Crispy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with Buttermilk Ranch

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Fried chicken tenders stay shatter-crisp because they hit the buffalo sauce only seconds before they hit the bun. Butter-cut hot sauce clings instead of soaking, cool buttermilk ranch goes on both toasted halves as a moisture barrier, and shredded iceberg adds the crunch a good sports-bar sandwich lives on.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb chicken tenders (or 2 boneless skinless breasts, sliced into 8 strips)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tbsp hot sauce (Frank's RedHot)
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 6 cups peanut or vegetable oil, for frying

• 1/2 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce (Frank's RedHot)
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 3 tbsp buttermilk
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 2 tsp dried)
• 2 tbsp thinly sliced chives
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt and black pepper, to taste

• 4 brioche or potato buns
• 2 tbsp butter, softened, for the buns
• 3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 12 dill pickle chips
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery (optional)

Instructions

1. Whisk the buttermilk, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, and 1.5 teaspoons salt in a bowl. Add the chicken tenders, turn to coat, cover, and refrigerate at least 20 minutes (up to 8 hours).
2. Make the ranch: stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, 3 tablespoons buttermilk, dill, chives, lemon juice, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until serving.
3. In a wide shallow dish, whisk the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and cayenne. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk marinade into the flour and rub it in with your fingers so shaggy clumps form — these become the crunchy bits.
4. Pour 1.5 inches of oil into a large heavy pot or Dutch oven and heat over medium-high to 350°F (use a thermometer). Set a wire rack over a sheet pan nearby.
5. Working one at a time, lift a tender from the marinade, let the excess drip off, and press it firmly into the flour, scooping and packing coating over every surface. Set on a plate. Repeat with all the tenders and let them rest 5 minutes so the breading hydrates and grips.
6. Fry in two batches, 4 tenders at a time, for 5 to 7 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F at the thickest point. Move to the wire rack — never paper towels — and let the oil come back to 350°F between batches. Do not salt yet; the sauce brings plenty.
7. While the second batch fries, butter the cut sides of the buns and toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden and dry to the touch. A toasted, sealed surface is your insurance against sogginess.
8. Make the sauce at the last minute: combine the 1/2 cup hot sauce, honey, vinegar, and garlic powder in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When it steams, whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time, adding more only once the last melts, until the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Keep it off direct heat so it does not break, and pour it into a wide bowl.
9. Spread ranch generously on both toasted bun halves. Pile shredded lettuce, pickle chips, and celery on the bottom half.
10. Immediately before serving, add the hot tenders to the bowl of buffalo sauce and toss for 10 to 15 seconds — just long enough to coat, not to soak. Lift them out with tongs, letting extra sauce drip back into the bowl, stack 2 tenders per sandwich on the lettuce, cap with the top bun, and eat right away.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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