Toaster-Oven Spicy Oven-Fried Chicken Sandwiches
By America's Test KitchenPublished on January 18, 2022
Time
45 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Toaster oven setting
Air-fry or convection
Ingredients
Before You Begin
The air-fry or convection setting helps to achieve a crisp crust on the chicken; if your toaster does not have these functions, use the standard bake function.
Instructions
- Adjust toaster oven rack to middle position, select air-fry or convection function, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Set small wire rack in small rimmed baking sheet and spray rack with vegetable oil spray
- Toss panko with oil in bowl until evenly coated. Microwave, stirring frequently, until light golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to shallow dish and let cool slightly. Whisk egg, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, flour, garlic powder, and ⅛ teaspoon salt together in second shallow dish.
- Halve each breast crosswise and pound between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to uniform ½-inch thickness. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dredge in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then coat with panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
- Arrange chicken pieces on prepared rack, spaced evenly apart. Bake chicken until it is crispy and registers 160 degrees, 13 to 18 minutes.
- Combine mayonnaise and remaining 1 tablespoon hot sauce in small bowl. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over bun bottoms, then top with 1 piece chicken, lettuce, jalapeños, and bun tops. Serve.
Time
45 minutesYield
Serves 4Toaster oven setting
Air-fry or convectionIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
The toaster oven ended up being our secret to a fried chicken sandwich that is more achievable than ever before. We utilized the air-fry or convection setting because they circulate hot air quickly using a mechanical fan—this movement around the food helps produce a crispy layer. For our spicy chicken sandwich to live up to its name, we added heat in three ways: hot sauce that we whisked directly into the dredging, then spicy mayo and pickled jalapeño to top the chicken. Rather than dipping our chicken in flour and then beaten eggs, we whisked the two together with the hot sauce and spices to streamline the entire process. This ensured that the heat was directly coating the chicken rather than getting lost in the breading. In order to get perfectly browned bread crumbs without overcooking our chicken, we pretoasted them by tossing the bread crumbs with oil and briefly microwaving them to a golden brown. Shredded iceberg lettuce provided a crisp, fresh component that tempered the heat and added some texture.
Before You Begin
The air-fry or convection setting helps to achieve a crisp crust on the chicken; if your toaster does not have these functions, use the standard bake function.
Instructions
- Adjust toaster oven rack to middle position, select air-fry or convection function, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Set small wire rack in small rimmed baking sheet and spray rack with vegetable oil spray
- Toss panko with oil in bowl until evenly coated. Microwave, stirring frequently, until light golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to shallow dish and let cool slightly. Whisk egg, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, flour, garlic powder, and ⅛ teaspoon salt together in second shallow dish.
- Halve each breast crosswise and pound between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to uniform ½-inch thickness. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dredge in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then coat with panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
- Arrange chicken pieces on prepared rack, spaced evenly apart. Bake chicken until it is crispy and registers 160 degrees, 13 to 18 minutes.
- Combine mayonnaise and remaining 1 tablespoon hot sauce in small bowl. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over bun bottoms, then top with 1 piece chicken, lettuce, jalapeños, and bun tops. Serve.
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