Skip to main content
Epicurious
Bon Appétit

Fried Chicken Sandwich with Slaw and Spicy Mayo

By Son of a Gun, Los Angeles, CA

4.9

(25)

Image may contain Burger and Food
Fried Chicken Sandwich with Slaw and Spicy MayoGentl & Hyers

If your idea of coleslaw is the pleated paper cup of shredded stuff alongside BLTs at the diner, it's time for a new rule: Slaw doesn't go with the sandwich, it goes on the sandwich. Slaws deliver on several fronts. They're crunchy, and sandwiches need crunch. Done right, slaws give a bright acidic kick to counter the fatty goodness of meats and mayo. And they provide a temperature contrast to warm sandwiches, like this fried-chicken masterpiece from Son of a Gun in Los Angeles. We can't think of a sandwich that doesn't deserve slaw, so pile it on.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Spicy mayo and slaw:

1 garlic clove, finely grated
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot pepper sauce
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
4 cups thinly sliced cabbage
½ cup bread-and-butter pickle slices
¼ cup pickle juice

Fried chicken and assembly:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more
1 cup buttermilk
2 8-ounces skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved crosswise
Peanut or vegetable oil (for frying)
4 white sandwich rolls
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Special Equipment

A deep-fry thermometer

Preparation

  1. For spicy mayo and slaw:

    Step 1

    Mix garlic, mayonnaise, and hot pepper sauce in a small bowl; cover and chill. Toss onion, jalapeño, cabbage, pickles, and pickle juice in a large bowl to combine; cover and chill.

  2. For fried chicken and assembly:

    Step 2

    Whisk flour, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl. Pour buttermilk into another shallow bowl. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Dip in buttermilk, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Dredge again in flour mixture, shaking off excess.

    Step 3

    Pour oil into a large heavy skillet to a depth of 1/2". Prop deepfry thermometer in oil so bulb is submerged. Heat over medium heat until thermometer registers 350°F.

    Step 4

    Fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a baking sheet; season with salt. Spread cut sides of rolls with butter. Heat another large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook rolls buttered side down until browned and crisp, about 1 minute.

    Step 5

    Spread with spicy mayo. Build sandwiches with rolls, chicken, and cabbage slaw.

TagsSandwichFried ChickenAmericanChicken BreastChickenPoultryCabbageLeafy GreensVegetableRed OnionOnionRoot VegetableJalapeñoChileMainLunchDinnerNut FreeDeep FryJuneteenthBon Appétit

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips