Hot Honey Habanero Chicken Sandwiches

This post is sponsored by Profanity Jams. I used their Habanero Jam for this recipe, but any of their great jams would be excellent on a crispy chicken sandwich! 

A fried chicken sandwich doesn’t have to be anything fancy to be delicious, but there are a few key elements to it in my opinion. You need a crunchy, juicy piece of chicken, a fresh crispy slaw, and a sauce that brings it all together. 

For this chicken sandwich, which might just be my favorite I’ve made, the sauce is really the key component. It’s a sweet and spicy glaze that coats the chicken and gives the sandwich intense flavor. 

Let’s Talk Profanity Jams

If you think of jam as the boring red jar of sugar and fruit in your pantry, then you need to check out Profanity Jams. For the last few weeks, I’ve been slathering their jams on everything from burgers, to breakfast, to (obviously) chicken sandwiches.

I like all their flavors, but their classic Habanero Jelly is my go-to and what I used for these sandwiches. 

How to make a crispy chicken cutlet

Obviously, a good fried chicken sandwich means a crunchy chicken cutlet. I like to use chicken thighs for mine, but you could use breasts if you would like. 

You want to try to get the cutlet about the same thickness, which might mean you need to pound it out slightly to even out any thicker parts. Also, if you are using thighs, trim off any large pieces of fat on the thighs.

Then season the thighs well with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Dip the cutlets in eggs and then coat well with flour and breadcrumbs before pan-frying at about 350˚F until crispy and cooked through. 

Making the glaze

This glaze is very easy to make because it starts with the habanero jelly which already has plenty of flavor. You could honestly get away with JUST using the jelly as a glaze. But, I stir in a little honey (or hot honey if you want it even spicier) and a small splash of apple cider vinegar.

You don’t want the glaze too watery, but it should be pourable so it coats the chicken well. 

Other Ingredients for a good chicken sandwich

Here are the other things you’ll need for these chicken sandwiches!

• Toasted Brioche buns. I like the large brioche buns for these sandwiches. Toast them lightly so they can hold up to the toppings better. 
• Slaw mix. Nothing fancy here but some store-bought slaw, mixed with a little mayo, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper, adds some texture to the sandwich. 
• Pickles. I always like pickles on chicken sandwiches, but you could leave them off! 
• A crisp drink! Maybe a cold beer or even a iced-down soda will go great with these sandwiches! 

Assembling these chicken sandwiches

It’s very important that you assemble these sandwiches right before eating them. This isn’t the kind of sandwich you want to have sitting on a plate for 30 minutes. Make it and eat it! 

Start the sandwiches by toasting your buns well so they hold up to the toppings.

Then add the slaw and pickles and top with the fried chicken cutlets. If your cutlets are very big, you can cut them in half and kind of stack them.

Then drizzle on the glaze, about 1 tablespoon per sandwich, and then top it and serve it! 

Make these sliders!

Having a party? Try these out in slider form with tiny slider buns and crispy chicken nuggets! Bite-sized and perfect for game day! 

Leftover chicken sandwiches

As I mentioned, these sandwiches absolutely do not keep as a sandwich, but you can store the ingredients separately and make them quickly. The slaw will keep for a few days, the glaze will keep for months, and the fried chicken can be reheated quickly in the oven.