Catch me at a pub for dinner and chances are I'm ordering a Buffalo chicken sandwich. I knew I had to create an at-home version and these Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches with Blue Cheese Sauce hit the spot! They have a crisp, breaded chicken breast, a lettuce, carrot, and celery slaw mix, fresh juicy tomatoes, and a killer blue cheese sauce with hot sauce and ranch seasoning. All of the flavor components are bold but balanced! These sandwiches are ready for the table in 30 minutes because you can prepare everything to pile on the toasted buns while the chicken is baking or in the air fryer.
Using a frozen food ingredient to make dinner quick and easy is a no-brainer. The likelihood of me hand breading and frying or baking up chicken breasts from scratch on a weeknight might as well be zero. Using a freezer shortcut with breaded chicken filets means these tasty sandwiches can be on our table in 30 minutes any night. Hooray for a grocery store shortcut that helps get delicious dinner to the table! This is the same philosophy I use for these fish stick tacos and this frozen burrito casserole.
Love these Buffalo chicken flavor vibes? Try this Warm Buffalo Chicken Dip at your next party!
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Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Ingredients
I include ingredient notes here when I think they'll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!
- Frozen Breaded Chicken Breast Filets - There are plenty of options here! We most often use breaded chicken filets from Costco. They are made from whole chicken breasts and have a light breading that crisps up well in the air fryer. You can also use chicken patties or chicken tenders in a pinch, just cut them to fit your sandwich rolls.
- Sandwich Rolls - Choose a sandwich roll or bun that will hold up well to these sky-high buffalo chicken sandwiches but won't distract from the tasty fillings. A brioche roll is a great option; they are sturdy enough when toasted but also have a fluffy and light enough crumb that doesn't overwhelm the sandwich.
- Tomato - The fresh flavor of a couple of slices of tomato balances out the savory breaded chicken. Choose a medium slicing tomato for a classic sandwich topping.
- Lettuce - Use iceberg or romaine lettuce here for a crisp crunch. Cut the head of lettuce in half or quarters before slicing into very thin ribbons for a great texture and to prevent the lettuce from sliding right out of your bun.
- Celery and Carrot - Celery and carrot are classic sides to Buffalo wings so they make a natural addition to Buffalo chicken sandwiches. Slice the stalk of celery into the thinnest pieces possible so that they combine with the lettuce and carrots for a simple slaw mix. Shred the carrot on the large holes of a box grater for the best texture.
- Blue Cheese Sauce - Check out the section below for all the details on the blue cheese sauce!
Blue Cheese Sauce Ingredients
- Mayonnaise - Classic mayonnaise creates a creamy and smooth base for the blue cheese sauce. Do not substitute it with Miracle Whip, it's too sweet in this sauce.
- Ranch Seasoning Powder - Use a dried ranch seasoning packet or a bulk ranch seasoning mix for this recipe. This is the same packet or mix that you'd use to make ranch dressing.
- Milk - Use any milk in the blue cheese sauce, from skim to whole milk or plant-based milk.
- Hot Sauce - The classic Frank's original red hot sauce is the move here, but if you have another favorite option, use it! Frank's red hot sauce is bright and tangy with vinegar and has a spicy pop of heat to balance the other ingredients in the blue cheese sauce.
- Blue Cheese - Use blue cheese that's already crumbled or choose a drier blue cheese like stilton or roquefort so that it crumbles into small pieces.
Instructions
Cook the breaded chicken breasts according to package directions. We use the air fryer most often to get chicken breasts that are crispy and cook in under 30 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, prepare all of the other sandwich components.
Add the mayonnaise, ranch seasoning powder, milk, hot sauce, and blue cheese to a medium bowl.
Whisk everything together until smooth, making sure the ranch seasoning is well incorporated. Chill the blue cheese sauce until you need it for building the sandwich.
Slice your tomato into 8 slices. Shred the lettuce by slicing it into thin ribbons with a sharp knife. Slice the celery into very thin slices, cutting across the rib. Finally, shred the carrot on the large holes of a box grater.
In a medium bowl toss the lettuce, carrots, and celery to form a crunchy slaw mix for the base of the sandwiches.
When the chicken filets are almost done cooking, toast the sandwich rolls so that the cut surfaces are golden brown. This will prevent the sandwich from getting soggy!
Take your blue cheese sauce out of the fridge and spread both sides of your sandwich rolls with a generous layer.
Distribute the carrot and celery slaw over the bottom half of the sandwich rolls.
Add one of the cooked breaded chicken breast filets on top of the slaw.
Add two tomato slices to each sandwich and top with the sandwich roll top.
Serve these stacked buffalo chicken sandwiches immediately for the best texture!
Sandwich Building Tip
The order of your sandwich toppings matters! Adding the blue cheese sauce to the buns makes a barrier that prevents them from getting soggy. Placing the chicken between the tomato slices and the carrot and celery slaw makes the vegetables stay put when you slice or bite into the sandwich. Let's avoid a sandwich that falls apart after the first bite!
Substitutions and Variations
The substitutions listed below have been tested in this recipe and work well. If you successfully make any other ingredient substitutions, let us know in the comments!
- Omit the Blue Cheese - Not a fan of blue cheese? Skip it! Increase the amount of dry ranch dressing mix powder from one tablespoon to two.
- Use a Vegan Chicken - Use a plant-based chicken patty or a couple of chicken tenders in place of the breaded chicken breast filets. Cook them according to package directions for a plant-based "chicken" sandwich.
