgIron 2.7mg
Common Questions
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