Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (Air Fryer Or Skillet)

Name: Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 14 min
Ingredients: ½ cup (14g) buffalo sauce; 1 tablespoon melted butter (if grilling method); ½ teaspoon paprika; ¼ teaspoon onion powder; 2 chicken breasts; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; ¼ teaspoon buffalo sauce; seasonings of choice, optional (garlic powder, onion powder, paprika); 2 buns; 2 lettuce leaves; 1 tomato (sliced); ½ red onion (sliced)

These Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches are full of flavor and offer a fun (and less messy) twist on traditional Buffalo chicken wings. This recipe is easy to make on a grill, in a skillet, or in your air fryer. You can even use leftover chicken!

Post includes Weight Watchers points.

the assembled buffalo chicken sandwich served on a white plate

Everyone loves buffalo chicken wings, but they take a while to cook and are so messy! They are super tasty, but who needs all that spicy sauce dripping to their elbows?

This Buffalo sandwich recipe takes all the flavor and spice that you love in buffalo wings and puts it in a nice, easy to eat package. Plus, they cook up quickly, so you can enjoy that awesome game day flavor any time.

Just like you can with this Buffalo Chicken Fries, this Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip and Chicken Shawarma Wrap.

Versatile Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

This chicken sandwich is the perfect main course dish for lunch, dinner, game day, camping, summer BBQs, backyard suppers, and more. It’s easy to make enough for one or two people, or double or even triple the recipe when you need to feed a crowd.

Why Make This Recipe

Less Mess – Buffalo wings are so yummy but SO messy! Enjoy the same amazing taste in a convenient sandwich form.
Flavorful – This slightly spicy sandwich is bursting with spicy flavor!
Filling – The sandwich is incredibly filling and doesn’t use a lot of ingredients.
Frugal – Split a chicken breast between two people. See the Budget-Friendly Tips below for more details.

Ingredient Notes

Chicken – This recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can easily substitute in chicken tenders, thin chicken cutlets or used precooked, leftover chicken breast.
Buffalo Sauce – Be sure to look for “buffalo” sauce as opposed to just hot sauce. Hot sauce is usually just peppers and vinegar. Buffalo sauce is thicker and creamier.
Seasonings – Buffalo sauce is flavorful on its own, but adding paprika and onion powder really kicks up the flavor and gives it a more homemade taste. You can also add garlic powder, or simply leave the seasonings out.
Buns – Any type of sandwich buns or bread will work. Just use what you have on hand.
Condiments – Add lettuce, tomato, onion, slaw or any of your favorite condiments to this sandwich.

side view of a finished buffalo chicken sandwich

How To Grill / Skillet Cook Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

Grill (or cook in a large skillet) chicken breasts for 3-5 minutes per side over medium heat until cooked through.
Whisk the buffalo sauce with seasonings and melted butter and brush on both sides of the chicken.
Make the buffalo mayo by mixing mayo with buffalo sauce and seasonings (if using).
Assemble the sandwiches, serve and enjoy.

How To Air Fry Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Preheat Air Fryer to 350F / 180C.
Coat the raw chicken with the Frank’s Wing sauce and seasonings mixture.
Place chicken to the Air Fryer basket and cook for 14 minutes.
Flip the chicken halfway through cooking.
In a small bowl, combine buffalo sauce, mayo, and seasonings (if using).
Assemble the Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken sandwiches using the meat and sandwich buns.

Air fryer temperatures can vary depending on the make and model. Start with a little less cook time, check for doneness, then adding more time if needed.

image collage showing the steps for making air fryer buffalo chicken sandwich

Tips For Success

When cooking chicken, always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should reach at least 165F / 74C.
If you prefer crunchy chicken then you can start with this Baked Ranch Chicken with a cornflake crust, and then douse than in sauce before serving.
If cooking in a skillet, make sure to heat up a little olive oil first before cooking.
For even cooking, use a meat mallet to pound chicken to an even thickness.
Prepare your mayo in advance (up to 24 hours) to give it time to develop flavor.
Grill the buns or heat them in the air fryer for even more flavor.
Assemble just before serving to keep your buns from going soggy.

Delicious Variations

Buffalo Blue Cheese – Buffalo sauce and blue cheese go hand in hand. Add fresh blue cheese crumbles to your sandwich or replace the mayo in the recipe with blue cheese dressing.
Add more sauce- You can easily add in some ranch dressing along with the buffalo wing sauce when making the mayo.
More Heat – If you really like it hot, add a bit of cayenne pepper to the buffalo sauce mixture and top your sandwich with sliced hot peppers.
Add Cheese – Add a slice of your favorite cheese to these sandwiches.
Flavored Buns – Use traditional hamburger buns or try onion rolls or Hawaiian rolls.
Low Carb – Reduce the calories by just serving the meat with the salad.
Buffalo Sliders – Slice each chicken breast into two or three smaller pieces and put them on slider buns for a tasty and simple appetizer.

one buffalo chicken sandwich on a white plate and ready to serve

Budget-Friendly Tips

Split the Chicken Breasts – Chicken breasts are much larger these days. Depending on your appetite, you may be able to split a single chicken breast between two people by butterflying down the middle before cooking.
Use Leftover Chicken Breasts – Reheat leftover chicken breasts according to your favorite method then coat them in the buffalo sauce, butter, and seasoning mixture before assembling the sandwiches.
Use Leftover Shredded Chicken – Don’t overlook leftover shredded chicken for these sandwiches! Toss the chicken with the buffalo sauce and seasonings and microwave to reheat. Pile onto sandwiches with the other ingredients.
Freeze Your Buns – Buns come in packages of 8, but there is no reason to throw them away when you only need 2. Place leftover buns into freezer bags and freeze them for up to 3 months. Defrost them on the counter for about an hour before using.
Make a Salad – Serve leftover buffalo chicken on a bed of lettuce with tomato, slices of onion, and blue cheese dressing for a delicious lunch.

Storage

Prep Ahead – Prepare the buffalo mayo up to 24 hours in advance to allow the flavor to develop.
Store – Leftover chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Meal Prep – This is a great recipe for meal prep. Cook once and eat for days. This recipe stores for 4 days so you can eat it on the day you cook it plus for more days. Separate leftover chicken into portions in airtight meal prep containers. and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Use it to make sandwiches, cut up and add to salads or pasta, fry in an omelette or frittata and serve with some rice.

FAQs

Can I Make This Recipe With Fried Chicken?

If you have leftover fried chicken tenders they will be delicious on this sandwich. Reheat fried chicken tenders in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes at 350F / 176C, or cook them from frozen according to the package instructions. When they are cooked through, toss them with the buffalo sauce, butter, and seasonings mixture then prepare the sandwich as directed.

Cooking Chicken Safely

To be safe, check that your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F / 74C before serving. So use a digital thermometer to check that the meat is fully cooked.

top down view of the cooked buffalo chicken in air fryer

More Recipes You May Like

Serving Suggestions

I love serving these piled with tomato and blue cheese crumbles in a bun for lunch or dinner simply with some coleslaw or Garlic Parmesan Fries and ranch dressing for dipping into.

Weight Watchers Points

If you omit the butter and use a calorie-controlled cooking spray, there are 7 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

Tools To Make This

An Air Fryer.
Measuring cups and spoons.
An awesome skillet.
An instant read thermometer.

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