- More Topping Ideas - Add pickles, thinly sliced red onion, jalapeño (fresh or pickled), pickled onion, extra blue cheese crumbles, or extra hot sauce to your sandwich.
Equipment
Check out the notes on kitchen equipment below that can help streamline the prep of these tasty chicken sandwiches:
- Air Fryer - This recipe was tested with a toaster oven style air fryer. These have a wide mesh tray that accommodates 4 breaded chicken breast filets at once. Cooking times will vary from model-to-model, but if you have a smaller, basket style air fryer you'll likely need to prepare the chicken in two batches to get truly crisp chips.
- Chef's Knife - An 8- or 10-inch chef's knife is an essential tool in any kitchen. Use a good sharp knife for slicing the tomatoes, making thin slices of the celery, and cutting the lettuce into fine ribbons.
- Whisk - I have what may be an excessive number of whisks to choose from, but an 8-inch whisk I got years ago as a wedding gift is my favorite for whisking the ranch dressing mix, mayonnaise, hot sauce, and milk together for a creamy base. It makes quick work of those pesky dressing mix clumps!
Serving Suggestions
The classic choice for a side to go with these buffalo chicken sandwiches is a pile of crisp fries! You can opt for potato chips, veggie sticks, a simple green salad, or fresh fruit, too. Don't forget to try that buffalo cheese sauce as a dip for your fries!
Make This Recipe Kid Friendly
This main dish can be deconstructed in plenty of ways to please all of your diners. I have one kiddo that likes these chicken sandwiches without the blue cheese sauce and one that eats the chicken filet with an alternate dipping sauce (and no bun!). There's no reason that each sandwich has to look the same (or even be a sandwich!).
Add some familiar foods to the table to increase the chances your kid will try this new sandwich! Find more tips like these in this keeping peace at the dinner table post.
Storage
You can store leftover blue cheese sauce for up to two days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It is not recommended to cook, chill, and reheat the frozen chicken breast filets, so only prepare the amount you need for best results.
Make-Ahead Options
Most of the preparation of these sandwiches takes place at the same time the chicken is cooking! If you want to streamline some of the steps, make both the blue cheese sauce and the carrot and celery slaw the night before. Keep both covered tightly with plastic wrap.
FAQ
Spicy hot sauce and creamy blue cheese, crunchy wafer-thin slices of celery and a soft sandwich roll, hot and crisp chicken filet and cool fresh tomatoes… all of the elements in this buffalo chicken sandwich are balanced for the best flavor!
We love to use a toasted brioche bun for these sandwiches. They toast up golden and don't get soggy too quickly, the bun is substantial enough to hold the ingredients together, and the texture of the roll is light enough to not compete with the stacked toppings. A toasted potato bread bun or a French bread roll will work well, too.
This blue cheese sauce can be made a day in advance so that you have one less thing to do on a busy weeknight. The flavors will meld and the blue cheese crumbles will soften after chilling in the refrigerator. Make sure you stir it well before spreading over your sandwich roll!
Dinner Worthy Sandwiches
Putting a highly-flavorful protein on a sandwich roll is an easy way to make a hearty dinner! Pile on the sauces, toppings, and vegetables and your meal is balanced and delicious. Try any of these recipe ideas next:
Air Fryer to the rescue!
Using an air fryer will speed up your dinner prep and often gives a crispier texture to your foods. It's perfect for cooking up the chicken breast filets for these sandwiches and can make quick work of the ingredients in the recipes below:
Try It and Share
I hope you try these Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches with Blue Cheese Sauce and enjoy the recipe as much as we do. I want to see your results! Tag your photo with #planeatpostrepeat and mention me @planeatpostrepeat on Instagram or Facebook. I can give you a virtual high five and thank you for cooking one of my recipes! Comment below with any questions and please leave a review so others can find this recipe more easily.
Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with Blue Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
Frozen Chicken Sandwiches
- 4 frozen breaded chicken breast filets
- 4 sandwich rolls
- 1 medium tomato
- 1 stalk celery (about ⅓ cup, thinly sliced)
- 1 medium carrot (about ½ cup, shredded)
- 1 cup lettuce (shredded)
Blue Cheese Sauce
- 4 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning
- 1 tablespoon 2% milk
- 1½ tablespoon hot sauce (Frank's Original)
- ¼ cup blue cheese (crumbled, about 1.25 ounces)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven or air fryer to the temperature listed on the frozen chicken filet packaging.
- Bake or air fry the chicken according to package directions.
- While the chicken is cooking, combine the blue cheese sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Chill the sauce until serving.
- Slice the tomato into 8 equal slices.
- Thinly slice the celery and shred the carrot on the large holes of a box grater. Slice the lettuce into fine ribbons. Toss the celery, carrot, and lettuce together in a medium bowl to assemble the slaw.
- Toast the sandwich rolls.
- When the chicken filets are done cooking, assemble the sandwiches: Spread the blue cheese sauce over both sies of the toasted bun. Add ¼ of the slaw mixture to the bottom of the bun, topped with the chicken filet. Top the chicken with two slices of tomato and place the bun on top. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition facts are sometimes provided below and are calculated using an online calculator. With specific brands of ingredients and additions, omissions, or substitutions the nutrition facts may change. We encourage you to use your own nutrition facts calculator to obtain the most accurate nutrition facts for your meal.
Cassie Waltman says
We love that these buffalo chicken sandwiches are just as good as the restaurant version!